The Sultan of Swat

Babe Ruth was the first great home run hitter in baseball history. He attracted huge crowds wherever he played. Between 1920 and 1934, as an outfielder for the New York Yankees, "the Babe" set batting records that stood for decades.

Before Babe Ruth's time, players rarely hit home runs, but homers increased as other players tried to hit the ball as far as Ruth did. In 1927, he hit 60 home runs during a stretch of 154 consecutive games, a record unbroken until Roger Maris hit 61 homers in 163 games 34 years later.

George Herman Ruth Jr., was born on Feb. 6, 1895, in Baltimore to George Herman Ruth Sr., and Kate Schamberger Ruth. The Babe had an unhappy childhood. His parents both worked long hours, and he was mostly left to fend for himself. He was only seven when his father placed him at St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage. During his 12 years there, Babe rarely saw his family.

At school, Babe Ruth's interest in baseball was inspired by the school's prefect of discipline, Brother Matthias. Brother Matthias' batting skills inspired Babe to become a better hitter. The prefect provided support, guidance and encouragement to Babe, and Babe excelled at both hitting and pitching.

At 19, Babe signed a contract with Jack Dunn, the owner and manager of the Baltimore Orioles. When Ruth's teammates first saw Ruth, they called him "Jack's newest babe." The nickname stuck. Five months later, Babe joined the Boston Red Sox, pitching and playing outfield for six years. In 1920, he was sold to the New York Yankees. He attracted so many fans there, that Yankee Stadium, which opened in 1923, was nicknamed the "House that Ruth Built."

Babe Ruth married Helen Woodford, and in 1921 they adopted a baby girl, Dorothy. That same year, the Curtiss Candy Co. introduced the Baby Ruth candy bar at a reduced price. It was soon popular. The Curtiss Co. maintains that the candy bar was named after "Baby" Ruth Cleveland, the first-born daughter of President Grover Cleveland, who died of diphtheria in 1904, 17 years earlier. However, many people assume the still-popular candy bar is named for Babe Ruth.

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Babe and Helen eventually separated. When Helen died in a house fire in 1929, Dorothy went to live with her father. Later that year, Babe married actress and model Claire Hodgson the day before the Yankees' opening game against the Boston Red Sox. Babe hit a homer in Yankee Stadium for his new bride on his first at-bat the next day.