II.

Childhood

The son of a tavern owner, George Herman Ruth was born in Baltimore, Maryland. After spending several troubled years growing up on the streets of the city’s waterfront, seven-year-old George was placed in Saint Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, an orphanage and reform school. Brother Matthias, a strict Roman Catholic priest at Saint Mary’s, taught him to play baseball. Although George was left-handed, which made it difficult for him to throw out runners stealing second base, he eventually became a catcher for the Saint Mary’s team. He also played first base, third base, and in the outfield when needed.

George was a natural hitter from the first time he held a bat, but he needed hours of practice with Brother Matthias before his fielding was acceptable. After he teased another boy whose attempts to pitch had failed, Brother Matthias made Ruth take the mound to see if he could do better. Ruth had never pitched before, but he showed immediate promise. He soon demonstrated a sidearm throwing style that many observers compared to star pitcher Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators.