The Bambino, The Sultan of Swat, The Babe, nicknames for arguably the greatest performer in the history of organized American sports, George Herman Ruth. From a rough upbringing in Baltimore to the heights of the baseball world, Babe Ruth had a legendary zest for life. On the ball field, there was never a competitor who achieved his level of success. He broke in with the Boston Red Sox as a 19-year-old pitcher in 1914, throwing just 23 innings. In 1915, he won 18 games, and followed that up with consecutive 20-win seasons in 1916 and 1917. He was among the elite pitchers of his time, and, amazingly, never lost a start when pitching against Washington ace, Walter Johnson. Ruth was a mainstay of a pitching staff that saw the Red Sox capture World Series titles in 1915, 1916, and 1918.

The Red Sox and the rest of the American League did notice something else about the Babe on days that he pitched. That man could swing the bat! As such, the Sox moved him to the outfield on days that he did not pitch, and eventually he was more an everyday player than a pitcher. Following the 1919 season, he was inexplicably shipped to the New York Yankees. Taking advantage of the short porch in the Polo Grounds, the Babe blasted a heretofore unthinkable 54 home runs. He followed that up with 59 in 1921. As his successes grew, so did his legend, and to this day, he is the standard bearer for success in any American athletic competition.