“You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”
-George Herman “Babe” Ruth
Perseverance has been the name of the game in sporting and it always will be. From Babe Ruth in the 1900s to players in the MLB today, determination and an unwillingness to give in have always been attributes to being successful in the league.
George Herman “Babe” Ruth is often credited with being one of the most successful players of his time and in the history of the MLB. The Hall of Famer played for the Boston Red Sox (1914-1919), New York Yankees (1920-1934), and Boston Braves (1935), but is most recognized as a Yankee since that is where he spent the bulk of his career and thrived the most.
Ruth came into the league as a pitcher and was dominant in the beginning of his career as a member of the Red Sox, but he was not utilized as a hitter until 1917 when Boston had many holes in their roster due to the World War One draft. It wasn’t until 1920, when Babe became a Yankee, that he took a step away from the mound and solely became an everyday outfielder. The rest is history.
Ruth is the greatest two-way player of all-time with pitching and batting stats that blow almost anyone out of the water. In terms of batting, he had a .342 career batting average, 714 home runs, and 2,213 runs batted in and, in terms of pitching, he had a 2.28 career earned runs average and finished with a record of 94-46. Players today couldn’t even imagine being as dominant of a hitter as Ruth was, let alone having a sub-3.00 ERA to back it up.
The 1936 Hall of Fame inductee saw tons of individual success through his career. He was the 1923 American League MVP, 1924 AL Batting Champion, 12-time AL home run leader, six-time AL RBI leader, and two-time all-star. Don’t let his little All-Star Game appearances fool you as the game wasn’t founded until 1933, two years before Ruth’s 1935 retirement.
Not only did Ruth have as much individual success as he did, but he also saw a lot of success with his teams, being a seven-time World Series Champion. Babe won three World Series with the Red Sox and four with the Yankees.
Ruth’s perseverance was in large part a reason for his success in his 22-season baseball career and it made him unbeatable.
The Sports Fan Tribune 