Babe Ruth | The success story of the greatest baseball player of all time

Babe Ruth was an American baseball player. He is regarded as one of American culture’s most significant sports figures. Ruth is also considered to be the greatest baseball player of all time by many. During his lifetime, he set numerous records in baseball and became a symbol of the United States. With his influence and popularity, baseball became a vital component of the American symbol and unified Americans. From being an orphan to one of the greatest athletes of all time, Babe Ruth’s success story is an inspiring one.

Early life and struggles

George Herman Ruth Jr. was born on February 6, 1895, in a poor neighbourhood in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents had eight children, but only two were able to survive infancy. Ruth was one of them. His father worked a series of jobs to earn a living and support his family. During his childhood, Ruth’s father neglected him and gave little to no attention to his upbringing. As a result, Ruth became a delinquent. As a youth, Ruth rarely attended school, drank beer without his father’s knowledge, and teased the local police officers. After a violent incident at his father’s saloon, Ruth’s parents sent him to an orphanage.

Ruth spent much of the next 12 years at the orphanage. In addition to education, the students at the orphanage learned work skills and helped operate the school. Ruth became a shirtmaker and a carpenter as well. During his baseball career, Ruth adjusted his own shirt collars rather than having a tailor to do so. Ruth was darker than most of the boys at the reformatory and was made fun of. When he was only 12 years old, his mother died. 

Introduction to baseball

The school’s athletic director, Brother Herman encouraged Ruth to play baseball. He became a catcher even though left-handers rarely play that position. Ruth was forced to wear gloves made for right-handers. Ruth had huge respect for Herman and praised him for the rest of his life. Soon, Ruth became the best pitcher at the orphanage. When he was 18, he was allowed to leave the campus to play weekend games and was mentioned in several newspaper articles. 

Babe Ruth’s incredible career

In 1914, Babe Ruth signed a professional baseball contract. This marked the beginning of his legacy as a baseball player. He was subjected to various pranks by the veteran players which became the source of his nickname “Babe”. In 1914, Ruth joined the Boston Red Sox. During this time, he excelled as a pitcher for his team in the league and also as an equally good hitter and fielder. In 1919, he set the record for the most number of home runs in a season and later broke his own record.

In December of 1919, Ruth joined the New York Yankees for $100,000, the highest amount ever paid for a baseball player. He played over 2,000 games during his fifteen-season Yankee career and broke many batting records. He ended his 22-year big league career with 714 home runs. At the time of his retirement, Ruth held many of baseball’s most esteemed records. In 2018, President Donald Trump posthumously awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Lessons we can learn

From living in an orphanage to becoming the greatest baseball player of all time, Babe Ruth showed the world that anything is possible. With constant hard work and perseverance, you will achieve your true potential. You can do anything you set your mind to but it takes determination and the courage to face your fears. Instead of considering failures as negative things, we should try to accept them as lessons we would have never learnt otherwise.

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