Babe Ruth: Baltimore's Big Hitter

Although many people are unaware of his humble beginnings, at one time the "Sultan of Swat" was simply a boy known as George and living in the orphanages of Baltimore like many other young boys. From his beginnings as a third-generation immigrant, Babe Ruth eventually became the most iconic personality in baseball. One thing remains certain; however, the Babe's tremendous life and career began in Baltimore.

The Bambino was born in southern Baltimore. Quite interestingly, the house in which he was born was located only a block from where Oriole Park at Camden Yards would eventually be constructed. His German American parents owned and worked in saloons on both Camden Street as well as Lombard Street. Although George, as he was named at birth, had seven siblings only his sister lived past infancy.

Due to their occupation, young George's parents had little time to care for him and he was sent to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys when he was just seven years old because he was deemed difficult to handle. His parents signed custody of George over the Catholic missionaries who ran the reformatory and orphanage. Young Babe would remain in the school for the next twelve years. At the school, he met Brother Matthias who became a father figure and taught him the game that would change the rest of his life.

In 1914 George came to the attention of the owner and manager of the Baltimore Orioles, which was a minor league team at the time. Although he was only 19 years old at the time, he was signed to the team and because the legal age of majority at the time was 25. Jack Dunn became George's legal guardian as well. It was at this time that the other players on the team began to refer to the young player as 'Jack's babe.' The reference would stay with him for the rest of his life.

In the summer of that year the Babe was traded to the Red Sox, as the Orioles were hurting for money. Babe began pitching and his first game was a 6-0 victory over the Buffalo Bisons. As the team had a glut of left-handed pitchers, the Babe was sent down the Providence Grays, a minor league team in Rhode Island. By the end of the season the Grays had won the pennant and the Babe was recalled by the Sox back to the majors. He had several good years with the Red Sox; however, continual disagreements with the owner and pressing financial demands of the team eventually resulted in the team trading the Babe to the New York Yankees in 1920.

This began one of the most successful partnerships in the history of baseball. Throughout his career, the Babe hit 714 home runs. That record stood unchallenged until Hank Aaron eventually broke it during the 1970s. The Babe also held the record for hitting 60 home runs within a single season for a number of years. With the Babe on their team the Yankees made the shift from being one of the worst teams in the league to winning seven American League Pennants and four World Series titles.

Babe Ruth died in New York in 1948 at the age of 53. He is buried in Hawthorne, New York.