MVP Profile: Babe Ruth, 1923

Outfielder, New York Yankees

Age:  28

4^th 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

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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

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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.”

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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.