Profile of the Day: Babe Ruth

Are you a baseball fan? Today we remember legendary baseball player Babe Ruth, who died on this day in 1948.

Image: Babe Ruth / Library of Congress

He was born George Herman Ruth, Jr. on February 6, 1895 in Baltimore Maryland. He was one of eight children born to Catherine Schamberger and George Herman Ruth, Sr., a saloon owner. As a child, Ruth often found trouble and by the age of 7, his parents sent him to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory school and orphanage. It was during his many years at the school that Ruth developed his impressive baseball skills.

He started his baseball career as a pitcher and after a brief stint in the minor leagues, joined the Boston Red Sox in 1914. He soon became known as one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball and won 3 World Series championships with the team. In 1919, Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees and quickly emerged as one of the greatest hitters in the league. During his 15 year career with the Yankees, Ruth set numerous baseball records and helped lead the team to 4 World Series championships. In 1936, he became one of the first five players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Ruth died on August 16, 1948 at the age of 53.

Explore Babe Ruth’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re connected to the baseball legend.