On This Day in History: Babe Ruth’s Last Game as a Yankee
On September 24, 1934, baseball legend Babe Ruth played his final game as a member of the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. This marked the end of his tenure with the team, trading him in the off-season. At 39 years old, only 4,000 fans witnessed his last appearance, facing off against the Boston Red Sox, as reported by The Los Angeles Times.
During the game, Ruth was walked in the first inning and subsequently replaced by pinch-runner Myril Hoag. Little did anyone know at the time that this would be his last game in a Yankees uniform. While playing for the Yankees, Babe Ruth solidified his status as one of baseball’s greatest players, setting numerous records.
Interestingly, September 24 holds a double significance for Ruth. On the same date in 1919, he became baseball’s single-season home run record holder, according to The Los Angeles Times. These two milestones were 15 years apart. In 1919, at just 24 years old, Ruth excelled as both a pitcher and outfielder for the Boston Red Sox. He finished the season with 29 home runs, breaking Ned Williamson’s single-season record.
The following year, Babe Ruth would join the Yankees and transition into a full-time outfielder. In 1927, he achieved a monumental feat by hitting 60 home runs, a record that would stand for 34 years. Additionally, on August 11, 1929, Ruth became the first player to surpass 500 career home runs, solidifying his position as baseball’s all-time home run leader.
Ruth’s career was filled with remarkable achievements. Throughout his time as a Red Sox player and later as a Yankee, he hit a staggering total of 467 home runs in the 1920s alone. His success was unparalleled, with other players taking more than a decade to catch up to his 500 home-run milestone.
Not only was Ruth known for his power hitting, but he also holds a record for being walked more than any batter in history, with 2,056 walks, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. In 1923, he was walked 170 times, setting yet another record. After his impressive 54- and 59-homer seasons in 1920 and 1921, intentional walks became a common strategy against him.
Babe Ruth retired with a total of 714 home runs, a record that stood until Hank Aaron surpassed it in 1974. Currently, Barry Bonds holds the record with 762 home runs. In recognition of his lasting impact on the sport, Ruth was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in its inaugural class of 1936 alongside other baseball legends such as Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, and Honus Wagner.
Wearing his iconic No. 3 jersey, Babe Ruth’s legacy lives on in the history of the New York Yankees. Notably, the Yankees were the first team to introduce jersey numbers in 1929, the same year that Ruth achieved his 500th home run, according to Sports Illustrated.
Unfortunately, Ruth’s life was cut short when he passed away from throat cancer at the age of 53 on August 16, 1948, in New York City. His body laid in state at Yankee Stadium, drawing over 100,000 fans who came to pay their respects, as reported by History.com.
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Written by Erica Lamberg, a contributing reporter for Fox News Digital.
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