1914
Babe Ruth Makes MLB Debut
On July 11, 1914, in his major league debut, George Herman
“Babe” Ruth pitches seven strong innings to lead the Boston Red Sox over the
Cleveland Indians, 4-3.
George Herman Ruth was born February 6, 1895, in Baltimore,
Maryland, where his father worked as a saloon keeper on the waterfront. He was
the first of eight children, but only he and a sister survived infancy. The
young George, known as “Gig” (pronounced jij) to his family, was a
magnet for trouble from an early age. At seven, his truancy from school led his
parents to declare him incorrigible, and he was sent to an orphanage, St.
Mary’s Industrial School for Boys. Ruth lived there until he was 19 in 1914,
when he was signed as a pitcher by the Baltimore Orioles.
That same summer, Ruth was sold to the Boston Red Sox. His
teammates called him “Babe” for his naiveté, but his talent was already
maturing. In his debut game against the Indians, the 19-year-old Ruth gave up
just five hits over the first six innings. In the seventh, the Indians managed
two runs on three singles and a sacrifice and Ruth was relieved. His hitting
prowess, however, was not on display that first night–he went 0 for 2 at the
plate.
Ruth developed quickly as a pitcher and as a hitter. When the
Red Sox made the World Series in 1916 and 1918, Ruth starred, setting a record
with 29 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in World Series play. His career
record as a pitcher for the Red Sox was 89-46.
To the great dismay of Boston fans, Ruth’s contract was sold to
the New York Yankees before the 1920 season by Red Sox owner Harry Frazee, so
that Frazee could finance the musical No, No, Nanette. Ruth switched to
the outfield with the Yankees, and hit more home runs than the entire Red Sox
team in 10 of the next 12 seasons. “The Sultan of Swat” or “The Bambino,” as he
was alternately known, was the greatest gate attraction in baseball until his
retirement as a player in 1935. During his career with the New York Yankees,
the team won four World Series and seven American League pennants. After
getting rid of Ruth, the Red Sox did not win a World Series until 2004, an
85-year drought known to Red Sox fans as “the Curse of the Bambino.”