Babe Ruth

George Herman Ruth, Jr. (1895–1948), also known as "Babe", "The Great Bambino", "The Sultan of Swat", and "The Colossus of Clout", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914-1935. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players in history. Many polls place him as the number one player of all time.

He began his career as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in 1914. While an excellent pitcher (in fact he led the American League in ERA in 1916), it soon became clear that he was better still as a hitter, and was gradually shifted to a position player, playing right field, though throughout his career he would continue to pitch on occasion. The Red Sox sold him to the New York Yankees in 1920, causing 86 years of well-deserved woe for the former team. The Yankees started him in right field from 1920 to 1934. He finished his career playing part of the 1935 season for the Boston Braves.

Ruth retired with over 50 offensive records, including number one all-time on the Home Runs list, which he held for fifty-three years. In 1921 he had passed Roger Connor, his predecessor at that record, with his 139th round-tripper. His career total of 714 shows how thoroughly he shattered that record. He was a two-time All-Star and was American League MVP in 1923; remember that during Ruth's career players were only eligible for a single MVP award in their careers, and the All-Star Game was first played in his penultimate season with the Yankees. He won three World Series titles with the Red Sox and four with the Yankees. He retired with a .342 batting average, the aforementioned 714 home runs, a remarkable slugging percentage of .690, and a 94-46 pitching record (good for a .671 winning percentage) and an ERA of 2.77. In 1936, one year after his retirement, he was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Babe Ruth in "Batboy"
Babe Ruth was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the early part of the 20th Century. In a baseball game against the St. Louis Browns, he hit a triple off of rival pitcher Rip in Rip's first professional game.

Babe Ruth in "Before the Beginning"
After the invention of the the time-viewer, recordings of Babe Ruth calling his shot in a 1932 game were quite popular.

Babe Ruth in The Disunited States of America
George Herman was one of the great North American rounders players. Beckie Royer asked Justin Monroe if he agreed with the consensus that Herman was the greatest player of the game. Monroe, not a native of the alternate gave a vague answer. However, when Beckie asked Ted Snodgrass and Randy Brooks their opinion, Justin figured out that Herman was an analog of Babe Ruth. He interjected his own private joke, saying Herman was "ruthless", a joke only Brooks understood.

Beckie was puzzled by Justin's apparent unfamiliarity with Herman.

Babe Ruth in "The House That George Built"
George Ruth was a a former professional baseball player. His career spanned from 1914 to the mid 1930s. During that time, Ruth was a successful minor leaguer, although his reputation didn't stretch much beyond his native Balitmore. After he retired, he opened a bar called George's Restaurant.

In February, 1941, Ruth shared the story of his career with one of his patrons, H.L. Mencken. He was particularly keen to share with Mencken his beliefe that he could have been a great player, but for a series of circumstances very early in his career.