Babe Ruth: Legends in Sports

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2005 by Matt Christopher Royalties, Inc.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

  Hachette Book Group

  237 Park Avenue

  New York, NY 10017

  Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

  www.twitter.com/littlebrown

  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  First eBook Edition: December 2009

  Matt Christopher® is a registered trademark of Matt Christopher Royalties, Inc.

  ISBN: 978-0-316-09373-6

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter One: 1895–1914

  From the Street to St. Mary’s

  Chapter Two: 1914

  Dunn’s Babe

  Chapter Three: 1914–1918

  Boston’s Babe

  Chapter Four: 1919–1923

  Becoming the Bambino

  Chapter Five: 1923–1925

  Ups and Downs

  Chapter Six: 1926–1928

  The Greatest

  Chapter Seven: 1929–1932

  The Called Shot?

  Chapter Eight: 1933–1947

  Heading Home

  Matt Christopher®

  THE #1 SPORTS SERIES FOR KIDS: MATT CHRISTOPHER®

  CHAPTER ONE

  1895–1914

  From the Street to St. Mary’s

  A teammate of Babe Ruth once said, “I saw a man transformed from a human being into something pretty close to a god.” Indeed, Babe Ruth is one of baseballs legendary figures, a player unlike anyone before or since. His booming home runs changed the game forever. There will never, ever be another ballplayer like the Babe.

  Baseball historians consider George Herman “Babe” Ruth one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, a star both on the mound and at the plate. During his first six seasons in the major leagues, Babe Ruth was one of the most successful pitchers in baseball, winning eighty-nine regular season games and three more for the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Then he became the greatest slugger of his time, hitting home runs faster and farther than anyone who had ever played the game. He played the bulk of his career with the New York Yankees and ended with 714 home runs, a record that held until Hank Aaron broke it in 1974.

  Yet for all his individual accomplishments, Babe Ruth was also a team player. He helped the Red Sox to three pennants and world championships. Then, after he was purchased by the Yankees after the 1919 season, Ruth led New York to seven pennants and four world championships, creating the Yankee dynasty that continues to this day.

  But statistics and championships don’t even begin to tell his story, for in addition to his accomplishments on the field, Ruth is unquestionably the most beloved baseball player in history. Baseball fans loved him for his talent, his generous personality, his ready smile, and his enormous heart. Ruth never lost sight of the fact that baseball was a game meant to be played. He was like an oversized kid, and he played baseball with simple joy.

  Even today, nearly sixty years after his death in 1948, he remains the most popular baseball player of all time. Wherever kids gather to play baseball, young boys and girls still step up to the plate and dream of being Babe Ruth.

  Yet few people realize what a difficult life Babe Ruth had, particularly when he was young. Due to his harsh upbringing, Ruth entered adulthood still thinking and acting like a child. He struggled most of his adult life to behave responsibly. For all his accomplishments on the field, Ruth’s greatest victories were with himself.

  Babe Ruth began life in Baltimore, Maryland, on February 6, 1895, as George Herman Ruth Jr., the firstborn child of two German Americans, George and Kate Ruth. From the start, the young family had a tough time. George Ruth Sr. had trouble finding work and had to leave Kate home alone with their son. But Kate was not a strong woman. Her illnesses prevented her from giving George Ruth Jr. as much attention as he needed. And when his sister, Mary Margaret, was born, five-year-old George was left to take care of himself as best he could.

  Babe Ruth later admitted that he “was a bad kid,” who “had no sense of right or wrong.” Every morning he took to the streets with other unfortunate boys. Although they often played children’s games, including baseball, without adult supervision, they frequently caused trouble. They stole food and money, committed vandalism, chewed tobacco, and fought among themselves and against children from other neighborhoods.

  Young George rarely went to school. His parents tried to force him to go, but even beatings with a leather strap couldn’t make him obey. Every day he became more uncontrollable. When he wasn’t on the streets, he hung around the saloon his father owned — hardly a good place for a young boy to grow up. At an age when he should have been learning to read and write, he was drinking alcohol and stealing whiskey from customers.

  One night, when George was seven years old, police were called to break up a brawl in the saloon. Afterward, a neighbor told the authorities that she had noticed George was in the saloon when he should have been attending school. The Ruth’s were ordered to send George to Saint Mary’s Industrial School for Boys in the city of Baltimore.

  Operated by the Xaverian Brothers of the Catholic Church, St. Mary’s was a training school for orphans, delinquents, and other poor young boys in need of help. More than eight hundred boys, ranging from the age of seven to eighteen, lived and studied at St. Mary’s. Discipline under the brothers was strict. The boys were told what to do and when to do it. The students, who referred to themselves as “inmates,” all slept in dormitories and were not allowed to leave St. Mary’s without supervision.

  Young George arrived at St. Mary’s on June 13, 1902. Its imposing gray stone buildings and high wooden fence made it look like a prison. George didn’t understand what St. Mary’s was or why he was there. When his father escorted him to the school office, said good-bye, and left, George (the foul-mouthed, tobacco-chewing street urchin) suddenly discovered he wasn’t so tough. Alone and afraid, he began to cry.

  Fortunately, the Xaverians understood young boys like George. They knew such boys weren’t bad — they just needed someone to pay attention to them and provide them with some direction, discipline, and love. They tried to provide each boy with an education and a skill that would eventually allow each of them to earn a living and become a good, responsible citizen.

  George was kept so busy at St. Mary’s that he didn’t have time to get into trouble. All the boys awoke each morning at six, attended church, ate breakfast, and then spent five hours in school either learning academic subjects or studying for a trade. After a two-hour break for lunch and recess, they spent another two hours either in class or, if they were over twelve years old, working. Before dinner the boys were encouraged to play sports. They were then allowed to read for forty-five minutes before going to bed at 8:15. They attended school five days a week plus a half day on Saturday. After church services on Sundays they were free to participate in school sports, play in the band, and take part in other similar activities.

  At first, George hated St. Mary’s. No one had ever told him when to get up in the morning, when to eat, what to wear or do, or when to go to bed. After all, he had always done as he pleased before, and now suddenly the brothers were telling him what to do every minute of the day.

  E
ach brother was assigned eight or ten boys to watch over. Brother Matthias, the head of discipline at St. Mary’s, was assigned to look after young George Ruth. An enormous man who stood nearly six and a half feet tall and weighed nearly three hundred pounds, Matthias looked as if he could break a person in half with his bare hands.

  But Brother Matthias didn’t use force. He was firm, but gentle and patient. Although the boys called him “the boss,” they weren’t afraid of Brother Matthias. He treated each student with respect.

  Brother Matthias took a special interest in young George, who could neither read nor write and had no idea how to behave properly. Ever so slowly, George began to respond to the attention. No adult had ever taken an interest in him. He began working hard at school and at his trade, shirtmaking, just to make Brother Matthias happy. A word or look of praise from Brother Matthias made George feel proud.

  Brother Matthias loved baseball and was a good player himself. He wowed the students at St. Mary’s by hitting long fly balls while holding the bat with only one hand.

  George loved playing baseball, too. Nearly every afternoon, he played pickup games and practiced batting. On the weekends he played for several teams run by St. Mary’s. These teams were made up of players of different ages from the various shop programs and dormitories. Some of the teams represented St. Mary’s against other institutions. From Saturday afternoon through Sunday, George often played games with five or six different teams.

  Everyone soon discovered that George was one of the best hitters at the school. He was big for his age, well coordinated, wiry, and strong. Although he played all positions, his strong arm often earned him a place behind the plate as a catcher. A lefty, he wasn’t even bothered by the fact that he had to wear a left-handed catcher’s mitt. Instead, he perfected a method of catching the ball, flipping it in the air, tucking the glove under his right arm, then snagging the ball with his throwing hand. Even with the extra time it took to do this maneuver, his arm was so powerful he could still throw out runners trying to steal.

  Brother Matthias made sure that George didn’t stray, even on the baseball diamond. One day, the pitcher for George’s team was getting hit hard and George started laughing at him and making cruel comments. Brother Matthias listened for a while, then went up to George and said, “All right, George. You pitch.”

  George’s jaw dropped. “I don’t know how to pitch,” he stammered.

  “You must know a lot about pitching,” Brother Matthias replied, “to know that your friend isn’t any good. Go out there and show us how it is done.”

  George realized the brother was serious. He took the ball, walked to the mound, and stood there awkwardly as the other boys laughed at him.

  But they didn’t laugh for long. George may not have known a lot about pitching, but he did have a strong arm. He pitched well, and from then on took regular turns on the mound. But he had also learned an important lesson.

  Periodically, George would return to live at home with his parents and sister. But without St. Mary’s structure and discipline, he soon fell back into bad habits and his father would send him back to St. Mary’s, where Brother Matthias always welcomed him back.

  In 1908, when George was thirteen, he left St. Mary’s again. This time, he managed to stay out of serious trouble for almost two years. Then his mother died. His father returned him to St. Mary’s. This time, he was not scheduled to be released until he was twenty-one years old, and an adult.

  Apart from a few scrapes with other boys, George rarely got into trouble at St. Mary’s. While he wasn’t much of a student, he had beautiful handwriting and was one of the best shirtmakers at the school. Years later, he would brag to his major league teammates that he could make a shirt in fifteen minutes, and they’d smile when they saw him carefully ironing his shirts. Sometimes George’s teammates would even bring him their own laundry to iron!

  The other boys at St. Mary’s were always thrilled when he came back. With George Ruth on their team, St. Mary’s was difficult to beat. Not only was he the best pitcher at the school, he was also the best hitter. In one season he hit more than sixty home runs!

  Soon he was too good for the competition provided by St. Mary’s opponents. Brother Matthias arranged for George to play ball on the weekends for local amateur and semipro teams made up of other teenagers and young adults. Stories about the young ballplayer named Ruth began to appear in Baltimore newspapers. By 1913 he was one of the best-known amateur players in the Baltimore area.

  The best team in Baltimore was the professional Baltimore Orioles of the International League. Owner Jack Dunn, known as a shrewd judge of talent, scoured the area for ballplayers.

  During the summer of 1913, former major league pitcher Joe Engel saw eighteen-year-old George pitch a game against Mount St. Mary’s, a college team. George struck out eighteen of the first twenty men he faced. Engel immediately knew that George, who now stood six feet two inches tall and weighed 170 pounds, was something special.

  The next day, Engel bumped into Dunn. He told him about the left-handed pitcher named Ruth and said, “He’s got real stuff.”

  Dunn respected Engel’s opinion. Several other youngsters from St. Mary’s had done well in professional baseball. So in February of 1914, Dunn paid a visit to St. Mary’s.

  The Orioles were about to start spring training and Dunn needed to stock his team with prospects. He met with Brother Paul, the school superintendent, and told him he was interested in signing the young left-handed pitcher with “stuff.” Brother Paul wasn’t surprised. For several months there had been rumors that Dunn was interested in George. With Brother Pauls permission, George worked out for Dunn. The club owner was impressed and wanted to sign him.

  There was just one problem. George was only nineteen years old. St. Mary’s was George’s legal guardian and he was supposed to stay at the school until age twenty-one.

  But Brother Paul was a baseball fan, too, and he knew that a chance to play professional baseball was a wonderful opportunity for George. He made arrangements to make Jack Dunn George’s legal guardian.

  Dunn offered George a contract of six hundred dollars for the season. When George heard that, he couldn’t believe it. He had never imagined that it was possible to be paid to play baseball. George had never had more than a dollar or two in his pocket. Six hundred dollars seemed like all the money in the world. He eagerly agreed to become a professional baseball player.

  George gathered up his few belongings in a cheap suitcase and walked out of St. Mary’s, leaving with Dunn for spring training in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Then he paused outside the large iron gate and said good-bye to Brother Matthias, thanking him for all his help. George was excited but Matthias also saw that he was a little scared, just as he had been when he first arrived at St. Mary’s years earlier. Matthias told him not to worry. “You’ll make it, George,” he said. Then George walked off with Dunn.

  On February 27, 1914, the last entry under the name George Ruth in St. Mary’s records reads simply, “He is going to join Bait. Baseball team.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  1914

  Dunn’s Babe

  When Ruth left St. Mary’s, he knew little of the outside world. He had never been away from Baltimore before. He had never lived alone, bought his own clothes, or cooked his own meals. All he knew how to do was play baseball and make shirts.

  On the train ride south, Ruth spent most of his time gazing out the window. When it was time to go to bed, one of the Oriole players had to explain to him how to fold down the sleeping berth. He also played a trick on the raw rookie.

  In the berth was a small mesh clothes hammock. The veteran player told Ruth, “That’s for your pitching arm.” When Ruth went to bed, he dutifully placed his left arm in the hammock. When he awoke the next morning his arm was stiff and sore from hanging in a hammock all night. When the veterans saw him rubbing his arm, they all got a good laugh.

  After the team checked into their hotel in Fayettev
ille, they went to the dining room for breakfast. George looked at the menu and wasn’t quite sure what to do next. He didn’t have much money and had never ordered from a menu.

  Another veteran saw the puzzled look on his face and explained that the team paid for their meals during spring training. “Order anything you want,” he told him.

  Ruth couldn’t believe it. He ordered pancakes and ham, wolfed them down, and then ordered another helping. He made quick work of the second order, and then asked for a third stack of pancakes and more ham. His teammates had long since finished eating and just stared at him in wonder. They had never seen anyone eat so much.

  Everything was brand new to Ruth. He had never seen an elevator and was fascinated, spending hours riding up and down. He had never ridden a bicycle either. Every time he saw one he jumped on for a teetering ride. The other players couldn’t help laughing at him. They had never seen anyone have so much fun.

  Once he was out on the ball field, however, no one laughed. Ruth was impressive both on the mound and at the plate. In one scrimmage on March 7, Ruth walloped a home run into the cornfield beyond right field. Local fans recalled only one other ball hit so far, by former Olympian and major leaguer Jim Thorpe, when he had played minor league baseball in Fayetteville. But Ruth’s blast traveled some sixty feet farther than Thorpe’s. A headline in one Baltimore newspaper announced: “Ruth Makes Mighty Clout.” In a few more seasons, such headlines would become familiar.

  All spring Ruth was the big story for the Orioles. After only two weeks in camp Dunn told a newspaper, “Babe Ruth will definitely be staying with the team.”

  The story of how Ruth got the nickname is uncertain, but according to most accounts Ruth’s Baltimore teammates dubbed him “Babe” because he was so young and inexperienced, like a baby They would call him “Dunn’s babe.” Ruth wasn’t bothered by the nickname, and although for a number of years the newspapers would still call him “George,” everyone who knew him called him “Babe.”