Why did Babe Ruth quit pitching?
603682
there was seldom , if ever any use of relief pitching used in Ruth's era....he'd be  exhausted by mid season if he adhered to the schedule you suggested....having said that the yankees wanted his bat in the lineup everyday....although he pitched for the red sox he never took the mound for either the yankees nor the boston braves...
866691
absolutely!!! they got to be famous by cheating, and that is not fair to the athletes that used hard work and determination in order to get to the majors!! Babe Ruth is the #2 all-time HR hitter in my mind
410285
You are thinking of Jim Abbott, who pitcher for the Angels and the Yankees. Abbott had two arms, but only had one hand. He would rest his glove on his stub hand, then flip the glove onto his good hand after he had thrown a pitch. When he caught a ball he would tuck the glove under his stub arm, pull the ball out, and throw it with his good hand. Hw was actually a pretty good pitcher for a few years - he one 17 games on year for the Angels and threw a no-hitter for the Yankees in 1993.
53323
it is no longer in exisitance, however when it folded, mlb picked up many great players such as satchel paige. jackie robinson became the first black to jump from the negro league to the majors.
822955
Quit the team and play Baseball.
950931
I absolutely understand where you are going with this question and I agree in part with what you are saying.  Koufax had a 12 year career.  The first 6 years were under .500 with an era well over 4 runs a game.  By todays standards that's actually okay.  Back in the 50's and 60's you were basically on your way out!!  Somewhere during the off season between 1960 and 1961 something happened.  What that was, who can tell.  It's like a light went off in his head and he suddenly learned how to pitch.  There is no denying the second half of his career but as you said many other pitchers have won more games.  I can give you a list of pitchers with close to 300 wins that are not in the HOF.  Baseball has many issues starting with Bonds right on down to a terrible playoff system.  The powers to be really need to sit down and take a long hard look at their position on matters that really count.  As for Koufax, we all know about his medical problems when he left the game.  That may have helped him more than anything else.  He was a very good pitcher who just happened to have 4 HOF seasons and then walked away from the game.  I'd say based on what we've seen over the past 20 years, yes, why not.  After all lesser players are in the HOF
951900
Babe Ruth sticks closer to MLB rules, keeping baselines and pitching distances standard, while Little League reduces baseline and pitching distances for younger players.  So technically, one could say Babe Ruth is more challenging I suppose.\n\nHope this helps.
567551
Not surprisingly, all of the great true distance hitters have also been the source of the greatest exaggerations. Despite his extraordinary accomplishments, Babe Ruth is not immune. His tremendous blow to right-center field in Detroit on June 8, 1926, has often been reported as traveling over 600 feet. Certainly, this drive was propelled somewhere around 500 feet in the air, which makes it legitimately historic, but proof that it traveled 600 feet cannot be found. When Mickey Mantle cleared the left-center-field bleachers at Clark Griffith Stadium in Washington on April 17, 1953, the entire baseball world was lead to believe the ball had traveled 565 feet from home plate to the point where it landed. In truth, that figure derived from the distance from home plate to the place where a neighborhood child retrieved the ball. Since this home run was the only one that ever cleared those bleachers during decades of major league and Negro League competition, it is genuinely deserving of recognition. However, the actual distance in the air was probably about 510 feet. The same process was at work for Mantle on September 10, 1960, in Detroit, where his right-center-field rooftopper was reported to have traveled more than 600 feet. From interviews with the surviving source of the original data, it is readily apparent once again that the all had bounced several times before it reached the estimated distance. Included among the other great exaggerations in the history of tape measure home runs are Dave Nicholson's Comiskey Park rooftopper on May 6, 1964, and Dave Kingman's Wrigley Field blast on April 14, 1976. In the case of Nicholson, who was a powerful man, as was Kingman, the figure of 573 feet was provided by "White Sox mathematicians." These unidentified individuals based their calculations on the assumption that the ball traveled completely over the left-center-field roof. however, subsequent investigation indicated that the ball landed on the back of the roof before bouncing into the night. When Kingman launched his wind-aided blow in Chicago, The New York Times somehow concluded that it had flown 630 feet. It has been confirmed that the ball struck against the third house beyond Waveland Avenue, which is situated about 530 feet from home plate. Yet again, we have an example of a genuinely epic home run that has been grievously overstated.\n\n\nOne other aspect of misrepresentation should be explored. Again, the vast talents of Herculean Mickey Mantle have been comprised by individuals who have unwittingly perpetrated a hoax. Let it be emphasized that the mighty Mick was undoubtedly one of baseball's all time longest hitters. He was an honest, sometimes even self-effacing individual, who was never known to overstate his accomplishments. It is due to his immense popularity and constant involvement in the tape measure process that he is often thrust into the muddle of misrepresentation. By his own account he hit the longest home run of his career on May 22, 1963 at Yankee Stadium. The ball struck the facade on the right-field roof approximately 370 feet from home plate and 115 feet above field level. Almost everyone in attendance believed that the ball was still rising when it was interrupted in midflight by the roof structure. Based upon that belief, this drive has commonly been estimated at about 620 feet if left unimpeded. However, the reality is that the ball was already on its way down, and those reporting the trajectory were victimized by a common optical illusion. It is a scientific fact that if Mantle, or anyone else, had sufficient strength to hit a ball that was still traveling upward when it met the towering facade, he would also have enough strength to clear that same facade by a distance of at least 100 feet. In order for the ball to be rising at roof level, it would have to have been traveling at a lower angle than that which produces maximum distance. If Mantle had provided the same power or velo
611459
A whole lot less! Not to diminish the Bambino's greatness, I mean he was way ahead of his time and what he did revolutionized the game of baseball. But lets be serious here, MLB is way more competitive now then it was back then. I mean for one, blacks weren't even allowed to play in the same league as Ruth so he arguably wasn't even going up against the best of his time. Compare seasons...Ruth played 22 years and 2,503 games, Aaron on the other hand played 23 years but was in 3,298 games. Who knows if Ruth could have with stood the longer seasons, but I do know he wouldn't have hit 714.
355910
Babe Ruth was sold because the red sox owner at the time got rid of all his great players to take the money and put it into a broadway musical. His broadway show flopped. The yankees got babe ruth and it took the sox 86 years to win another world series
326668
Babe Ruth. He took baseball out of the dead ball era and made it Americas pass time, the era before him was rife with gambling fixed games and sluggardly players he made it a fans game, he opened up the home run era unlike Barry Bonds who closed the steroid era. Ruth was the game he established the Yankee dynasty(I am NOT a Yankee fan. Twins) There might have more talented Ted Williams, Joe D. players but no one was more photogenic or accesible or self effacing as Ruth. Given thar if Williams had not spent the better part of three years in the Marines he would probably rank higher than Ruth but that is life
682313
It has happened before, but it is a rare event.  The problem with doing it is that you end up loosing more players, because, you bump the player at the position the pitcher goes to, and then have to bring in another player to play that position once he goes back on the mound.  \n\nAlso take into account the simple fact that pitching is just as much a mental as it is a physical thing, and that taking the pitcher out of the position even for a short time can cause him to loose that mental toughness.  Concentration is so critical for pitchers, and any inside game distraction such as asking them to play another position, even for just one batter, can break that concentration, causing them not to be as effective as normal.
1145948
Josh Gibson indoubtly. He is the best ballplayer to live. It could be argued that he cannot be compared with Ruth because he never played in the MLB. But I believe that the pitching was just as tough in the Negro Leagues and even the life was tougher.
1173411
Who eventually scored on the play on a double to the gap in left-center that cleared the bases and triggered a 5 run rally. They eventually won the game 7-6 in 11 innings. Where is What is a true statement. What had a sex change and became known as Where in the mid 1970's. She died in 1988 of lung cancer in Truth-Or-Consequences, New Mexico. 3rd Baseman I Don't Know went on to have a solid career. Lifetime stats showed he hit 221 Home runs and drove in 782 in a 15 seasons, collected 3 world series rings with the New York Yankees, and played in 4 All-Star Games. He later on managed in the minors and also won 2 league titles there. Short Stop I Don't Give A Darn bounced around the majors playing for several clubs finshing with the Washington Senators in 1948. Left Fielder Why wrapped up a Hall of Fame career in 1958 for the Milwaukee Braves where he teamed with a young Henry Aaron in forming one of the most feared hitting tandems ever seen in the National League. Also hit .333 in the World Series that year. Career stats show 3,091 hits 427 home runs and over 1,300 career RBI. Entered the Hall of Fame in 1964 on his second try at entry. Center Fielder Because had a career ending injury in 1943 after slamming into the wall in Wrigley Field trying to catch a line drive off the bat of Andy Pafko. Catcher Today was optioned to the minors immediately following the game mentioned in the question and never returned to the majors. He did manage 3 teams in the majors however, and had moderate success coming within 2 games of the World Series in 1965 with the San Francisco Giants. Pitcher Today also had a Hall-of-Fame career. He ended a 22 year career in 1963 with the Chicago White Sox with a record of 283-160 with an ERA of 3.29. Also was the winning pitcher of the 1949 All-Star Game and drove in a run with a squeeze bunt in the 7th inning. Elected to the Hall in 1974 on his 6th try. The right fielder remains unnamed to this day since he was banned from baseball for life for gambling on games. Even his name has been removed from all baseball records.
449692
The big one was the curse of the Babe. \n\nBoston traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees and that's when they started losing... and when the Yankees started winning.\n\nBoston always had a good team. ALWAYS... but they never won until 2 years ago.
496861
I live right down the road from Hank Aaron he is one of our greatest sports players ever here in Mobile..\n\nHank said on the local news not long ago that he was ashamed of Barry Bonds using steroids.\nHank would of been proud to lose the record but he is just old fashion to not using steroids.\nNow some people may say different but i saw it on the news long before now.\n\nHe said he would not back him up on breaking the record because he did not use steroids to get where he had been at one time.\n\nWell i guess some people may think I'm sticking with Hank because he is from my home town.\nIts not that its just when Hank said it he said it with such saddest for Barry Bonds.\n\nHank Aaron has a big heart baseball fans and if Babe Ruth where alive he would speak louder than Hank has on this issue, for Babe Ruth was more out-spoken.\n\nHank keeps a low profile but when ask he will speak his mind.\nBarry Bonds will go down as a cheater his record should not stand and worst of all is his health.\n\nWas the steriods worth not living to see his grandchildren\nbecause everone know the long term effects maybe he will get lucky.\n\nThe best thing Barry could do at this time in his life is to go around and talk to kids and let them know why they should never use steriods.\nNow that would be away to help others.\n\nYou can see it he his not nearly as good of baseball player without steriods. \n\nThe End
383794
Sammy is out of the league right now.  Although he has NOT officially retired, he is done with playing baseball as he knows it.  Expect him to disappear as Albert Belle did 5 or so years ago...