Even Legends are Human
As great of a baseball player as Babe Ruth was, even he had trouble off of the field. There are many stories off him off of the field. Some people even called him the boy who never grew up.
Babe Ruth loved practical jokes. He usually stayed out late and started to ignore his team curfews. He loved to drink, he ate a lot of food, and he had many different relationships with a number of women. Because he often drank and drove, there were more than a couple of times that Babe Ruth crashed his car. Some players said that "Babe" actually stood for "Beer and booze in excess." Babe Ruth's life off of the field became a problem for him on the field as well. Even Babe Ruth once said "I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can."
His wildlife created tension with some of his teammates and definitely with the team's manager. It also caused many problems with his wife, Helen. Since Ruth was Catholic, he and Helen did not believe in divorce. But, in 1925 Babe and Helen were permanently separated.
After Babe Ruth retired, he dreamed of becoming a Major League baseball manager. Ruth never attained his goal, although he did coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers. One manager was quoted as saying "How can Ruth manage others if he cannot even take care of himself!" This was always a regret for Babe Ruth for the rest of his life.
Even though Babe Ruth had his troubles off of the field, it only proves that he was human. As Robert Creamer, the baseball historian, summed up Babe Ruth by saying, "He is our Hercules, our Samson, Beowulf, Siegfried, No other person outside of public life so stirred our imaginations or so captured our affections."
Babe Ruth loved practical jokes. He usually stayed out late and started to ignore his team curfews. He loved to drink, he ate a lot of food, and he had many different relationships with a number of women. Because he often drank and drove, there were more than a couple of times that Babe Ruth crashed his car. Some players said that "Babe" actually stood for "Beer and booze in excess." Babe Ruth's life off of the field became a problem for him on the field as well. Even Babe Ruth once said "I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can."
His wildlife created tension with some of his teammates and definitely with the team's manager. It also caused many problems with his wife, Helen. Since Ruth was Catholic, he and Helen did not believe in divorce. But, in 1925 Babe and Helen were permanently separated.
After Babe Ruth retired, he dreamed of becoming a Major League baseball manager. Ruth never attained his goal, although he did coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers. One manager was quoted as saying "How can Ruth manage others if he cannot even take care of himself!" This was always a regret for Babe Ruth for the rest of his life.
Even though Babe Ruth had his troubles off of the field, it only proves that he was human. As Robert Creamer, the baseball historian, summed up Babe Ruth by saying, "He is our Hercules, our Samson, Beowulf, Siegfried, No other person outside of public life so stirred our imaginations or so captured our affections."