National Babe Ruth Day
National Babe Ruth Day on April 27 honors the greatest name in American baseball — George Herman 'Babe' Ruth (1895–1948), the Sultan of Swat, the Bambino, the man who single-handedly saved baseball after the 1919 Black Sox scandal and transformed the sport into the national pastime. April 27, 1947 was the original 'Babe Ruth Day' at Yankee Stadium, when a dying Ruth thanked the crowds one final time.
Why it matters
THE SULTAN OF SWAT
It’s National Babe Ruth Day. On April 27, America honors the greatest baseball player who ever lived — 714 home runs, 7 World Series, and the man who made baseball the national pastime.
THE STORY
George Herman Ruth Jr. was born February 6, 1895 in Baltimore to German immigrant parents who ran a saloon. At age 7, Ruth was sent to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys — a reform school for troubled youth — where Brother Matthias (a Xaverian Brother) taught him baseball. Ruth signed his first professional contract at 19 with the Baltimore Orioles (then a minor league team), then was sold to the Boston Red Sox in 1914. In his Red Sox years he was a star pitcher — winning 94 games, going 3-0 in two World Series, and posting a 0.87 ERA in his championship starts.
In 1920 — in what became baseball’s most famous transaction — the Red Sox sold Ruth to the Yankees for $125,000 (the largest sum ever paid for a player at the time). Red Sox owner Harry Frazee needed cash; the Yankees got the future greatest player ever. The ‘Curse of the Bambino’ — the superstition that the Red Sox would never win another World Series after trading Ruth — lasted 86 years (1918-2004). When Ruth joined the Yankees, he was already hitting more home runs than any other player; on the Yankees, he exploded into sports mythology.
Ruth’s 1920s run was unprecedented. He led the American League in home runs 12 of 14 seasons. He hit 60 home runs in 1927 — a record that stood for 34 years. He won four World Series with the Yankees (1923, 1927, 1928, 1932). Game 3 of the 1932 World Series featured “The Called Shot” — Ruth allegedly pointing to the Wrigley Field bleachers before hitting a home run exactly there. The moment became legend; debate continues whether he truly pointed. It doesn’t matter. The legend is what lived on.
Ruth retired in 1935 after a disappointing final season with the Boston Braves. His 714 career home runs stood as the all-time record until Hank Aaron broke it in 1974. Ruth was inaugurated as a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in its inaugural 1936 class. On April 27, 1947 — diagnosed with throat cancer, dying — Ruth attended ‘Babe Ruth Day’ at Yankee Stadium. In a raspy voice, he addressed 60,000 fans. He died August 16, 1948. Over 100,000 people attended his funeral at Yankee Stadium. He was 53 years old.
You just can’t beat the person who won’t give up.
FOUR ICONIC RUTH MOMENTS
Baseball history’s defining plays:
The Called Shot (1932)
Game 3, 1932 World Series, Wrigley Field. Ruth allegedly pointed to the center-field bleachers, then hit the ball exactly there. Legendary. Unverified. Immortal.
60 Home Runs (1927)
Ruth’s 1927 Yankees — the ‘Murderers’ Row’ team — won 110 games and swept the World Series. His 60 HRs held the record 34 years.
The $125,000 Sale (1920)
Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to the Yankees for the largest sum ever paid for a player. Began 86 years of ‘Curse of the Bambino.’
April 27, 1947 Farewell
Dying of cancer, Ruth addressed Yankee Stadium for the last time. ‘The only real game in the world is baseball.’ 60,000 in attendance; millions listened on radio.
BABE RUTH’S AMERICA
Cities where the Bambino made history:
DID YOU KNOW?!
Ruth was originally a pitcher.
Ruth’s first 5 MLB years were as a star pitcher. He was one of the AL’s best. His 29 consecutive scoreless World Series innings stood as a record for 43 years. He stopped pitching to hit full-time — changing baseball history.
Ruth ate 20+ hot dogs in a sitting.
The ‘bellyache heard round the world’ (1925) had Ruth sidelined from eating 12+ hot dogs in one meal. Ruth’s appetite was legendary — 18-inch steaks, massive beer intake. Not a health guide.
Curse of the Bambino lasted 86 years.
Red Sox won the 1918 World Series — their last for 86 years. Fans blamed Ruth’s sale. The curse broke in 2004 when the Red Sox beat the Yankees (coming back from 3-0) en route to ending the drought.
Ruth’s 1927 season was the greatest ever.
60 home runs. .356 batting average. 164 RBIs. Led Yankees to a 110-44 record (.714 winning percentage). Some analysts still consider it the single greatest offensive season in MLB history.
READ ABOUT THE BABE
The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth
Leigh Montville · 2006
Montville’s definitive biography — 450+ pages, exhaustive research, beautifully written. The Babe Ruth book of record.
Babe: The Legend Comes to Life
Robert W. Creamer · 1974
Creamer’s earlier Babe Ruth biography — also widely considered a classic. Written while many who knew Ruth were still alive.
The Boys of Summer
Roger Kahn · 1972
Not about Ruth, but about the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers. Captures the baseball-as-religion culture Ruth helped create. A sports-writing masterpiece.
PAIR IT WITH
‘The Babe’ (1992, John Goodman). ‘Pride of the Yankees’ (1942, Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig). ‘The Sandlot’ (1993) — the autograph scene.
Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum (Baltimore). Yankee Stadium. Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Montville’s ‘The Big Bam.’ Creamer’s ‘Babe.’ For cultural context, Kahn’s ‘Boys of Summer.’
Hot dog with mustard. Cracker Jack. Beer. Classic ballpark cuisine. Ruth would approve.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Tag us @celebrationnation with #BabeRuthDay. Share your Babe Ruth memories, your Yankees allegiances, or your favorite baseball quote. The Bambino is eternal.
How to celebrate
Celebrate baseball's king:
- ⚾ Watch baseball. MLB teams often honor Ruth on April 27. Check your local team's schedule. Yankees day games are particularly fitting.
- 📺 Watch 'The Babe' (1992) or 'The Sandlot' (1993). The former is a biopic; the latter features a memorable Babe Ruth autograph scene.
- 📚 Read a Babe Ruth biography. Leigh Montville's 'The Big Bam' (2006) is the standard.
- 🏛️ Visit the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum. In Baltimore — Ruth's hometown. Open since 1974. Essential for fans.
- 🌭 Eat a hot dog. Ruth reportedly ate 20+ hot dogs in a single sitting. A legendary American baseball snack.
Celebration ideas by audience
For families
Family baseball day. Catch-in-the-backyard, watch a game on TV, or better yet, go to an MLB park. Introduce kids to baseball.
For kids
Kids learn about Ruth through 'The Sandlot' (1993), 'The Boys of Summer,' or kid-friendly biographies. A classic sports-hero lesson.
For couples
Date at a baseball game. Hot dogs, beer, seventh-inning stretch. Classic American romance.
At the office
Office fantasy-baseball league kickoff if April 27 is in season. Or simply share favorite baseball memories.
At school
History classes can use Ruth to teach the 1920s — Prohibition, the Harlem Renaissance, the 'Roaring Twenties.' Ruth embodied the era.
In your community
Little League practices across America are picking up. Volunteer; attend; support local youth baseball.
On your own
A quiet afternoon with 'The Boys of Summer' or 'Moneyball' and a beer. Baseball reading is contemplative pleasure.