Babe Ruth: From rebellious kid in a reformatory to changing the history of MLB

George Herman Babe Ruth was not only the most influential player in the history of Major League Baseball, but also a figure that transcended the sport to become a cultural icon of the 20th century. Behind the myth of the eternal home run hitter, the man who "built" Yankee Stadium, there was a problematic child, marked by abandonment, excesses and a life as intense off the field as on it.

A difficult childhood in Baltimore

Babe Ruth was born on February 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland, son of George Ruth Sr. and Kate Ruth. He was one of eight children, but only two survived. His father worked long hours in a bar he owned, and his mother, a nurse, spent most of her time away from home. The lack of attention and supervision pushed little George to spend more time on the streets than at school. From an early age, Ruth stole food, chewed tobacco, and constantly skipped classes. Unable to control his behavior, his parents made a drastic decision: to send him to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a Catholic reformatory where young Ruth would receive strict discipline and learn different trades. Unknowingly, that place would change his destiny. The reformatory that brought him to stardom In St. Mary’s, Babe Ruth met Reverend Matthias Boutlier, a key figure in his life. Boutlier not only taught him to bat and pitch, but also channeled his rebelliousness and energy into baseball. Under his tutelage, Ruth discovered that the game could be a means of escape, discipline, and purpose.

His talent was so evident that in 1914, at just 19 years old, Boutlier recommended him to the owner of the Baltimore Orioles, Jack Dunn, who signed him for 600 dollars. Because he was still a minor, the reformatory itself signed his professional contract. Because of his youth, his teammates began calling him “Dunn’s Babe”, a nickname that soon became simply Babe, a name that would go down in history.

That same year, Babe Ruth debuted in the Major Leagues with the Boston Red Sox, a team with which he won three World Series. However, in 1919 he was sold to the New York Yankees for a sum that seemed high for the time, but which ended up being one of the most decisive transactions in the history of the sport. With the arrival of Ruth, the Yankees went from being a mediocre team to becoming the most dominant franchise in baseball. In his first season with the team, he hit 54 home runs, more than any other complete team, except one. His powerful batting style revolutionized the game and initiated the so-called "live ball era", popularizing offensive baseball and the home run as the central spectacle. Throughout his career, Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs, a record that stood until 1974, and won seven World Series with the Yankees. His impact was so great that the team's former stadium was popularly dubbed "The house that Babe Ruth built". Fame, excess, and a life out of control Outside the field, Ruth led a disordered and excessive life. He signed advertising contracts —something unusual for the time—, appeared in Hollywood films playing himself and earned scandalous salaries, reaching $80,000 annually. He was known for his voracious appetite and nightlife. It was said that he could eat a dozen hot dogs and drink large quantities of beer before games. His charisma, extravagance, and closeness to the public made him the ideal figure to restore credibility and popularity to baseball after the 1919 Black Sox betting scandal.

In 1914, Babe Ruth married Helen Woodford, a 16-year-old waitress, with whom he adopted his daughter Dorothy. The marriage was marked by infidelities, constant travel, and an unstable relationship. Helen died in 1929 in a fire in Massachusetts, when the relationship was practically over.

That same year, Ruth married Claire Merritt Hudgson, a widowed actress and model, mother of a daughter named Julia. Claire managed to bring stability and maturity to the baseball player's life, accompanying him during the years of greatest media pressure and helping him to form a more solid family environment. Despite her excesses, Ruth never forgot her origins. She financially helped Reverend Boutlier and the reformatory where she grew up, as well as making donations to children's hospitals.

Babe Ruth was part of the first generation of players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, a recognition reserved only for the immortals of the sport. He died on August 16, 1948, at the age of 53, a victim of throat cancer.

“He was the best baseball player of all time,” wrote his biographer Robert W. Creamer. Beyond the numbers, Babe Ruth transformed the game, saved baseball's image in one of its darkest moments, and became an unrepeatable cultural symbol. From a rebellious child in a reformatory to a universal legend, the story of Babe Ruth demonstrates that even from the most difficult beginnings, a figure destined to change everything can emerge.