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Who was Babe Ruth? |
by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
Babe Ruth was a professional American baseball player who, because of his record-breaking career, became a legend of the sport and a famous figure in sports history!
Babe Ruth was born in Baltimore on February 6th, 1895 and given the name George Herman Ruth, Jr. Ruth’s childhood was often difficult and he was known for being disobedient. While at a special disciplined school, Ruth began to play baseball and, when he was 19 years old, was noticed by Jack Dunn (who owned the minor-league Baltimore Orioles) for his skill at the game!
Because Ruth was considered the responsibility of the special school he attended, Dunn had to legally adopt him in order to remove him from the school so that he could play baseball for the Orioles. This was how he earned the name “Babe Ruth” – because Dunn had adopted him, journalists and others referred to Ruth as Dunn’s “baby,” which eventually became “Babe”!
After playing in the minor league for just five months, Babe Ruth was sold to the Boston Red Sox. While with the Red Sox, Ruth helped them to win three World Series and became the best left-handed pitcher in baseball! While playing as an outfielder in his final season with the team, Ruth set the record for the greatest number of home-runs!
In 1920, Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees, where he played exclusively as an outfielder. In his years with the Yankees, he set a number of impressive records; in 1927, he hit 60 home-runs, which remained the all-time record for 34 years! He also led the Yankees (who had never won any championships) to win four World Series!
Hoping to move into managing a team, Ruth joined the Boston Braves in 1935 as both a player and assistant manager. His dream was to manage a major-league team (specifically, the Yankees) and although that never happened, he still retired with an outstanding baseball record, having hit 714 home-runs (which no one beat until 1974) and set numerous other records. – A true legend!
Besides Babe Ruth, what other famous sports legends have you learned about? What about their stories makes them so legendary? Do they overcome obstacles to earn their success? Do they try hard and maintain their skills over a long period of time? Do they set records or gain respect from the public for their accomplishments??
What are some qualities that you think help a person to achieve legendary success?
