Babe Ruth

Who was Babe Ruth?

George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Jr., nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American professional baseball player. He was a Major League Baseball pitcher and outfielder who played for 22 seasons on three teams, from 1914 through 1935. He was known for his hitting brilliance setting career records in his time for home runs, slugging percentage, runs batted in, bases on balls, and on-base plus slugging. Ruth originally entered the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox as a starting pitcher, but after he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919, he converted to a full-time right fielder. He subsequently became one of the American League's most prolific hitters and with his home run hitting prowess, he helped the Yankees win seven pennants and four World Series titles. Ruth retired in 1935 after a short stint with the Boston Braves, and the following year, he became one of the first five players to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Ruth was the first player to hit 60 home runs in one season, a mark not surpassed until another Yankee right fielder, Roger Maris, hit 61 in 1961. Ruth's lifetime record of 714 home runs stood until 1974, when it was surpassed by Hank Aaron. Unlike many power hitters, Ruth also hit for a high batting average: his .342 lifetime average is the tenth highest in baseball history, and in one season he batted .393, a Yankee record. Ruth dominated the era in which he played. He led the league in home runs during a season twelve times, slugging percentage and OPS thirteen times each, runs scored eight times, and RBIs six times. Each of those totals represents a modern record.