THE YANKEES MOUNT OLYMPUS: BABE RUTH

There is only one player who could ever occupy the top spot of ANY baseball list, let alone our Yankees Mount Olympus.

With credit to one of my all-time favorite movies “The Sandlot”, our top baseball immortal is known as: “The Sultan of Swat”, “The Colossus of Clout”, “The King of Crash” and “The Great Bambino”.

He is the one and only George Herman “Babe” Ruth.

As the nicknames indicate, Babe Ruth defined the long ball in baseball.  In spite of having played his last game in 1935, Ruth remains the MLB career leader in slugging percentage (.690) and OPS (on-base + slugging percentage).  For those that rely more heavily on statistics, he is also the career leader in WAR (wins above replacement) and sits in the top 10 (more often than not, the top five) in virtually every offensive category that the sport tracks.  In his 1921 season, Ruth set single season records for extra base hits – 119, runs – 177, and total bases – 457 that still stand today.

His accomplishments at the plate are long and show what a complete hitter Babe truly was.  He led the league in runs eight times, home runs 12 times, RBI five times, walks 11 times, and he never struck out (in 22 big league seasons) more than 93 times.  In spite of his size, Ruth was a speedy runner, swiping 10 or more bases five times in his career.

Until Roger Maris broke it, Ruth held the record of 60 home runs in a single season (in 1927) for 34 years, and his 714 career home runs were the most until Henry Aaron topped that mark in 1974.

What many may not know is that the Bambino began his career as an accomplished pitcher.  In 1916 he led the league with a 1.75 ERA while going 23 – 12.  His record as a pitcher is 94 – 46 and his career ERA sits at 2.28. In two World Series, Ruth went 3-0 with a microscopic 0.87 ERA.  In 1930, long after Ruth had made a name for himself as a hitter, he pitched a complete game, giving up just three runs and earning a win.  He was 35 years old.  It is safe to assume that if Babe had remained a pitcher, he’d have still been elected into the Hall of Fame. 

If anyone ever says that someone other than Ruth is the greatest player who ever lived, be sure to mention the Babe’s accomplishments on the mound.

Ruth’s exploits off the field are well documented.  Where Lou Gehrig (his teammate in the heart of the Yankees’ lineup) was often reserved, the Babe was, well…the Babe.  Even though he never passed a drink or food that he didn’t like, Ruth loved kids and would do anything for them.  He often visited the children’s wards in hospitals, and famously promised a home run to one sick boy. 

He delivered on his promise.

I could go on and on about the legend of Babe Ruth and all that he meant to baseball.  Needless to say, he became the childhood idol to many fans – including yours truly.  He was my very first hero and left quite an impression.  In 2012 I wrote about it for a now-defunct site.  You can read it here.

Ruth’s number 3 was retired by the Yankees in 1948 and his plaque proudly sits on a red granite block in Monument Park.  He was enshrined as part of the very first Hall of Fame class in 1936 – though he wasn’t a unanimous pick (really BBWAA?). 

He was the face of the sport’s greatest teams that went 1405 – 895 (a .611 winning percentage) and won the first four (out of seven appearances) World Championships in franchise history. 

In short, he made the Yankees what they are today and brought baseball to the forefront of American sports.

There never was any doubt as to who should occupy the top spot of the Yankees Mount Olympus, and he’d certainly also occupy the top spot of baseball’s Mount Olympus.

Presiding over our Yankee gods, we give you Babe Ruth.

    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1




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