- Wore a cabbage leaf under his cap to keep himself cool.
- After the Yankees' 1928 World Series victory, their train stopped in Indiana, where Ruth was asked to address the crowd. Ruth, who wanted to give a plug for his friend and Democratic presidential candidate Alfred E. Smith, told the crowd, "Let's give three cheers for my pal and the next president of the U.S.A., Al Smith!" The crowd was completely silent, and some accounts say that the wind could be heard rustling through apple trees. What Ruth wasn't aware of was that Indiana was staunch Herbert Hoover territory. He cursed and got back onto the train.
- When he died in 1948, Monday, August 16th, 1948, to be exact, he left an estate valued of $360,811. In 1999, his heirs were earning in excess of $1 million per year from image licensing.
- Spoke German fluently. His maternal grandfather was a German immigrant.
- Though he threw, batted and ate left-handed, he wrote right-handed. He was asked about this once and said that in the Catholic school where he was raised, he originally wrote left-handed as a child but was forced by his teacher to write right-handed. This was common back then; other left-handed baseball stars, such as Lou Gehrig and Stan Musial, wrote right-handed.
- Was once given an intentional walk with the bases loaded.
- His last home run was the first to clear the right field roof in Pittsburgh's Forbes Field.
- His father owned a saloon in downtown Baltimore. The saloon and the buildings around it were later torn down, and the site now occupies center field of the Baltimore Orioles' stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards. A Sports Illustrated writer, musing from Yankee Stadium's nickname "The House That Ruth Built", jokingly referred to Camden Yards as "The House That Ruth Haunts".
- Could never remember his teammates' names; usually called everybody "kid".
- A statue of Ruth is located at Oriole Park at Camden Yards at the corner of West Camden and South Eutaw Streets in Baltimore. The statue incorrectly portrays The Babe as a right-hander. When told that Ruth was actually a left-hander, the sculptor, Susan Leury, simply replied, "Oh well.".
- Named the number two athlete of the 20th century in an ESPN poll. (1999)
- Throughout his life, Ruth thought he was born February 7, 1894. After he retired, when he applied for a passport and was required to show his birth certificate, he was discovered on the certificate he had actually been born February 6, 1895. While February 6 was his actual birthday, he celebrated February 7 throughout the rest of his life.
- In 1914, his starting salary as a ballplayer with the Boston Red Sox was $350 per year.
- Still holds the Yankee club record for the highest season batting average with his .393 effort in 1923.
- His wife, Claire, was a cousin of Hall of Fame slugger Johnny Mize.
- Brother of Mamie Ruth Moberly. He and Mamie were the only two of their parents' 8 children to survive infancy.
- When he was seven years old, his father sent him to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage, and signed custody over to the Catholic missionaries who ran the school.
- Enshrined in the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, 1995 (charter member).
- Biggest ambition was to be a major league manager.
- Served as first base coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938.
- Was actually separated from his first wife, Helen, during the last few years of their marriage. Did not seek a divorce because they were both Roman Catholic.
- Adopted Dorothy Ruth Pirone with first wife Helen in 1921. Decades later, she wrote a book, titled "My Dad, The Babe", claiming that she was Ruth's biological child by a woman named Juanita Jennings.
- He was considered the best lefthander in the American League during his brief time pitching.
- Claimed once that had he hit for average instead of power, he would have batted .600 for his career. Wound up with a lifetime batting average of .342.
- New York Yankees All-Time Leader in Runs (1,959), Home Runs (659), Total Bases (5,131), Walks (1,852), On Base Percentage (.484), Slugging Percentage (.711), and Batting Average Leader (.349).
- He briefly worked as a bartender.
- Inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in 2010.
- Hit a total of 16 grand slam home runs during his career.
- Was the first player in baseball history to hit 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 home runs in a career, starting when he broke Roger Connor's major league baseball career record of 138 homers during the 1920 season. He broke the 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 homer thresholds in the years 1923, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931 and 1934, respectively.
- Was lifted for a pinch hitter in the 1918 World Series.
- Lived at St. Mary's Industrial School in Baltimore, where he was introduced to baseball by Brother Matthias, until he was signed by the Baltimore Orioles of the International League in 1914. Because he was 19, Orioles' manager Jack Dunn became his guardian. Ruth was called "Dunn's babe", which is how he acquired the nickname "Babe".
- Stole home 10 times in his career.
- His teachers taught him to be a tailor. Although he graduated as a "qualified shirtmaker" he thought that he was no good at the work.
- His mother died of tuberculosis when he was still a teenager.
- Turned down an offer to manage the Yankees' AAA farm club in Newark.
- Though he was photographed shaking the hand of President Herbert Hoover at a game, the Babe was no fan of his. When asked in 1930, the first year of the Great Depression, about his salary of $80,000 a year being more than that of the President (who earned $75,000), the Babe replied, "I know, but I had a better year than he did." The Babe actively campaigned for Hoover's Democratic rival for the presidency, Al Smith, in 1928. The hard-drinking Babe called Smith, who was for the repeal of Prohibition, "His" candidate.
- Was the first Major League player to hit 60 home runs (1927). Started out his career as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He had back-to-back 20-win seasons and won a total of 94 career games. Sold to New York for $100,000. Hit his famous "Called Shot" in the 1932 World Series in Chicago, off Chicago pitcher Charlie Root. He had two strikes when he allegedly pointed to center field and, on the very next pitch, smacked the ball in center field for a home run. Led American League in home runs 12 times, runs eight times, RBIs six times and batting once. Hit 714 career home runs. His number 3 was retired by the New York Yankees. Among the original members who were first admitted to the baseball Hall of Fame. Honored with a monument in Yankee Stadium.
- Played for the American League's Boston Red Sox (1914-1919) and New York Yankees (1920-1934), and for the National League's Boston Braves (1935).
- Became a full-time outfielder in 1919.
- Held the record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched in World Series play from 1918 until 1961, when Whitey Ford broke it.
- Pictured on a 20¢ US commemorative postage stamp issued in his honor, on Wednesday, July 6th, 1983.
- Pictured on one of fifteen 32¢ US commemorative postage stamps in the "Celebrate the Century" series, issued 28 May 1998, celebrating the 1920s.
- Adopted Julia Ruth Stevens after he married her mother.
- On Saturday, January 3rd, 1920, he was formally sold by Harry Frazee to New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert for $125,000, plus a $350,000 loan secured by Fenway Park. At that time, it was the highest price paid for a player, and more money than Ruppert paid for his team. The woeful Yankees soon became a juggernaut, while the powerhouse Red Sox wouldn't win another World Series until 2004. Red Sox fans would attribute the drought to a "curse" which came to be known as "The Curse of the Bambino". Ruth himself never spoke ill of his first major league baseball team.
- Major league baseball season was expanded, eight games from 154 games to 162 games in 1961. Roger Maris hit 61 home runs that year. Contrary to popular belief, it was not noted with an asterisk in the official record book, but listed as the record for the most home runs in a 162-game season while Ruth's 60 was listed as the record for the most home runs in a 154-game season.
- Contrary to popular belief, when Ruth was playing for the Boston Braves, the game in which he hit three home runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field on May 25, 1935 was not his last game in the major leagues. His last major league appearance actually came on May 30, 1935 against the Phillies in Philadelphia. Ruth came to bat only once and grounded out.
- Was the first player in baseball history to hit 30, 40 and 50 home runs in a season (all accomplished in the 1920 season, when he extended the major league baseball single-season homer record from the 29 he hit in 1919 to 54). In 1927, he became the first player to hit 60 home runs in a season.
- Inducted into the Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.
- Pro Wrestling Referee.
- Left the Yankees when the team would not name him manager. Accepted an offer by the Boston Braves to be right fielder, vice president, and assistant manager, the latter two of which were only on paper.
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