Babe or George Herman Ruth Jr. became one of the brightest persons in the baseball’s history. His life can be treated as an example of an urban fairy tale, where a poor character obtains success with the aid of own traits and a combination of circumstances. Ruth was an owner of several significant records. He showed himself not only in sport; Ruth became the first baseball player who made managers to pay him $125,000 per year. The athlete was one of the first inductees of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He indirectly created a legend of the Boston Red Sox’s curse and made record amounts of homeruns. Ruth’s achievements look even more incredible in the light of his lifestyle. The man did himself well; he did not withdraw from alcohol, cigars or unhealthy food even during games, and still showed great results on the field. The combination of sport records and the lifestyle of the celebrity made Ruth a hero the America of that period of time looked for. It also could be a major reason of his early death; Ruth died on August 16, 1948 because of cancer. He was only 53 years old.
“Despite last playing nearly 75 years ago, Babe is still widely considered the greatest player in Major League Baseball history” (Luminary Group LLC). Ruth’s status of an icon can be explained by several factors. His sports achievements became one of the main features. In 1919 he made 54 homeruns during the season; the result put him far away from the second place in the rating with only 19 homeruns. Ruth broke own records several times. His achievement of 60 homeruns stood for 34 years. These numbers show he had a great power and overcame other baseball players at least in some parameters. Ruth’s iconic status is also explained by indirect factors. The man came to the stage with his famous 54 homeruns in the same year when the “Black Sox Scandal” happened. Chicago White Sox players were accused in the chip dumping to the Cincinnati Reds during the 1919 World Series. The trial over these eight players threatened the future of the baseball. Babe Ruth helped to save the game with his records and behavior. His “1920 season was so astounding that it defied comparison; his team set attendance records, his name was splashed across the headlines daily, and he quickly became a hero to millions in the cities where he played” (Adomites and Wisnia 17). People get a new interesting topic to discuss and the scandal took second place. Ruth transfer to the New York Yankees also made a contribution to his iconic status, as it created a famous legend of the Curse of the Bambino. The man helped Red Sox to start to win, and it looked like team’s luck left with him as Ruth moved to the New York Yankees. The athlete became a basis for one of the most famous and long-standing baseball superstitions.
Some people believe Ruth became an icon became he appeared in the right place at the right time. However, he would not become successful without a combination of physical and personal traits. Ruth had both positive and negative features that helped him to become an inductee in the Baseball Hall of Fame. His good traits included openness and readiness to improve own skills. The biography showed young Ruth was always ready to share with other children and did not become embittered because of the family surrounding and sending to the St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys. He was a boy with a huge demand for father that was fulfilled by brother Matthias and “Jack Dunn, owner of the Baltimore Orioles” (Luminary Group LLC). Ruth was ready to train even without a qualified help and appropriate inventory that showed his purposefulness. However, poor childhood and personal traits affected his life. It looked like he had never abandoned his inner child and wanted to compensate years of poverty and control with his acts of dissipation. This behavior contributed to his glory, as reporters wanted to know about new Babe’s steps. Ruth was able to organize himself as he did after the 1925 season with the aid of “Manhattan gym owner Artie McGovern [who made him look and feel] like the "keed" who had torn baseball apart in 1920 and 1921” (Adomites and Wisnia 30). But it does not cancel the fact Ruth’s behavior could cost him a happy personal life and decades of life.
Works Cited
Adomites, Paul, and Saul Wisnia. “Babe Ruth”. Entertainment.howstuffworks, http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/babe-ruth.htm. Accessed 18 Jan. 2017.
Luminary Group LLC. “Biography”. Baberuth, http://www.baberuth.com/biography/. Accessed 18 Jan. 2017.
