Babe Ruth: A Biography

by Wayne Stewart

This brief but readable biography tells the story of the most recognized figure in baseball―Babe Ruth. Besides vividly describing the highlights of Ruth's career, author Wayne Stewart examines the unprecedented impact Ruth had on the nature and future of the game. Ruth's ability to hit the long ball and the flamboyance of his off-field persona infused the game with a new excitement that rescued baseball from the negative effects of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Making extensive use of interviews conducted by the author with members of Ruth's family and with players who knew Ruth, this biography is an engaging exploration of how Ruth helped shape modern baseball.

Babe Ruth is the most recognized figure in baseball and a true American icon. In this brief but readable biography, author Wayne Stewart engagingly describes the highlights of Ruth's career and deftly examines the reasons for the unprecedented impact Ruth had on the game. Ruth's ability to hit the long ball and the flamboyance of his off-field persona infused the game with a new excitement that rescued baseball from the negative effects of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. The author draws new insights into Ruth's life and career through interviews he conducted with members of Ruth's family and with other baseball players who knew him.

Readers are also provided with a quick reference chronology to Ruth's career, a bibliography of important print and non-print information resources on Ruth, a statistical appendix summarizing Ruth's on-field production by season, and a discussion of how Ruth has been depicted in books, movies, plays, and other media since his death. This biography will both explain and satisfy the continuing curiosity about Ruth among young basbeball fans who never had the opportunity to see him play.

200 pages, Hardcover

First published July 30, 2006

About the author

WAYNE STEWART has been a professional sports writer for more than 30 years, and has published hundreds of articles in such publications as USA Today/Baseball Weekly, Baseball Digest, Boy's Life, and Beckett Baseball Card Monthly.

Reviews

[Andrew Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Babe Ruth made a big name for himself during his baseball career. He was an all-time famous baseball player who could hit the ball and pitch it left or right. His career started in 1902 where he went to school at St. Mary’s industrial school. In 1915 he got his first home run in professional appearance. He started to go in contest for hitting and won a lot from homeruns. In 1918 Ruth leads his league in home runs with a modest 11. By now everyone in the baseball league knows about Ruth and knows his potential. Ruth suffers from “the bellyache heard around the world” afflicted by it and had to get surgery. Sometime past and Ruth’s manager had to suspend him due to his injury. Ruth goes to the World Series and hits three home runs in game 4. His team the Yankees sweep the Pirates in that year. For his 14th final season, he directs his right hand towards the air letting everyone know he is about to hit a home run. This now became called the ‘called shot”. On June 13th in New York he says bye to all the Yankee fans as the team honors babe by retiring. The Yankees decided to retire his jersey on the 25th Yankee opening. On august 16th, Ruth loses his battle to throat cancer. He later dies at the age of 53 in New York. He goes on to hit 755 home runs.