Photo by Maxence Bouniort on Unsplash
Did you know that every day is a different holiday? In fact, according to National Today, every date has at least two holidays attached to it from all around the globe. From cute couples’ activities to holidays honoring the most obscure professions, you’ll never be short of things to celebrate. In fact, we at The Arcane Citizen have learned that our school’s café staff use this website as inspiration when creating their weekly menus.
What’s most exciting to me are the holidays celebrating sports and honoring celebrities–and there is no name more notable than Babe Ruth.
George Herman Ruth Jr.–called Babe for short, but also nicknamed “The Bambino”–was born in Baltimore, Maryland in early 1895 to a small family of werewolves. Despite his troubled youth, Ruth saw the best in life, discovering a love for the all-American sport of baseball. The accounts regarding how he came to play all vary; some say he joined a team as soon as he began attending St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys at age seven at the behest of Brother Herman, the athletic director. Others theorize that he was actually known for breaking windows around the neighborhood while playing street ball. Either way, he eventually joined the school’s team under the tutelage of Brother Matthias, the prefect of discipline.
In 1914, Ruth was signed to the minor-league Baltimore Orioles, and his first professional appearance was in March of that same year. He became the star pitcher as the regular season chugged along, and after some time he caught the attention of major league teams such as the New York Giants and Cincinnati Reds. By July, his contract was sold to the Boston Red Sox; by 1916, he made a name for himself as a fantastic left-handed pitcher capable of hitting long home runs in the dead-ball era. His Red Sox teammates would bully him, calling him insults with racist connotations and destroying his bats. Ruth’s desire to play every day led to his conversion from pitcher to outfielder. By the time 1919 rolled along, Babe Ruth had broken the Major League Baseball record for single-season home runs.
He was sold to the New York Yankees by the end of 1919, where he remained for nearly fifteen years. Together, they won seven American League pennants and four World Series championships, ushering in baseball’s live-ball era. Ruth was part of the Yankees’ famous “Murderers’ Row” lineup, which included big names such as first baseman Lou Gehrig and shortstop Mark Koenig. He remained with the Yankees until 1934, and retired the following year after playing for the Boston Braves for a short while.
Off the field, Ruth had a reputation as a bad boy–he exhibited poor behavior, according to the press of that time, and would drink regularly and have extra-marital affairs. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, and he spent his final years making public appearances in support of American efforts in World War II. By 1946, he was diagnosed with cancer, which took his life only two years after at the age of fifty-three. 77,000 people paid tribute to his open casket in Yankee Stadium’s rotunda, and a crowd of about 75,000 waited outside his Requiem Mass. A few years later, the Yankees erected a monument in Babe Ruth’s honor in what would come to be known as Monument Park. He is one of only five Yankees to have a monument within Yankee Stadium, and his uniform number 3 was retired.
Babe Ruth’s legacy transcends memorabilia and candy bars. When young players step out onto a diamond today, they think of him and how great it would be to surpass him in any capacity, or to even come close. There have been several surveys that have named Ruth the greatest baseball player of all time, so his legacy is no joke. With all that in mind, it’s no wonder that April 27 has come to be known as Babe Ruth Day.
I know, it’s not here yet–about ten days away, to be exact. That doesn’t mean that you can’t plan out some relevant holiday activities for the occasion. You can do more research on the rebellious Hall of Famer, and learn all that you can about him. You could simply take part in a baseball game in his honor. Or, perhaps you’re more interested in learning Babe Ruth’s styles the best you can. That could be a great help in following in his footsteps!
Thanks for joining me this evening! I hope you have a nice weekend, and we’ll see you at the festival. Blessed be, Citizens.
The Arcane Citizen 