Outfielder, New
York Yankees
Age: 28
4th season
with Yankees
Bats – Left,
Throws – Left
Height: 6’2” Weight: 215
Prior to 1923:
A native of
Baltimore, Maryland, George Herman Ruth led a largely unsupervised boyhood,
helping out at his father’s tavern and engaging in delinquent behavior.
Declared incorrigible at age 7, he was sent to the Catholic-operated St. Mary’s
Industrial School where he gained an education and was first exposed to
baseball. Over time he developed into a versatile ballplayer who drew
particular interest with his pitching. Signed by the minor league Baltimore
Orioles of the International League at age 19 in 1914, Ruth was big and rugged
and picked up the enduring nickname “Babe”. He performed well in exhibitions
against major league teams and in International League action and, having
produced a 14-6 record by July, and with owner Jack Dunn needing cash, the
Orioles sold him to the Boston Red Sox. Initially struggling at the major
league level, he was demoted to Providence of the International League before
returning to the Red Sox late in the season and finishing with a 2-1 record and
3.91 ERA in four appearances with Boston. In 1915 the newly married pitcher
slumped briefly early in the season since his marriage did not prevent him from
carousing, and he also suffered a broken toe. Once his toe healed, Ruth, with
his impressive fastball and curve, pitched well and posted an 18-8 tally with a
2.44 ERA. He also slugged his first four home runs and batted .315 in 92 at
bats. In 1916, his record improved to 23-12 with an AL-leading 1.75 ERA and 9
shutouts. In the World Series against Brooklyn, Ruth pitched 14 innings to win
a 2-1 decision in Game 2. As a hitter during the season, he batted .272 with 3
home runs and 16 RBIs. In 1917 he was 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA, 35 complete games,
and 128 strikeouts. At bat he hit .325 with just two home runs. With concerns
about World War I creating a shortage of players in 1918, the idea of using
Ruth as more than a pitcher began to take hold, and in May of that season he
appeared at first base in a game against the Yankees. Playing in the outfield
or first base between pitching assignments, Ruth batted .300 in the war-shortened
season with a league-leading 11 home runs along with 61 RBIs and a league-best
.555 slugging percentage. On the mound he produced a 13-7 record with a 2.22
ERA. The Red Sox won the AL pennant and in the World Series victory against the
Chicago Cubs, Ruth went 2-0 despite injuring his left hand as a result of
horseplay on the train from Chicago to Boston and completed a then-record 29.2
consecutive shutout innings in World Series play, a streak that began in 1916
(and wasn’t eclipsed until 1961). Problematic to management for his salary
demands and failure to respect the team curfew that often drew suspensions, he
was generous off the field in hosting outings for orphans at his farm and in
helping the young vendors at Fenway Park. The Red Sox had a lesser year in
1919, but Ruth continued to excel, setting a new major league record with 29
home runs while also hitting .322 and topping the AL in runs scored (103), RBIs
(113), on-base percentage (.456), slugging percentage (.657), and total bases
(284). His pitching tally was 9-5 with a 2.97 ERA, but he spent most of his
time in left field and drawing attention with his prodigious hitting. In 1920
Ruth was sold to the Yankees for $100,000. The 25-year-old Ruth became an
instant success in New York. Taking advantage of the outlawing of “trick
pitches” that led to discolored and scuffed baseballs, he revolutionized the
game by hitting the cleaner and thus livelier ball in record fashion. Following
a slow April start in 1920, he went on to eclipse his major league home run
record by slugging 54 homers while further leading the league with 135 RBIs,
158 runs scored, a .532 OBP, .847 slugging percentage, and 150 walks drawn. He
personally out-homered each of the team totals for the other seven American
League clubs. He also batted .376 and the Yankees contended for the pennant in
a close race. Ruth’s days as a pitcher were effectively over as he made only
one mound appearance all year and he covered all three outfield positions
(finally coming to rest in right field, due to his strong throwing arm). A fan
favorite and major drawing card, Ruth led the Yankees to the franchise’s first
pennant in 1921, hitting .378 and setting another home run record with 59,
topping the AL with 177 runs scored, 168 RBIs, 457 total bases, a .512 OBP,
.846 slugging percentage, and 145 walks drawn. Facing the New York Giants, who
they shared the Polo Grounds with, in the World Series, the Yankees lost in the
best of 9 series, 5 games to 3, as Ruth was hindered by an injury. In the
offseason he went on a barnstorming tour in violation of major league rules
against barnstorming by players from pennant-winning clubs. He and outfielder
Bob Meusel were fined and suspended by Commissioner Landis for the first six
weeks of the 1922 season. When he joined the Yankees in May, Ruth slumped at
the plate and suffered further suspensions due to altercations with umpires.
For the year he batted .315 with 35 home runs and 96 RBIs, and still topped the
circuit with a .672 slugging percentage. The Yankees again met the Giants in
the World Series, which (after a 3-year best of 9 experiment) returned to a
best-of-7 format and was again won by the Giants. For 1923, the Yankees would
be leaving the Polo Grounds for the new Yankee Stadium, which was even more
conducive to Ruth’s batting style.
1923 Season Summary
Appeared in 152
games
RF – 73, LF –
68, CF – 7, 1B – 4
[Bracketed
numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]
Batting
Plate
Appearances – 699 [2]
At Bats – 522
Runs – 151 [1]
Hits – 205 [4]
Doubles – 45 [3]
Triples – 13 [5,
tied with Bucky Harris]
Home Runs – 41
[1]
RBI – 130 [1,
tied with Tris Speaker]
Bases on Balls
– 170 [1]
Int. BB – N/A
Strikeouts – 93
[1]
Stolen Bases – 17
[9]
Caught Stealing
– 21 [2]
Average - .393
[2]
OBP - .545 [1]
Slugging Pct. -
.764 [1]
Total Bases – 399
[1]
GDP – N/A
Hit by Pitches
– 4
Sac Hits – 3
Sac Flies – N/A
League-leading runs
scored were +18 ahead of runner-up Tris Speaker
League-leading
home runs were +12 ahead of runner-up Ken Williams
League-leading
bases on balls drawn were +72 ahead of runner-up Joe Sewell
League-leading
batter strikeouts were +11 ahead of runner-up Willie Kamm
League-leading
OBP was +.064 ahead of runner-up Harry Heilmann
League-leading
slugging percentage was +.132 ahead of runner-up Harry Heilmann
League-leading
total bases were +49 ahead of runner-up Tris Speaker
Midseason
snapshot: HR – 21, RBI – 64, AVG - .372, SLG PCT - .721
---
Most hits, game
– 5 (in 6 AB) at Bos. Red Sox 9/28
Longest hitting
streak – 17 games
HR at home – 19
HR on road – 22
/Most home
runs, game – 2 (in 3 AB) at St. Louis Browns 7/7, (in 4 AB) vs. St. Louis
Browns 8/5 – 13 innings
Multi-HR games
– 2
Most RBIs, game
– 5 at Chi. White Sox 8/18
Fielding
Chances – 409
Put Outs – 378
Assists – 20
Errors – 11
DP – 2
Pct. - .973
Postseason
Batting: 6 G (World Series vs. NY Giants)
PA – 27, AB – 19,
R – 8, H – 7, 2B – 1, 3B – 1, HR – 3, RBI – 3, BB – 8, IBB – 0, SO – 6, SB – 0,
CS – 0, AVG - .368, OBP - .556, SLG - 1.000, TB – 19, GDP – N/A, HBP – 0, SH –
0, SF – N/A
Awards & Honors:
AL MVP: League
Award
Top 5 in AL MVP
Voting:
Babe Ruth, NYY:
64 points – 8 of 8 first place votes, 100% share
Eddie Collins,
ChiWS.: 37 points – 58% share
Harry Heilmann,
Det.: 31 points – 48% share
Wally Gerber,
StLB.: 20 points – 31% share
Joe Sewell,
Clev.: 20 points – 31% share
---
Yankees went
98-54 to win the AL pennant by 16 games over the Detroit Tigers while leading
the league in home runs (105), slugging (.423), and total bases (2261). In
their first season playing in Yankee Stadium the Yankees moved into first place
to stay on May 5, benefiting from solid pitching as well as Ruth’s hitting to
win a third straight American League pennant. Won World Series over the New
York Giants, 4 games to 2, for the first World Series title in club history.
Aftermath of 1923:
The Yankees
failed to win the AL pennant in 1924, although Ruth topped the league in
batting (.378), as well as home runs (46), OBP (.513), slugging (.739), runs
scored (143), total bases (391), and walks drawn (142). 1925 was a bad year for
Ruth and the seventh-place Yankees. Ruth arrived at spring training weighing
256 pounds and, limited to 98 games, hit .290 with 25 home runs and 67 RBIs. In
the offseason he submitted to a rigorous conditioning program. Arriving at
spring training in 1926 44 pounds lighter, he returned to form. He batted .372
and led the AL in home runs (47), RBIs (153), runs scored (139), OBP (.516),
slugging (.737), total bases (365), and walks drawn (144). The Yankees won the
pennant and in Game 4 of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, he
became the first player to slug three homers in a World Series game. In the
ninth inning of the decisive seventh game, with the Yankees trailing 3-2, Ruth
drew a walk and was thrown out attempting to steal for the final out of the game
and the Series, won by St. Louis. The 1927 Yankees won the pennant in
impressive form and Ruth, who anchored a legendary lineup of hitters, most
significantly broke his major league home run record by slugging 60. He once
again topped the league in multiple categories and this time the Yankees won
the World Series in a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates in which Ruth batted .400
with two home runs and 7 RBIs. The player known as “The Bambino” and “The
Sultan of Swat” had another impressive season in 1928, hitting .323 and leading
the league in home runs (54), runs scored (163), slugging (.709), total bases
(380), and walks drawn (137). In the ensuing World Series sweep of the
Cardinals, Ruth batted .625 with a 1.375 slugging percentage. Newly remarried
in 1929, he once again led the AL in home runs (46) and slugging percentage
(.697) as the Yankees finished second to the Philadelphia Athletics. A tough contract
negotiator with a clear sense of his monetary value to the team, he signed a
two-year deal with the Yankees for $80,000 per year (with endorsements and
other sources of income he most likely made nearly $200,000 in 1930). Ruth
continued to lead the AL in home runs and slugging in 1930 and 1931 as the team
still finished behind the A’s. The Yankees returned to the top in 1932 with
Ruth batting .341 with 41 home runs and 137 RBIs while leading the AL with 130
walks drawn and a .489 OBP. In the World Series sweep of the Chicago Cubs, Ruth
added to his legend in Game 3 at Wrigley Field when he allegedly “called his
shot” prior to hitting a long, towering home run to center field. In 1933 the
aging (38) slugger was selected for the first All-Star Game. For the year he
hit .301 with 34 home runs and 104 RBIs. With age and various ailments limiting
his playing time and eroding his abilities at bat and in the field, he was let
go by the Yankees and finished his career with the Boston Braves in 1935. He
was only a shadow of his old self for all but one of his 28 games with the
Braves. In late May he hit three home runs at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. A week
later he retired. For his major league career as a batter, he hit .342 with
2873 hits that included 506 doubles, 136 triples, and a then-record 714 home
runs. He scored 2174 runs and compiled 2214 RBIs, a .474 on-base percentage,
and a .690 slugging percentage. Ruth led the American League in home runs
twelve times, in RBIs five times, and in runs scored eight times. He also drew
2062 walks while topping the league on eleven occasions. He also led the AL in striking
out five times while compiling a total of 1330 whiffs. With the Yankees he
batted .349 with 2518 hits, 1959 runs scored, 424 doubles, 106 triples, 659
home runs, 1978 RBIs, 1852 walks drawn, a .484 OBP, and a .711 slugging
percentage. Appearing in 41 World Series games, he hit .326 with 15 home runs,
33 RBIs, a .470 OBP, and a .744 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, Ruth
appeared in 163 games (mostly with the Red Sox) and produced a 94-46 record
with a 2.28 ERA and 488 strikeouts in 1221.1 innings. In three World Series
pitching appearances (all with Boston) he went 3-0 with an 0.87 ERA. His single-season
home run record lasted until 1961 and his career home run record was eclipsed
by Hank Aaron in 1974. One of the original group of players first elected to
the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, the Yankees retired his #3. Stymied in his
efforts to become manager of the Yankees, he briefly was a coach with the
Brooklyn Dodgers before retiring to a celebrity life of public appearances until
his death from cancer in 1948 at age 53. A baseball player of prodigious
talent, Ruth enjoyed a fame that transcended baseball, and could be very
generous with the public, although he could be a source of frustration to
managers and team owners. The Yankees placed a plaque in his honor at Memorial
Park in Yankee Stadium. A player who revolutionized the game with his long-ball
hitting (which also made him controversial to baseball traditionalists of the
time), his presence was probably best summed up by pitcher Waite Hoyt, a
teammate with the Yankees, who said “When he entered a clubhouse or a room,
when he appeared on the field, it was as if he was a whole parade. There seemed
to be flags waving, bands playing constantly.”
---
MVP Profiles feature players in the National or
American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award
(1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present)
as Most Valuable Player.
