Babe Ruth's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Babe Ruth. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

George Herman "Babe" Ruth, an iconic American baseball player, played 22 MLB seasons (1914-1935). Initially a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, he gained legendary status as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Known as "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat," Ruth is celebrated as a sports hero and arguably the greatest baseball player ever. He was among the first five elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

1902: Seybold's AL Single-Season Home Run Mark

In 1902, Ralph 'Socks' Seybold set the AL single-season home run record with 16.

1909: Babe Adams World Series Hero

In 1909, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Babe Adams became a World Series hero, highlighting that the nickname "Babe" was common in baseball at the time.

1915: Red Sox win AL Pennant; Ruth's Success

In 1915, Babe Ruth finished the season with an 18-8 record as a pitcher and batted .315 with four home runs. The Red Sox won the AL pennant, and Ruth was used as a pinch hitter in the World Series.

1916: Ruth's Pitching Duels and World Series Victory

In 1916, Babe Ruth engaged in pitching duels with Walter Johnson, winning four out of five matchups. Ruth went 23-12 with a 1.75 ERA and nine shutouts. The Red Sox won the World Series, with Ruth winning Game 2 in 14 innings.

1917: Ruth's Suspension and Shore's Combined No-Hitter

In 1917, Babe Ruth was ejected from a game on June 23 and suspended for punching an umpire. Ernie Shore relieved him and pitched a combined no-hitter. Ruth went 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA for the season.

1918: Ruth Ties Career Home Run Record

In 1918, Babe Ruth tied his career-best record of 11 home runs.

1918: Red Sox Secure Title

In 1918, the Red Sox secured the title due to Frazee's willingness to spend on players.

1918: Red Sox Win World Series

In 1918, the Red Sox won the World Series against the Chicago Cubs. Babe Ruth pitched and won Game One and contributed to the Game Four victory. Ruth's streak of 29+2⁄3 consecutive scoreless innings in the World Series set a record that would last for over 40 years.

1918: Ruth Shares Home Run Title

In the war-shortened 1918 season, Babe Ruth hit .300 with 11 home runs, tying him for the major league home run title with Tilly Walker. He also had a 13-7 pitching record.

1919: Breaking MLB Single-Season Home Run Record

In 1919, Babe Ruth broke the MLB single-season home run record with 29 home runs, showcasing his emerging talent as a hitter.

1919: Red Sox Win World Series

In 1919, the Red Sox won the World Series.

1920: Cleveland won World Series

Cleveland won the 1920 World Series.

1921: Ruth Breaks Home Run Record

During the 1921 season, Babe Ruth broke Roger Connor's career home run record of 138. He finished the regular season with 59 home runs, batting .378 with a slugging percentage of .846, and set modern-era records that still stand as of 2024.

1921: Ruth's 1921 Pace

The text mentions Ruth's 1921 pace when talking about his pursuit of his own single-season home run record.

1923: Yankees Win World Series

In 1923, Babe Ruth batted .368, walked eight times, scored eight runs, hit three home runs and slugged 1.000 as the Yankees won their first World Series championship, four games to two.

1924: Ruth Wins Batting Title

In 1924, Babe Ruth hit .378, winning his only AL batting title, with a league-leading 46 home runs.

1926: Return to Normal Production and World Series

In 1926, Babe Ruth had a productive year, batting .372 with 47 home runs and 146 RBIs. The Yankees won the pennant and played in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ruth hit three home runs in Game Four, the first time this was ever done in a World Series game. Despite Ruth's efforts, the Yankees lost the series in seven games.

1927: Record-Breaking Season

In 1927, Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees had a record-breaking season. The team, known as Murderers' Row, won a then-AL-record 110 games and the AL pennant. Ruth broke his own single-season home run record, hitting 60 home runs. In the 1927 World Series, the Yankees swept the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1927: Babe Ruth Stares Out at Tom Zachary

In 1927, Babe Ruth faced Tom Zachary on a September afternoon, a moment that solidified his image as an American icon. His recognizable face and baseball prowess have made him a symbol of American success and the embodiment of the sport's appeal, representing warm summer nights, peanuts, beer, and the potential for a long ball.

1927: 60 Home Runs in a Season

In 1927, as part of the Yankees' "Murderers' Row" lineup, Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs, extending his own MLB single-season record.

1928: Yankees' Pennant and World Series Win

In 1928, the Yankees clinched the pennant after a pivotal series against the Philadelphia Athletics. Babe Ruth's performance mirrored the team's, with a strong start followed by a slump. Despite this, he ended the season with 54 home runs, and the Yankees swept the Cardinals in the World Series.

1932: World Series Against the Cubs and the Called Shot

In 1932, the Yankees faced the Cubs in the World Series, marked by animosity. During Game Three in Chicago, amidst hostile crowds, Babe Ruth allegedly made his famous "called shot," hitting a home run over the center field fence after gesturing in that direction. The Yankees won the game and clinched the series the following day.

July 13, 1934: Hit his 700th career home run

On July 13, 1934, Babe Ruth, in his last full season with the Yankees, hit his 700th career home run. Although he had a .288 batting average with 22 home runs, his performance was considered less impressive compared to his previous seasons.

May 25, 1935: Hit three home runs at Forbes Field

On May 25, 1935, Babe Ruth hit 4-for-4, including three home runs in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field. One of these was the first fair ball ever hit completely out of the park.

1936: Baseball Hall of Fame Inaugural Class

In 1936, Babe Ruth was one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Among the initial inductees, Ruth was the only one who did not receive an offer to manage a baseball team.

1946: Red Sox Win Pennant

In 1946, the Red Sox won another pennant.

April 27, 1947: Babe Ruth Day

On April 27, 1947, Commissioner Happy Chandler declared Babe Ruth Day throughout Major League Baseball, with a significant observance at Yankee Stadium. Ruth, battling cancer and having lost considerable weight, addressed the crowd with a soft, raspy voice during the event.

1947: Ruth's Cancer Treatment and Improvement

In 1947, Babe Ruth received experimental chemotherapy treatment with pterolyl triglutamate (Teropterin) for his cancer, showing dramatic improvement during the summer. He traveled to promote American Legion Baseball for the Ford Motor Company, and was honored at Yankee Stadium in September, though he was too ill to pitch in an old-timers game.

April 19, 1949: Monument Unveiled at Yankee Stadium

On April 19, 1949, the Yankees unveiled a granite monument in Babe Ruth's honor in center field of Yankee Stadium, placed alongside monuments for Huggins and Gehrig.

1961: Ford Breaks Ruth's Record

In 1961, Whitey Ford broke Babe Ruth's World Series record for consecutive scoreless innings, which had stood for more than 40 years since 1918.

1968: Special Baseball Records Committee Ruling

In 1968, the Special Baseball Records Committee unanimously ruled to change a triple hit by Babe Ruth on July 8, 1918, to a home run, along with 36 other hits.

1969: Greatest Player Ever

In 1969, Babe Ruth was named baseball's Greatest Player Ever in a ballot.

1969: Committee Reverses Home Run Decision

In 1969, the Special Baseball Records Committee reversed their 1968 decision regarding Babe Ruth's triple hit on July 8, 1918, changing it back from a home run.

1978: Guidry Ties Ruth's Shutout Record

In 1978, Ron Guidry tied Babe Ruth's 1916 league record for shutouts by a left-hander.

1983: US Postal Service Honors Ruth

In 1983, the United States Postal Service honored Babe Ruth with a twenty-cent stamp.

1991: Shore's Game Reclassified

In 1991, MLB's Committee on Statistical Accuracy amended Ernie Shore's 1917 game to be listed as a combined no-hitter.

1998: The Sporting News Ranking

In 1998, The Sporting News ranked Babe Ruth as number one on the list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players."

1999: All-Century Team and Greatest Player Ever

In 1999, baseball fans named Babe Ruth to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Additionally, he was named baseball's Greatest Player Ever in a 1969 ballot.

2004: Red Sox Win World Series

In 2004, the Red Sox won the World Series ending a long drought, a drought attributed to the sale of Ruth and sometimes dubbed the "Curse of the Bambino".

2005: Longest World Series Game

In 2005, another game of 14 innings was played, tying the record set by Babe Ruth in the 1916 World Series for the longest World Series game.

2018: Posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom

In 2018, Babe Ruth was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump. His grandson, Tom Stevens, accepted the award on his behalf.

2022: Rankings of Ruth

In 2022, The Sporting News named Babe Ruth on their "New York Mount Rushmore of Sports", while ESPN ranked him as the greatest baseball player ever that same year.