George Harman 'Babe' Ruth Jr. was born on February 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland. Both his father, George Herman Ruth Sr., and his mother, Katherine Schamberger, were German-Americans. His younger sister, Mamie, was the only one who survived childhood with him. Ruth was sent to the Industrial School of Santa María for Boys, a reformatory, when he was seven years old. There he would spend most of his next twelve years of life, so he would hardly see his family.
Ruth played nearly 200 baseball games in a year at St. Mary's. He did it in all positions, but he shined especially as a left-handed pitcher. In 1914 he was offered a contract with a minor league team, the Baltimore Orioles. His first game with them took place on March 7, 1914. There are several versions about the origin of his nickname, 'babe', but most likely he was baptized that way his first teammates. In July 1914, the Boston Red Sox bought Ruth's contract for the American League, in which he was hardly given opportunities to play and did not have the sympathy of his teammates.
Ruth joined the Providence Grays, a small team from the International League, on August 18 of that same year. There he was given more opportunities to play, which allowed him to develop his talent. In October they returned him to the Boston Red Sox, which he took to the top of the World Championship in 1916 thanks to his releases. Two years later, the team won again the World Cup, in which Ruth made 29 pitches and had two thirds of consecutive opportunities in which he was not marked, a record that would remain in force after his death. During that season he made 29 home runs, breaking the record of 24 in the Main League.
In 1915 he married Helen Woodford, with whom he would adopt a daughter, Dorothy, in 1921. On December 26, 1919 Ruth's contract was sold to the Yankees, with whom the player would remain for fifteen years, although he would only succeed in releases in five games. Instead of throwing, the player was dedicated to playing at the end of the field, breaking many batting records. He also exceeded his own record by completing 54 home runs in the 1920 season.
Off the field, Ruth was known for her excesses, especially with drinking. This, however, did not seem to affect his performance in the field. In the 1923 season he helped the Yankees win their first world championship. The Yankees of 1927 were considered one of the best teams in history: they won the World Cup with ease and that year Ruth reached a record of 60 home runs. Ruth's wife, from whom he had separated, died in a fire in 1929. In April of that same year, the player married the actress Claire Hodgson and adopted his daughter Julia. Babe also won the 1932 World Cup with the Yankees. His last season on the field was in 1934. Four years later, he was hired as a base coach for the Dodgers, but he retired after a season. After his retirement, he never returned to baseball. In 1936 he became the first of five players to be chosen for the Baseball Walk of Fame.
In November 1946 a malignant tumor was found at the base of Ruth's skull. The player died on August 16, 1948. He was 53 years old. When his helmet was placed at Yankee Stadium, 77,000 people came to show respect. He is buried in Hawthorne (New York). The Yankees retired their number 3 the same year of his death..
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