Special Sub-Topic: The Great Bambino! Authored by: Nightmare Sub-topic of: Babe Ruth

Ruth began his professional pitching career in 1914 with the Boston Red Sox. He allowed 10 runs in 23 innings, and was almost a pitcher no longer. The following season, he came back with his best win-loss percentage of his career. What was his record in 1915?

18-8. Not only with his arm, but Ruth hit .315 with four home runs in only 42 games in 1915. As a 20-year old, he finished his pitching season only one game short of team-leading Ernie Shore and Rube Foster who won 19.

In his last season with the Red Sox in 1919, the Babe led the league with how many home runs?

29. Ruth led the league in 1918 with 11, then again with his 29 in 1919. His 54 came as a Yankee the following season.

1920 saw Babe Ruth in a Yankee uniform. How many games did he pitch in the season?

1. The Yankees did not want Ruth's arm. They wanted his bat, therefore he pitched in only one game in the season so he would have more at-bats. In his only pitching appearance, he started the game and went four innings, allowing three hits and four runs. His bat proved the Yankee office intentions as he hit 54 home runs, a hard to comprehend statistic in those days.

At age 40, Ruth was tired and felt that he was betrayed out of a managing job. In what year did he retire?

1935. Ruth left the Yankees after 15 loyal seasons in 1934. 1935 saw him as a Boston Brave in the National League, and he hit only six home runs. His final home run was one of three in the same game. The Babe went out only as the Babe should have. He died in 1948.

When the Babe retired, he had pounded out 714 career home runs, a record that would stand until which year?

1974. From 1935-1974, Ruth held the career home run crown. He took a backseat when Hank Aaron of the Braves surpassed him. It was extremely unfortunate that Aaron finished the 1973 season with 713 home runs, therefore having to endure the offseason with racial hatred and death threats if he would come back and break Ruth's record. Aaron would go on to hit 755 and retire in 1976.

Babe Ruth was inducted into the Hall of Fame in which year?

1936. The Babe was in the group of the first five that were ever inducted into the hall in 1936. Deservingly, he joined the elite group of Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, and Walter Johnson.

How many World Series did Babe Ruth help his team go to?

10. Ruth helped the Boston Red Sox to three World Series in 1915, 1916, and 1918. Although his best regular season pitching record of 18-8 was in 1915, he did not appear as a pitcher in the 1915 series, and only had one at-bat. He had seven more appearances with the Yankees, with his last in 1932. Overall, his World Series team record was 7-3.

How many times did the Bambino hit 50+ home runs in a season?

4. His first time was in 1920 with the Yankees in his first season with them. After his 54, he followed it up the following season with 59. The fans saw him smack 60 in 1927, then another 54 in 1928. He came close in 1930 when he hit 49. All total, his career count was 714.

The world saw Babe Ruth as a player in a Yankee uniform for the last time in which year?

1934. He left the Yankees because he wanted to manage. The Boston Braves dangled a carrot in front of him to manage, but it never came about. The closest that Ruth came to managing was later as a coaching position with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Ruth was known for his home run power by hitting 714 career home runs. How many times did he hit over .300 in his 22 seasons?

17. Ruth also hit for average. He retired with a .342 career average, including his .393 in 1923. Ruth's career was 506 doubles, 136 triples, 714 home runs, 117 stolen bases, 2062 walks, and 2873 hits. His arm produced a record of 94-46, and went 3-0 in World Series action.