Babe Ruth had no idea how popular baseball was going to be. He also never dreamed that he would become the most famous baseball player in America.  All he knew was he loved the game. Fans called him “The Bambino” and “The Sultan of Swat” because he could smash baseballs farther than almost anyone else. Long before you could watch a game on TV or see the star athletes on social media, Babe was written about weekly in newspapers that sold all over the world. When Babe stepped up to the plate, crowds jumped to their feet.

As a kid, Babe was known as George Herman Ruth. He got into trouble often and his parents gave him up to a boy’s orphanage and boarding school when he was just 7 years old. The name of the school was St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys. Babe learned to love baseball at St. Mary’s. While he was there, a monk named Brother Matthias Boutlier saw Babe’s talent at baseball and coached him.  Babe worked hard and eventually joined the major leagues when he was only 19 years old.

If baseball had superheroes, Babe Ruth would definitely wear a cape. At first, Babe Ruth was a pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox and was one of the best pitchers in baseball. When he joined the New York Yankees, everything  changed. Babe started hitting huge home runs. He played for the Yankees for 15 years and hit 659 home runs during that time. Babe Ruth also became a larger-than-life celebrity. He loved hot dogs, practical jokes, and entertaining crowds. More than anything, Babe loved his fans, especially the fans that were kids. He would even go out of his way to play sandlot baseball with kids around the United States when he could.

One particular young fan sealed the fact that Babe Ruth was a super star. Johnny Silvester had an accident when he was 11. He wrote a fan letter to Babe while he was in the hospital. Babe wrote back and sent a baseball that he had signed. The note he wrote said that he would hit a homerun for Johnny during Wednesday’s game of the World Series. During game 4 of the 1926 series Babe Ruth did not hit a homerun. Instead he did something that had never happened before. He hit three home runs. During his career Babe won seven World Series championships.

Even though Babe Ruth played nearly 100 years ago, his impact on baseball is still enormous. He helped turn baseball into America’s favorite sport and inspired generations of players to dream big. His powerful swing, colorful personality, and incredible records made him one of the most unforgettable athletes in history. To this day, when someone hits a gigantic home run, people still compare it to Babe Ruth.