The MLB Star Who Thought Babe Ruth Was Bad for Baseball
Not everyone believed the Hall-of-Famer had a positive impact on the sport
Babe Ruth remains one of the greatest and most popular star baseball players the game has ever seen, despite last playing nearly a century ago. His legendary exploits, highlighted by his numerous and prodigious home runs, captured the imagination of millions of fans and truly made him larger than life. While a majority of people consider him a cultural treasure, there have been others like former player and manager Fielder Jones, who believed that “The Bambino” was bad for baseball.
Ruth began his professional career as a pitcher, where he rose to be one of the better hurlers in the game with the Boston Red Sox. A lefty, he featured a good curve and fastball, but when his substantial hitting ability became more apparent, he began seeing more time playing the field than on a mound, until he eventually became a full-time outfielder.
After hitting a record 29 home runs with the Red Sox in 1919, he was sold to the New York Yankees in time for the 1920 season, and spent the next 15 years with them, becoming the biggest star in America, let alone baseball, during that time. In subsequent years, his home run totals soared and changed baseball forever.
