*Babe Ruth Thread*

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I heard once that Don Mattingly thought, well into his teens, that Babe Ruth was a fictional, Tall-Tale type of character, "like Paul Bunyon." The person who told me this is very knowledgeable about Baseball, and a huge Mattingly fan. Can't say if it's true, but supposedly Mattingly said in the rural parts where he grew up, he thought other kids believed the same thing.

The more one learns about Ruth's almost-superhuman feats, the more I guess I can understand the Paul Bunyon analogy.

I've heard that also but would like to hear Don say it was true. Hard to believe that a MLB player, who had to be playing as a young boy would think that Babe Ruth was fictional. I would bet that a fair number of teen age girls would at the least know that Babe Ruth was the real thing.

[TRfromBR]

I've heard that also but would like to hear Don say it was true. Hard to believe that a MLB player, who had to be playing as a young boy would think that Babe Ruth was fictional. I would bet that a fair number of teen age girls would at the least know that Babe Ruth was the real thing.

If I'm not mistaken, Mattingly supposedly stated this erroneous impression of his during a television interview, while he was playing for the Yankees. And, yes, he apparently said he did not realize the truth until well after he had been playing ball as a kid.

With respect to teenage girls, I would have thought so, too. But, maybe the mythical Ruth was more prevalent than we know. Maybe some thought of him along the lines of The Mighty Casey of Mudville.

[RichardLillard1]

Here's an very in-depth breakdown of Babe's career homeruns I stumbled upon:

Ruth's 714

Interesting to note that Babe hit over 10 homeruns off of three different left handed pitchers- he hit at least 10 off of 13 different pitchers (two of them were Lefty Grove and Walter Johnson). Ruth hit 9 off of Grove, despite Grove's usage pattern during the A's dynasty, wherein he hardly faced the Yankees. I'd love to see his career numbers against left handed pitching; I think it would make his hitting/slugging exploits even more impressive to me.

Does anyone know how many times Ruth faced Johnson or Grove, and what his career numbers were against the two greatest of his time, aside from his homerun totals?

I don't see Ruth's "called shot" on that list anywhere. Not even mention of hitting a home run off Charlie Root.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I don't see Ruth's "called shot" on that list anywhere. Not even mention of hitting a home run off Charlie Root.

Took a quick look at that list, did not see World Series home runs.Did you know that Root home run came in the 1932 WS.

[Brian McKenna]

I don't see Ruth's "called shot" on that list anywhere. Not even mention of hitting a home run off Charlie Root.

Preseason, exhibition or postseason competition would not calculate into Ruth's 714.

[RichardLillard1]

Joe, bk, Thanks for the heads up.

I posted that late one night without looking for any other post season shots.


Richard

[hammer44]

Babe Ruth Stats at League Park, Cleveland

I am trying to get Babe Ruth's stats while batting at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio. I know Ruth hit his 500th HR there. Since this park had a short right field fence (290 ft) I would think he would have faired very well in this park. Any help with these stats would be greatly appreciated. The information will be posted on www.leaguepark.org.

Thanks!

[Brian McKenna]

I was reading a December 1919 Washington Post article about Ruth supposedly mouthing off that he wanted to box Jack Dempsey and that he went to LA to supposedly get in shape. I know this didn't come about but was there any real intent here?

Also, the article said that Ruth was a preliminary boxer when young - any info?

[Bill Burgess]

I am trying to get Babe Ruth's stats while batting at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio. I know Ruth hit his 500th HR there. Since this park had a short right field fence (290 ft) I would think he would have faired very well in this park. Any help with these stats would be greatly appreciated. The information will be posted on www.leaguepark.org.

Thanks!

Part of your answer lies in this former post, breaking down Babe's homers by city, team.

http://baseball-fever.com/showpost.php?p=655682&postcount=87

[Bill Burgess]

Anyone care to specualte what Babe's career totals might have looked like, if he had come in as a full-time OF, right from the start?

Or his relative stats, or any other interesting tid-bits? What would the Red Sox have done if Babe had come in as an OF?

Since the Red Sox had Speaker, Hooper, Lewis in 1915, for the sake of discussion, let's say Babe had come in at 1B until an OF spot opened up for him.

[Bill Burgess]

I posted 3 really cool new Babe photos in post #130. Enjoy. http://baseball-fever.com/showpost.p...&postcount=160

Here is where I found them.
Detroit News newspaper photo collection.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I posted 3 really cool new Babe photos in post #130. Enjoy. http://baseball-fever.com/showpost.p...&postcount=160

Here is where I found them.
Detroit News newspaper photo collection.

Nice shots Bill, I did visit that site and there are some great pics of a number of players.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I posted 3 really cool new Babe photos in post #130. Enjoy. http://baseball-fever.com/showpost.p...&postcount=160

Here is where I found them.
Detroit News newspaper photo collection.

Bill,

You rock! Those are some sweet photos of Ruth in mid swing. Interestingly Ruth seems to move his front foot back towards his back foot. I wonder why he did that? And he drops the bat handle down kind of like Mel Ott but not as low.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Anyone care to specualte what Babe's career totals might have looked like, if he had come in as a full-time OF, right from the start?

Or his relative stats, or any other interesting tid-bits? What would the Red Sox have done if Babe had come in as an OF?

Since the Red Sox had Speaker, Hooper, Lewis in 1915, for the sake of discussion, let's say Babe had come in at 1B until an OF spot opened up for him.

It's difficult to estimate I think because Fenway Park was an impossible park for HRs in Ruth's years with the Red Sox. Put Ruth in a normal park in 1919 and he goes for 40 HRs easily. I think he has a 9/20 home/road HR split in 1919.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

It's difficult to estimate I think because Fenway Park was an impossible park for HRs in Ruth's years with the Red Sox. Put Ruth in a normal park in 1919 and he goes for 40 HRs easily. I think he has a 9/20 home/road HR split in 1919.

For sure Fenway would have been a challenge for the LH hitting Babe regarding the long ball had he started out in the outfield. He was as you say 9/20 in the home/road HR splits in 1919 and 11 home and 38 road from 1914-1919 as a Red Sox.

Some numbers that were the best up till 1996 and may still be.
Most home runs by a visiting hitter at Fenway Park.

Babe Ruth---------------38
Mickey Mantle-----------38
Harmon Killebrew--------37
Al Kaline----------------30
Joe Dimaggio------------29

Ruth the only lefty on the list with Mantle switching and no figures at this time on how many Mick hit RH and LH at Fenway. Add to that the right side was a greater distance when Ruth played there.

I don't think it's a stretch to think he could have averaged 30+ a season total home and away had he started out as an every day player and with Ruth you never can tell. A terrible slow start for Babe being a pitcher at the start. Only 49 career home runs going into his 7th season in 1920.