On August 22, 1927, Yankees superstar Babe Ruth hit his 40th home run of the 1927 season, further cementing his title as a baseball hall-of-fame legend.
Born in 1895, Babe Ruth began his major-league baseball career as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in 1914. Although young, Ruth quickly established a reputation as an exceptional pitcher and a decent hitter. Amid much controversy, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1919, where Ruth would grow into his reputation as a rising star.
In 1920, Ruth transitioned from a pitcher with a good swing to a power-hitting outfielder. He quickly became one of the Yankees star players, with the team eventually drawing seven-figure crowds to their games. Throughout his fifteen-season career with the Yankees, Ruth would play over 2,000 games and set batting records in many of them.
The 1927 New York Yankees team is widely regarded as one of the best teams ever to take the field, even earning the nickname “Murderer’s Row” due to its powerful lineup. That year, Ruth hit his 40th home run of the season on August 22, a milestone achievement for a player in a single season. By the end of the 1927 season, Ruth would finish with an outstanding 60 home runs.
Ruth would lead the team to victory in four World Series Championships and seven American League pennants. He is still widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time.