All-Time Allstars - Babe Ruth
By Diane Stanley
February 7 2003
Who is always last to get picked when they are choosing teams at school? The fat boy right! After all he's big and bulky and he's sure to ruin your team. Well that might not be true. Some fat kids turn into the best players in baseball. Just take a look at George Herman Ruth for instance.
Ruth was born on February 6, 1895, to Kate Schamberger Ruth and her husband George Herman Ruth sr. He was the first of eight children. Sadly most of them died during infancy. This was not unusual at this time though. There was not the medical care available we have today. Contrary to popular belief Ruth was not an orphan. He spent the first seven years of his life with his family.
The Ruth's worked long hours in the bar they owned to support their family. This meant they spent little time with the children. The young George Ruth was left to take care of himself on the streets of the Baltimore riverfront. His home was not a loving one.
On June 13, 1902, George Herman Ruth took his seven year-old to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys. Not only was he placed in the care of the School, but also his father signed over custody to the Xaverian Brothers, a Catholic Order of Jesuit Missionaries who ran St. Mary's.
The school was not only an orphanage, but a reformatory too. A large wall surrounded the building and with the guards that were on duty you could be forgiven for thinking that you were in a prison. There were four dormitories that housed about 200 children in each. It was hardly the ideal place for a young boy to be. Especially one who's only crime was not being wanted by his parents. He had been involved in a few mischievous altercations, before being sent to the school so he was listed as incorrigible" upon his admission. He did make a few return trips home, but it was never for long. His parents never once visited him when he was there.
Life for Ruth could not have been happy. He was picked on because of his size, and life in general was miserable.
The only good thing that happened to Ruth during his time in St Mary's was meeting Brother Mathias. He spent a great deal of time with the young Ruth, providing the guidance and support that the youngster did not receive from his parents. He even helped him develop as a baseball player. It is because of his difficult childhood and the positive influence of Brother Mathias that Babe Ruth came to love children. This helps to explain why all of his life he went out of his way to do things for kids, especially those in need.
Baseball was a popular and primary form of recreation for the boys at St. Mary's. Young George Ruth, Jr., displayed his potential at a very young age. He played all positions on the field, and was an excellent pitcher. He also possessed a superb ability to hit the ball. By his late teens Ruth had developed into a major league baseball prospect. On February 27, 1914, at the age of nineteen, Ruth was signed to his first professional baseball contract by Jack Dunn, manager of the Baltimore Orioles, at the time a minor league franchise in the International League. Because Ruth's parents had signed over custody of the youngster to St. Mary's he was supposed to remain at the school until the age of twenty-one. To circumvent this, Dunn became Ruth's legal guardian.
Jack Dunn was well known for picking up youngsters whom he thought had major league potential. When George Ruth, Jr., appeared with Dunn at the ballpark the other players started cracking jokes, and one of the players quipped, "Well, here's Jack's newest Babe." The rest of the players also started referring to young George as "Babe" and the name stuck. Thus began the storied career of Babe Ruth.
It was just five short months after joining the Orioles that they sold him to the Boston Red Sox. . He made his debut as a major leaguer in Fenway Park on July 11, 1914, pitching against the Cleveland Indians.