On April 27, baseball fans worldwide honor one of baseball's all-time greatest players on National Babe Ruth Day.
Otherwise known as “The Bambino” and “The Sultan of Swat,” George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr. spent 22 seasons in Major League Baseball and was one of the first players to ever be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Ruth, a southpaw, began his baseball career in 1914 as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. Five years later, his contract was bought out by the New York Yankees and he headed to the Bronx where, as a full-time right-fielder, he would go on to help the Bombers win seven pennants and four World Series titles over the course of his tenure. During his career, Ruth set records for home runs, slugging percentage, runs batted in, and on-base plus slugging. Mainly known as a home-run hitter, Ruth, in 1927, hit 60 home runs in 154 games, setting a major league record that stood until 1961. Additionally, Ruth, who spent a short stint with the Boston Braves, held the lifetime record of 714 home runs in regular-season play for nearly four decades after his retirement.
The first-ever Babe Ruth Day was held on April 27, 1947 with The Bambino himself addressing a crowd of over 60,000 at Yankee Stadium. You can celebrate Babe Ruth Day by playing a game of catch, hitting up the batting cages, or munching on some peanuts and Cracker Jacks while reading up on this legendary baseball player or the sport itself with these books available in our collection. |
