He was born with the name George Herman Ruth, Jr. on February
6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland. But he is better known
as "Babe." He earned this nickname for being so
young when he became a professional baseball player. Before
getting his big break, Ruth had a rough childhood. He liked
to get in trouble and was sent to reform school several
times. At school, he discovered the game of baseball. He
played on his school's team and signed his first contract
at the age of 19.
Ruth started out playing a minor league team in 1914, but
soon joined the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher. In the major
leagues, he won 94 games and lost 46 games as pitcher. He
may have been a good pitcher, but he was an even better
hitter. Ruth really showed the world his power at bat during
the 1918 season. That year he hit 11 home runs.
Two years later, Ruth's contract was sold to the New York
Yankees. He was such a strong hitter that he was nicknamed
the "Sultan of Swat." While with the Yankees,
Ruth kept hitting home runs and wowing the fans. He set
a record of 60 home runs in a season in 1927.
