Fact Check: Did Babe Ruth once punch an umpire? Exploring the Sultan of Swat’s feud with official during a game

While modern managers and players tend to give umpires a piece of their minds with their words, MLB icon Babe Ruth let his fists do the talking. The most legendary baseball player of all time was also a part of one of the game's most legendary moments.

In 1917, the Great Bambino was on the mound for the Boston Red Sox, while Clarence “Brick” Owens was tasked with the umpiring duties for that game. It was not an ordinary walk in the park for Brick, as Babe Ruth wasted little time to dispute a four-pitch walk to lead off the game for Boston.

Following the four-pitch walk of Ray Morgan of the Washington Senators, Ruth decided to charge at Owens to dispute his calls. The shouting match quickly escalated with the Great Bambino dropping one of the most iconic lines to be used against an umpire.

“If you’d go to bed at night, you b***h, you could keep your eyes open long enough in the daytime to see when a ball goes over the plate!”

The situation continued to escalate, with Brick Owens telling Ruth that he would be ejected from the game if he didn't back off. “Throw me out and I’ll punch ya right in the jaw!” Ruth said in response. Soon after, Owens tossed Babe Ruth from the game, which was met swiftly with a punch in the side of the head, which sent the umpire to the ground. He was fined $100 for the incident.

"You probably didn't know that Babe Ruth squared up with an umpire. @BenVerlander of @FlippinBatsPod has the story:" - @MLBONFOX

While the fact that arguably the greatest baseball player and the first member of the 700 Home Run Club was ejected from the game for punching an umpire would seem crazy enough, it's what came after that has etched the story in MLB history.

Babe Ruth was rewarded with a no-hitter by committee after being ejected from the game

Maybe it's just another example of Ruth's greatness, however, after his ejection, the legend was rewarded with a no-hitter by committee. That's right, the Great Bambino was part of a Boston Red Sox no-hitter after recording only the walk of Ray Morgan.

Ernie Shore came into the game as Ruth's replacement, throwing nine hitless innings in the Red Sox 4-0 victory over the Washington Senators. While the no-hitter may have been overshadowed by the punch, the entire game will live on forever in baseball history.