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Babe Ruth Believed Major League Baseball Players Desperately Needed To Toughen Up
The MLB legend thought the game could benefit from some of the violence associated with other sports
It seems likely that Babe Ruth will forever be remembered as one of the greatest players in baseball history. A gold standard of excellence in the sport, when he spoke, a hush fell over the sporting world.This extended beyond when he was a star, including into his final days in the game where he was vocal about his extreme disappointment in the lack of toughness demonstrated by contemporary big leaguers.
Ruth reached the majors as a pitcher, becoming a star hurler with the Boston Red Sox. The left-hander had a good curveball and fastball, but as his superior hitting ability was discovered, he saw increasing time in the field, eventually becoming a full-time outfielder.
After he blasted a single-season record 29 home runs with the Red Sox in 1919, he was sold to the New York Yankees prior to the 1920 season, and spent his next 15 seasons with them. It was there that he became the biggest star in America, let alone baseball. His home run totals soared, changing the baseball landscape forever.
