Babe Ruth's baseball legacy deserves better. Back in 1961, the Babe's single-season home run record of 60 was topped by Roger Maris. Ruth smacked 60 homers in 1927, and Maris one-upped him with 61 round-trippers in 1961.
Now, current Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has equaled Maris (at press time). Throughout the race for the American League season home run record, for the most part, media outlets have heavily focused on Maris being the man Judge would dethrone as the home run champ.
For all the glory Maris earned, and earn it he did, "The Bambino" slowly faded into MLB obscurity.
Why?
For all that George Herman "Babe" Ruth did for the game, to some, it may appear that he is a victim of a what have you done for me lately syndrome.
It's about time that Ruth's uniform No. 3 is retired by MLB, just the same as Jackie Robinson's No. 42 was in 1997.
Still, with all the greats to have played the game since Ruth's final season in 1935, only two sluggers have surpassed his 714 home run total. Two.
The game was so different when Ruth ruled it for 22-seasons, beginning as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox in 1914. The ballpark dimensions were different than today's modern stadiums, and the equipment players used has evolved light-years from what Ruth dealt with.
From 1900-1919, professional baseball is remembered as the "dead-ball era." What Ruth experienced, when it came to balls pitched to him, would be totally unacceptable by today's standards. As the record books show, by and large during this period baseball games were low scoring. Home runs weren't the norm.
Except for Ruth, also known as "The Sultan of Swat."
Ruth's popularity expanded beyond baseball. He was in movies, and on the radio, and newspapers couldn't get enough of his escapades on and off the field. When it came to helping others, Ruth was beyond giving of his time and money.
Everywhere he went, at home in America or beyond her borders, the name Babe Ruth was known. He was as famous as any U.S. President or public figure.
Babe Ruth saved baseball during a time when Americans' interest in the game was waning. Even today, say his name to any passerby in the street, and Ruth is known.
Then-MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, on April 15, 1997, at a New York Mets-Los Angeles Dodgers game in New York, announced that baseball was permanently retiring Robinson's No. 42. The game was doing so out of respect for Robinson's contributions in being the first Black player to join its ranks.
As well-deserved an honor for Robinson as it was, it's difficult to understand why Selig or his successor Ron Manfred haven't shown the same respect for Ruth. No.3 shouldn't be worn by any big leaguer anymore out of respect to Ruth. He was the game's first superstar and remains so today.
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