Babe Ruth's Return To Boston

This Day In Baseball History: February 26th

Babe Ruth is one of the most iconic figures in the history of baseball. His career spanned over two decades, during which he played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and briefly for the Boston Braves. While his time with the Braves was short, it was significant, marking the end of his storied career and a final chapter in his legacy.

In 1935, at the age of 40, Babe Ruth was sent to the Boston Braves, hoping for one final shot at playing professional baseball. He had spent the previous season with the New York Yankees, but his performance had declined, and the team chose not to renew his contract. Furthermore, Ruth had been pushing to become the manager of the Yankees. Something the team was not keen on.

The Braves were not a particularly strong team at the time, but they had a new owner, Judge Emil Fuchs, who was hoping to turn things around. Fuchs saw signing Ruth as a way to boost attendance and generate excitement around the team. He also hoped that Ruth could serve as a mentor to the younger players on the team. Ruth was also named team vice president and assistant manager.

Ruth played for the team only for a few months. Ruth’s body was failing him, however, and he became a nuisance to many players both in the dugout and on the field. He hit .181 with only six home runs over 28 games. Ruth also quickly realized that the Braves had no intentions of ever making him manager. His job as Vice President also was just a title where he mostly signed autographs at events. Ruth, heartbroken, retired in June and would never have a role in the MLB again. For the rest of his life he attempted to get involved with a team, even pushing to get a radio announcer role. However, he was denied at every turn. He would be elected to the Hall of Fame in its inaugural class and was inducted in 1939.