New York Yankees Mount Rushmore
By David Hill
Babe Ruth (1920-1934)
To this day, New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth is the most recognized player in the history of the game.
It is easy to understand why. Ruth literally changed the game, changing home runs from a random occurrence to a viable offensive weapon. He set a single season home run record four times in his career, increasing that mark in 1919, 1920, 1921, and 1927, when he became the first player to his 60 homers in a year.
Although Ruth’s incredible power was beginning to manifest during his time with the Red Sox, ownership had grown tired of his salary demands. Thinking that home runs were more “spectacular than useful” and believing that Ruth’s hard lifestyle would hinder his long term ability, he was sold to New York. That move changed the fortunes of both franchises, as the Yankees became the dominant team from that point forward, while the Red Sox floundered.
Ruth’s power was a key part of the Yankees turnaround from 1920 onward. He was a legend with the bat, producing a .349/.484/.711 batting line in his 15 years with the Yankees. Ruth hit an incredible 659 homers, shattering the single season and career marks. He drove in 1979 runs and scored another 1959 in New York, providing the Yankees with an incredible weapon in the lineup.
Next: Yankees acquire Giancarlo Stanton
The most famous player in baseball history, Babe Ruth was the greatest player to put on a New York Yankees uniform. Ruth not only changed the game, but the Yankees fortunes as well.