Babe Ruth

George Herman Ruth, (b. February 6, 1895, d. August 16, 1948), better known as Babe Ruth, also commonly known by the nicknames The Bambino and The Sultan of Swat, was an American baseball player and United States national icon. He was one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and he was the first player to hit over 30, 40 and 50 home runs in one season. His record of 60 home runs in the 1927 season stood for 34 years until it was broken by Roger Maris in 1961. He also was a member of the original American League All-Star team in 1933. In 1998, The Sporting News named Ruth as Number One in its list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players."

Impact on Baseball

Ruth's impact on baseball went well beyond his statistics. Attendance, which had stagnated in the 1910's, greatly increased due to the attention Ruth brought to the game, and he was at the forefront of the new live ball era that revolutionized how the game was played. A few baseball people even gave Ruth credit for "saving" baseball after the Black Sox scandal broke in the fall of 1920, and although this was not true, Ruth's exploits on the field likely won back some fans who had been soured by the scandal.

Related Topics:
1910's - Live ball - Black Sox scandal - 1920 - Scandal

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Increased Attendance

Obviously Ruth was not the only reason more fans were coming to the ballpark. Some people wished to escape the post-World War 1 angst and want a "Return to Normalcy", as a 1920 Presidential campaign slogan of Warren G. Harding put it. The dramatic increase in home runs and scoring was also getting fans attention. These and other reasons were factors, but it is no coincidence that the 1920 Yankees shattered the league attendance mark. The Yankees drew nearly 1.3 million fans, breaking the old mark of the 1908 New York Giants by nearly 400,000 fans. Attendance dramatically increased in every major league city in 1920, and seven teams set their own attendance records. The attention Ruth generated for the game, with all his home runs, playing in New York, his personality, and even his off the field activities (some not always positive) was bringing an unprecended spotlight to baseball. One reporter wrote, "This new fan didn't know where first base was, but he had heard of Babe Ruth and wanted to see him hit a home run. When the Babe hit one, the fan went back the next day and knew not only where first base was, but second base as well." Baseball still had its problems: a segregated game, competitive imbalance, and owners with complete control over the players, but the popularity of the game increased so much that the 1920's has often been called baseball's first Golden Age, and Babe Ruth can justifiably be given a large share of the credit.

Related Topics:
Ballpark - World War 1 - Angst - Return to Normalcy - 1920 - Warren G. Harding - Fans - 1908 - New York Giants - Reporter - Segregate - 1920's

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Beginning of the live ball era

Ruth's home runs were at the epicenter of an explosion of offense in baseball. In 1918, the major league batting average was .254, in 1921 it was .291; the league ERA went from 2.77 to 4.02, runs increased 25% and home runs increased 300% over the same time span. Almost overnight, baseball had gone from the most anemic hitting era in baseball history (the dead-ball era) to what would be the greatest hitting era, the 1920's.

Related Topics:
1918 - Batting average - 1921 - ERA - Runs - Home run - Baseball history - Dead-ball era

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A few factors have been cited for the dramatic increase in offense. One major reason was that baseball in 1920 outlawed the spitball pitch (with some exceptions), the emery (scuffed) pitch, and all unorthodox pitching deliveries. The spitball was a devestating pitch to the batter, as it gave a pitcher great movement on the ball, especially downward. Another factor for increased scoring was the league mandate to regularly replace the baseball during a game. Previously, the same discolored, tobacco stained ball was used over and over until it was literally falling apart. The overused ball would lose its resiliency making it much more difficult to hit it for distance. The impetus for this change was the death of Ray Chapman in 1920, who was killed when he was hit on the head with a dirty, darkened pitched ball that may have contributed to him losing the baseball in the hitting background.

Related Topics:
1920 - Spitball - Pitcher - Tobacco - Ray Chapman - Head

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Another reason given for the increase in home runs was that more players were emulating Ruth's full free swing. Before batters were largely content to choke up on the bat and protect the plate. With his swing, Ruth had shown it was possible to hit a prodigious amount of home runs, and more players started to swing for fences. With the home run now a weapon, more managers lessened their previous absolute control of the offense, and they started to play for the big inning by giving their players freedom to swing away. By 1921, stolen bases were half the total from just a few years earlier, and the use of the sacrifice and hit and run, additional overused strategies during the dead-ball era, also decreased.

Related Topics:
Manager - 1921 - Stolen base - Sacrifice - Hit and run - Dead-ball era

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Skeptical of the new offensive in the game, some baseball writers of the time claimed the baseball was livened (usually done by winding it tighter, or changing the cork center, or both). This assertion even became accepted as a fact over time, even though there was no scientific evidence the ball was changed. One study in August of 1920 confirmed the ball was the same as previous years, and early in 1921, also hearing rumors about the juiced ball, National League President John Heydler launched his own investigation and also concluded the ball was no different. Heydler's findings stated the outlawing of the spitball was the predominant factor for the increased scoring. Those who claimed the ball was livened may have not had hard evidence, but they may have had history and statistics on their side, as never in baseball history had there been such a quantum jump in offense over such a short time.

Related Topics:
Cork - August - 1920 - National League - Spitball

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