Babe Ruth's Accomplishments

He was traded to the Boston Braves on February 26, 1935. He only played a partial year before he retired on June 2, 1935 because his fielding skills declined sharply. He ended his 22 year career with 714 homeruns, 2,873 hits, 506 doubles, 2,174 runs, 2,213 RBI, a .342 batting average, a .474 on-base percentage, and a .690 slugging percentage. Other achievements included leading the league in slugging percentage 13 times, home runs 12 times, bases on balls 11 times, on-base percentage 10 times, runs scored 8 times and runs batted in 6 times. He set lofty records that took years to surpass. He still sits in the top 10 of many of these statistics today. “It wasn’t that he hit more home runs than anybody else,” said 1976 Spink Award winner Red Smith, “he hit them better, higher, farther, with more theatrical timing and more flamboyant flourish.” In 1936 Babe Ruth was one of the first five people inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

On June 13, 1948, his jersey number 3 was retired by the Yankees during his last appearance at Yankee Stadium celebrating the 25th anniversary of Yankee Stadium. Babe lost his battle with cancer on August 16, 1948 in New York City, NY. After his death, it was discovered he also had a tumor behind his nose. His body lay in repose in Yankee Stadium, with his funeral two days later at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Over 100,000 people lined up and paid their respects to the Babe. He was buried at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, NY. He left behind his wife, Claire Hodgson, and 2 daughters with whom he finally found the love, happiness and family he never had throughout his life. He is still considered a hero by young and old today. He is remembered for his kindness and generosity to children and never turning a kid down when asking for an