NEW YORK (WCSC) — Babe Ruth bid his final farewell at Yankee Stadium 78 years ago, where he appeared for the 25th anniversary celebrations of “The House that Ruth Built.”
Following his cancer diagnosis, he lost a great deal of weight, had difficulty walking, and his voice was a low whisper. He died a couple months later on Aug. 16, 1948 at the age of 58.
Baseball career
Nicknamed “the Bambino,” Ruth began his Major League Baseball career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox; however, he achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees, where he played from 1920-1934.
Babe Ruth is considered one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture, and many consider him to be the all-time greatest baseball player. In 1936, Ruth was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its First Five inaugural members.
The Yankees retired his number, “three,” in 1948.
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