IV.

Sultan of Swat

From 1920 to 1934, Ruth played the outfield for the Yankees, headlining some of the greatest squads in the history of baseball. Beloved by the New York fans, Ruth earned several nicknames, including the Bambino (Italian for Babe) and the Sultan of Swat (for his home run hitting ability). In the Babe’s first season as a Yankee, he batted .376 and slugged 54 home runs, almost double his record-setting total of the previous year. The 54 home runs represented 4 more than any other AL team produced in total, and 35 more than his closest individual rival, George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns. Ruth’s extraordinary home run slugging touched off a nationwide resurgence of fan support for baseball, which had suffered in the aftermath of the 1919 World Series scandal, in which several Chicago White Sox players had intentionally played badly in exchange for payments from gamblers.

As a Yankee Ruth won ten home run crowns and played in seven World Series, with the Yankees winning four of them. His home run production was unprecedented. He hit 41 in 1923, 46 in 1924, and 47 in 1926. In 1927 his 60 home runs in 154 games established a record that stood until 1961, when Roger Maris hit 61 in 162 games. When the Yankees opened a new ballpark in 1923, it was named Yankee Stadium. Fans and journalists, however, began referring to the park as “The House That Ruth Built,” a tribute to their hero. To see Ruth, his fans flocked not only to Yankee Stadium, but to ballparks around the AL when the Yankees played road games, making him one of the biggest drawing stars in baseball history.

Fearing his powerful bat, opposing pitchers issued Ruth many bases on balls, and he led the AL 11 times in walks. He also led the league in runs batted in (RBIs) 6 times and in runs scored 8 times. Seldom in the history of baseball has one player so dominated the game’s offense for as many years as Ruth did. With the Yankees, Ruth also appeared in five games as a pitcher, winning each time.

While Ruth served as New York’s centerpiece, the other Yankees players were also extremely talented. The 1927 squad was particularly successful. The team won 110 of 154 games, setting a record for victories that would not be topped until 1954, when the Cleveland Indians won 111 games. The batting lineup, which started with Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel, and Tony Lazzeri, was nicknamed Murderers’ Row.