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."

Return to Boston

In 1935, Boston Braves owner Emil Fuchs was looking to jumpstart the Braves franchise. A perennial cellar dwelling team, the Braves had improved somewhat, but the Depression killed off attendance, and Fuchs was desperate to revive fan interest and revenue. Fuchs was very interested in Ruth and he worked out a complex deal with Barrow and Ruppert to get Ruth. The deal was finalized in February 1935, an offer which Fuchs promised Ruth a share in the teams profits, an assistant managerial job to Braves manager Bill Mckechnie, (with a good chance to succeed him next year), and Ruth could play whenever he wanted. All parties seemed happy with the deal, and with much media hoopla, Ruth returned to the city that gave him his major league start.

Related Topics:
1935 - Boston Braves - Emil Fuchs - Depression - February - Bill Mckechnie

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On opening day, before a home capacity crowd of over 25,000, Ruth was responsible for all the Braves runs in a 4-2 win over Carl Hubbell and the New York Giants. It was just one game, but fan excitement for the Braves was as high as it had ever been. The euphoria quickly died away. Ruth completely stopped hitting, was clumsy in the field, and soon missed a dozen or so games. The Braves were as bad as they had ever been, and the few fans that showed up booed the team. Ruth was also miffed that Mckechnie ignored any of his managerial advice. Seeing a franchise in disarray, Ruth soon realized that Fuch's promise of a stake in the Braves profits was a lot of hot air, as who would want to invest in a losing team that had little fan support.

Related Topics:
Carl Hubbell - New York Giants

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On May 25, 1935, at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Ruth gave one last glimpse of how great a player he was. He went 4-4, drove in 6 runs, and hit 3 home runs in an 11-7 loss to the Pirates. The last home run was said to be the longest ball ever hit at Forbes Field. It was his 714th and last home run, and last hit. He hung on another few days, and on May 30 in Philadelphia, played in his last major league game. He struck out in the first inning, and playing the field the same inning, hurt his knee and left the game. Ruth would never play another big league game.

Related Topics:
May 25 - 1935 - Forbes Field - Pittsburgh - May 30 - Philadelphia - Knee

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Fuchs and Ruth's relationship soured badly. Fuchs blamed Ruth for the failures of the Braves, and Ruth believed Fuchs had lied to him about the Braves franchise. On June 1, after having had another argument with Fuchs, Ruth stated to reporters, "I'm quitting." The experiment with Fuchs, Ruth and the Braves was a complete failure for all parties. Fuchs, who had borrowed much money, saw revenue and attendance continue to fall, and soon lost ownership control of the team. Ruth played in only 28 games and batted a dismal .181 in 72 at-bats (striking out 24 times) in his last season as a player. The season for the Braves was a complete disaster, as they finished 38-115, a .248 winning percentage, the third worst percentage in major league history.

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