CURSE OF THE BAMBINO (And a Dozen Other Players)

 

            Most people with a basic knowledge of the game have heard about the Babe Ruth Curse. For anyone new to the topic, the thumbnail version is as follows: After the Babe was sold to the Yankees before the 1920 campaign, the Red Sox failed to win another World Series for the remainder of the twentieth century. They had some great teams and marquee players. They had their fair share of opportunities, capturing four pennants between 1946 and 1986. But something always happened on the road to baseball’s most coveted title. When conventional wisdom failed to properly explain the second-longest dry spell in major league history (behind the long-suffering Chicago Cubs), sportswriters began to consider the supernatural.

            The initial idea of a curse was proposed by New York Times sportswriter George Vecsey after Boston’s heart-breaking loss to the Mets in 1986. The Sox had been on the verge of clinching the Series before a routine grounder went through the legs of sure-handed first baseman Bill Buckner in the tenth inning of Game 6. Vecsey’s alleged curse gained momentum in 1990, when Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy published his seminal work, The Curse of the Bambino. From that point on, the concept became firmly embedded in popular culture.

            In 2004, the Red Sox finally ended their long championship drought with a World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. They have added three more titles since then, making them the most successful franchise of the 21st century (to date). Though no one talks much about “The Curse” anymore, it’s interesting to note that Ruth was not the only player generously donated to the Yankees by former Red Sox owner Harry Frazee. In fact, Frazee’s frivolous trades kept the New Yorkers in contention for many years.   

            Before assuming a controlling interest in the BoSox, Frazee made a fortune in the performing arts. He opened a Chicago theater in 1907 and followed with the construction of a New York City venue a few years later. He also gained control of Boston’s Arlington Theater, producing a string of hit musicals. In 1916, he expanded his interests to the world of baseball. His ill-advised transactions transformed the Red Sox from champions to non-contenders. Beginning in 1920, the team finished in fifth place or lower for 14 consecutive seasons. And by the end of the 20th century, the Yankees had won 25 championships to Boston’s five.

            Though the infamous “Curse” will forever be associated with Ruth, the following player transactions helped the Yankees capture six pennants during the 1920s:

December of 1918

Frazee traded pitchers Ernie Shore and Dutch Leonard to the Yankees along with outfielder Duffy Lewis. Leonard was sold to the Tigers and Shore saw limited action, but Lewis had two excellent seasons in New York.

July of 1919

Frazee sent pitcher Carl Mays to the Yankees to complete an earlier deal. Mays won 80 games for New York over portions of five seasons.

December of 1919

Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees for a record $100,000. His lifetime home run record stood for nearly 40 years.

December of 1920

Frazee dealt pitcher Waite Hoyt and catcher Wally Schang to the Yankees. Hoyt forged a Hall of Fame career in New York while Schang established himself as one of the top offensive catchers in the American League.

December of 1921

Shortstop Everett Scott became a Yankee along with pitchers Joe Bush and Sam Jones. Scott was named captain of the Yankees in 1922. Jones averaged 13 wins per year over 5 seasons and Bush posted a 62-38 record during his three-year stint in the Bronx.

July of 1922

Frazee parted ways with infielder Joe Dugan. Dugan served as the Yankees’ primary third baseman for the better part of seven seasons. He was a clutch performer in World Series play.

January of 1923

Pitcher Herb Pennock was traded from Boston to New York. He won no fewer than 16 games in six consecutive seasons and ended up in the Hall of Fame.   

A more detailed version of this story appears in my latest book, Lore of the Bambino: 100 Great Babe Ruth Stories, available through The Lyons Press.  

What Do Einstein and Babe Ruth Have In Common?

 

            Some people are light years ahead of the curve. Plato, Leonardo daVinci, and Albert Einstein are just a few examples. Mentioning Babe Ruth in the same breath may be a bit of a stretch, but in a purely baseball sense, the Babe was miles above the competition. At the time of his retirement, he held dozens of statistical records while his closest rivals lagged far behind.

            Ruth began his career as a full-time pitcher, which limited his playing time. When it became evident that he was a looming power threat, Red Sox manager Ed Barrow began using him in the outfield on a regular basis. By the end of the 1919 campaign, the Babe had moved into ninth place on the all-time home run list. Over the next 16 seasons, he established himself as the game’s reigning home run king with 714 blasts—more than double the amount of Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx, who ranked second and third respectively when Ruth played his last game in 1935. Neither came close to breaking the Babe’s record as Foxx finished with 534 and Gehrig with 493. There were no serious challengers until the 1970s, when Willie Mays and Hank Aaron both approached the 700-homer mark. Mays ultimately fell short, but Aaron became the all-time leader in 1974.

            On an interesting note, it took Ruth fewer at-bats than any player in history to gather 700 home runs. Aaron didn’t even come close to matching the Babe’s vigorous pace, hitting number-700 in his 2,920th game. Ruth accomplished the feat in 2,418 games. Barry Bonds, who surpassed Aaron’s lifetime mark of 755 homers with the help of performance enhancing drugs, needed 2,702 games to collect 700 blasts.  

            In addition to his record-setting home run pace, Ruth remains baseball’s all- time leader in slugging percentage—a statistic that measures the average number of bases a player records per at-bat. The Babe’s mark of .6897 is miles ahead of Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, who ranks second on the list with a percentage of .6338.

            Over the course of his career, Ruth became part god and part mortal—a mythical hero who hit baseballs farther than any player before him. Describing his prowess at the plate, a former teammate joked, “No one hit home runs the way that Babe Ruth did. They were something special. They were like homing pigeons. The ball would leave the bat, pause briefly, suddenly gain its bearings, then take off for the stands.”   

            One of the most compelling facts about Ruth is that he might have found his way into the Hall of Fame as a pitcher. A left-hander, he set a World Series record for consecutive scoreless innings (29.2) that stood until 1961. During the four seasons in which he made at least 20 mound appearances (1915-1918), he averaged 19 wins per year. In that same span, he compiled a .301 batting average with 20 homers and 111 RBIs. No pitcher in major league history has demonstrated such marvelous two-way abilities, although Shohei Ohtani of the Angels had a remarkable year in 2021. Serving double-duty as a designated hitter and pitcher, Ohtani posted a 9-2 record in 23 starts while gathering 46 home runs—a Ruthian feat to say the least.

Explore this topic further in my book, Lore of the Bambino: 100 Great Babe Ruth Stories.