On this day in 1927, Babe Ruth gave an interview to radio broadcaster Graham McNamee. The day was April 12, 1927, and the interview occurred before the New York Yankees home opener.
"Today In 1927: "Hello everybody - Babe Ruth speaking." ~ The Babe does an interview with legendary radio broadcaster Graham McNamee before the New York #Yankees home opener!" - @ Baseball by BSmile
Ruth would have a very productive season in 1927. In fact, he set a new record for himself and for baseball by hitting a then-unheard of 60 home runs in just 151 games. He and the Yankees won the World Series that year, and he led the league's on-base percentage at .486 and slugging average with .772. He drew 137 walks, had 164 RBIs and scored 158 runs.
Babe Ruth's Background
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a baseball star as a teenager and could pitch and hit well. He made his Major League Baseball debut for the Boston Red Sox at the age of 19.
He started his career as a pitcher and pitched in four games (with three starts) as a rookie. He went 2-1 and finished with a 3.91 ERA. Ruth became a mainstay in the Red Sox starting rotation in 1915. He went 18-8 and finished with a 2.44 ERA.
Ruth would go on to play for the Red Sox from 1914-1919. He went 89-46 on the mound and had a 2.19 ERA. Ruth also started to hit more and more with the Red Sox. He hit 11 home runs in 1918 and 29 home runs in 1919. These may not sound like a lot of home runs, but Ruth was playing at a time where hitting home runs was unlikely. If a player hit five home runs in a season, that was considered a lot.
"Babe Ruth in a Quaker Puffed Wheat ad, 1927" - @ Baseball In Pics
Ruth was traded to the New York Yankees after the 1919 season in a blockbuster trade. Ruth would stop pitching while in New York. He played there for 15 seasons. He won four World Series with the Yankees and one MVP award.
Ruth retired in 1935 and finished his career with 714 home runs and a .342 career batting average.