The Ole Ball Game

What was the importance of Babe Ruth both as a player on the field and a hero off the field? Why were the 1961 Roger Maris and the 1974 Henry Aaron breaking Ruth's record so controversial?

by Chris
(aspen_extreme08@hotmail.com)

Chris asked: What is the importance of Babe Ruth both as a player on the field and a hero off the field? Why were the 61 Roger Maris and the 74 Henry Aaron breaking Ruth's record so controversial?

Rick answered: Chris, thank you for your question.

On the field Babe Ruth was a tremendous pitcher, as well as a prolific hitter. He had the ability to fill the stadium, a true money maker for the ownership.

The Yankees built a new Yankee Stadium soon after acquiring Ruth. That stadium was labeled, "the stadium that Ruth built".

Off the field it was his charity and love of kids. Kids loved Babe Ruth and he loved them.

The controversy surrounding Roger Maris' breaking of the record was that Ruth had established his in a 154 game schedule, Maris in a 162. Many felt the 8 game differential to be an unfair advantage for Maris.

With Henry Aaron, it was racially motivated. Aaron came 1 home run short the year before he broke the record, and had said when asked about breaking it the next year, said his biggest concern was surviving the off season, citing the number of death threats he had received if he were to break the record.

The controversy was not officially settled until 1991, when then Commissioner Fay Vincent declared it official.

Yours in baseball,

Rick

Comments for What was the importance of Babe Ruth both as a player on the field and a hero off the field? Why were the 1961 Roger Maris and the 1974 Henry Aaron breaking Ruth's record so controversial?

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

May 06, 2013
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
61
by: Kevin

Babe Ruth was an icon who had been accorded almost god-like status. The ruling by Frick was
idiotic at best. A season is a season, no matter how many games are played. The 1927 Yankees played 155 that year, Ruth missed 4. The 1961 team played 162, Maris missed 1, a feat in itself.
Yes, 162 is more that 154, but 154 is more than 140, and it just happened that in 1961 Sandy Koufax broke Christy Mathewson's record for strike-outs which was set in 1903. Why wasn't that record asterisked? Since we are counting games, why the first 154, why not the last 154; or why not the last 77 of one year and the first 77 of the next? The 27 Yankees batted around more often and Ruth had 592 at bats. Maris had 598 in 1961. Games played,games scheduled, times up, official AB, why bother?

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Ask The Baseball Coach.








Spalding, Old Time Bat Display




Louisville Sluggers. 1920's
































Copyright© 2007-2019...theoleballgame.com. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright© 2007-2019...theoleballgame.com. All Rights Reserved.