by Michael Allen McCormick

Created on: June 02, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Why is Babe Ruth the greatest baseball player in history? I'll tell you why. It has very little to do with his tremendous natural baseball ability or his amazing stats, but rather, the key element that makes him great is the fact that he was the first real baseball hero and legend in one, and he rose from ghetto to glory.

It was the classic success story of an orphan child growing up in a time when orphans were a disposable and rejected segment of society. For the most part, orphans were doomed to a hard row to hoe.

But George Herman Ruth, got a few breaks along the way. Father Flanagan saw something special in the Babe, and he gave him the encouragement he needed to make something of himself.

I could go on and on and make a case for the Bambino, just on his statistics. His home run records, his great batting average, his slugging percentage, his pitching career, his RBI's, his World Series success. It goes on and on, but the REASON the Babe is great is NOT just because he stood head and shoulders above the rest with baseball ability.

They called Yankee Stadium the House that Ruth built. He was Mr. Baseball. More popular in his time than the president of the United States. Not just American's, but people around the globe knew of the Babe. He was the ambassador of our sports world.

He loved kids, and he took the time to get to know them. His adoring fans were his life and livelihood. The Babe liked signing autographs and talking to people.

My grandfather got to shake his hand once. He remembered to me how huge Babe Ruth's hand was, and how big his smile was, and how his eyes sparkled. The Babe was genuinely glad to meet my Grandpa, as if my Grandpa were the famous one. Ruth acted like it was a privilege to meet his public.

Yes, Babe Ruth had a bit of a reputation for being a bad boy. Partying, womanizing, and overeating. He probably only reached a fraction of his potential. Imagine if he had taken care of his body. Imagine if he hadn't come to games hungover. Imagine if he hadn't smoked cigars.

But consider the fact that he had nobody to chase. He was the leader of the game. Untouchable, unstoppable, and larger than life. He really had to answer to nobody. There were no competitors for him in his time.

Think of the Babe, remembering his roots. He had the biggest heart in the game. He loved the unfortunate and the disadvantaged. Legend says he pointed to center field and called the shot when he promised a homer for that sick little boy. We don't have players like that today.

I for one believe the legend. How can you top a legend? He is an icon on baseball's highest pedestal. As long as we have baseball, his name will be immortalized as the greatest ever.

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