Babe Ruth Day: The story behind baseball’s biggest legend and his famous nicknames

Today, April 27 is National Babe Ruth Day - baseball fans all over the worldwide will be celebrating the greatest player ever to grace the sport.

Born George Herman Ruth in Baltimore, Maryland on February 6, 1895 to parents of German ancestry, it is believed his early interest in baseball was fostered during his time at to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage.

Regarded as one of the greatest baseball players in Major League Baseball, Ruth, a figure as controversial as he was iconic, had several nicknames - among them, "The Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat“.

How did Babe Ruth get his nickname?

During the half season Ruth spent with the Baltimore Orioles, the team’s owner, Jack Dunn, took special care of him due to his young age (Ruth was still only 19). That earned him the nickname “Babe,” which would become one of the most famous monikers in sports history.

He’s been bestowed many other nicknames over the years: The Bambino, the Sultan of Swat, the Caliph of Clout, the Behemoth of Bust, the Big Bam, Jack Dunn’s Baby, and the Big Fellow. Out of those many emerged one that became immortal. The one that evoked awe-inspiring achievements, star power, and a name synonymous with the sport of baseball: “Babe” Ruth.

Ruth started out with the Red Sox, making his MLB debut aged 17 in July 1914, but his career really took off after he was sold to the New York Yankees in December 2019. With the Yankees, Ruth won seven MLB World Series, picked up the MVP in 1923 and won the American League batting title the following year. According to Baseball Reference, Ruth averaged .342/.474/.690 with an OPS of 1.164 after hitting 2,873 hits, 714 home runs and driving in 2,214 runs in 8,399 at bats.

National Babe Ruth Day came to being on April 27, 1947 - the brainchild of new Baseball Commissioner Albert Chandler. Babe Ruth died several months later on August 16, 1948, aged just 53 - years of overindulgence had finally taken its toll on his health.

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