ContentsPart One
1894-19191. Legend and Truth: Babe Ruth Lives
2. The Bad Kid: Baltimore at the Turn of the Century
3. Early Exile: Niggerlips in St. Mary's
4. The Star of the School: Enter Jack Dunn
5. First Spring Training: Home Run in Fayetteville
6. The Young Professional: Winning with the Orioles
7. Arrival in Boston: Meeting Helen
8. Retreat to the Minors: Pennant in Providence
9. The Major Leaguer: Pennant in Boston
10. The Lefthanded Genius: Best Pitcher in Baseball
11. Emergence of Temperament: How to Punch an Umpire
12. The Beginnings of the Hitter: Switching to the Outfield
13. The Impact of War: Baseball in World War I
14. The 1918 World Series: The Abortive Strike
15. The Big Fight: Ruth vs. Barrow
16. The First Home Run Record: Magic 29
17. Departure from Boston: Sold down the River
Part Two
1920-194818. Revolution in Baseball: Ruth Reaches New York
19. The Amazing Season: Nothing Like It Ever Before
20. Encore: Topping the Amazing Season
21. The Second Big Fight: Ruth vs. Landis
22. The Fall of the Hero: Ruth in Disgrace
23. The jinx and the Baby: The Weird Season Ends
24. The First Reformation: How to Bat -393
25. The Disaster: The Bellyache Heard Round the World
26. The Third Big Fight: Ruth vs. Huggins
27. The Real Reformation: The Superb Seasons
28. Kaleidoscope: Personality of the Babe
29. Death of Helen: Marriage to Claire
30. The $80,000 Salary: A Better Year than Hoover
31. The Magnificent Moment: The Called-Shot Home Run
32. Decline: It's Hell to Be Old
33. Farewell to New York: Back to Boston
34. The Last Act: Opera Bouffe with the Braves
35. Retirement: The Call That Never Came
36. The End: Joe, I'm Gone
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INDEX
"I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can." -- Babe Ruth Babe Ruth is without a doubt the most famous character ever produced by the sport of baseball. A legendary player, world-famous for his hitting prowess, he transcended the sport to enter the mainstream of American life as an authentic folk hero.
In this extraordinary biography, noted sportswriter Robert W. Creamer reveals the complex man behind the sports legend. From Ruth's early days in a Baltimore orphanage, to the glory days with the Yankees, to his later years, Creamer has drawn a classic portrait of an American original.
Sports Illustrated The best biography ever written about an American sports figure.