Sale of Babe Ruth to Yankees
The Bambino: From Red Sox pitcher to Yankee legend.
George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", he began his MLB career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its "first five" members.
- Player Involved
- Babe Ruth
- Date of Sale
- December 26, 1919
- Selling Team
- Boston Red Sox
- Buying Team
- New York Yankees
- Owner at Time
- Harry Frazee
- Historical Context
- Start of the 'Curse of the Bambino'
- Championship Gap Created
- 1918 to 2004
Lore & Background
In 1914, Ruth was signed to play Minor League baseball for the Baltimore Orioles but was soon sold to the Red Sox. After the 1919 season, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to the Yankees amid controversy. The trade fueled Boston's subsequent 86-year championship drought and popularized the "Curse of the Bambino" superstition.
In Their Own Story
The Boston winter air bit through the coat as Harry Frazee walked away from the Fenway Park offices, his pockets heavy with cash but his soul light. Inside the building, the ghost of the Bambino lingered in the empty dugout where he had once laughed and swung his bat. The papers on the desk were signed; the legend was sold for a Broadway show ticket. Outside, the city slept unaware that its baseball heart had just been torn out, leaving only an echo of cheers that would not return for nearly a century.
Reader's Guide
Ruth's career with the Red Sox included winning 23 games twice as a pitcher and being a member of three World Series championship teams. He converted to an outfielder and broke the MLB single-season home run record in 1919 with 29. With the Yankees, he helped the team win seven AL pennants and four World Series championships. In 1927, he hit 60 home runs, extending his own MLB single-season record. He led the AL in home runs 12 times. His last season with the Yankees was 1934, and he retired after a short stint with the Boston Braves the following year.
Did You Know?
- Ruth was born on February 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland.
- At age seven, Ruth was sent to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage.
- Ruth's nickname at St. Mary's was reportedly "Niggerlips," though this is disputed and often considered apocryphal.
- Ruth was raised Catholic, but his adult religious practice was inconsistent, and he was not a confirmed member of the Knights of Columbus in official records.
- Ruth died from nasopharyngeal cancer in 1946.
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