Babe Ruth

He was a man beloved. Talkative, playful, full of energy, people said he was a big kid, the kind of person who never grew up. But, as a baseball player, he was mighty, the best of his time, maybe even the best of all-time.

Babe Ruth was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1895. A troublemaker as a child, he skipped school and took part in fights. His unruly behavior led his parents to send him at the age of seven to the St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reform school.

At the school Babe found discipline, he found mentorship, and while it's not entirely clear how he began playing the sport, he found baseball. And in baseball, he found much success. He would go on to stardom in the MLB, playing first for the Red Sox and then for many years the Yankees, where he set numerous records, some of which stand today. And for the Yankees, who had never won a title before Babe joined the team, he would lead them to four World Series victories.

Babe retired in 1935 after twenty-two seasons. He held 56 Major League Baseball records at retirement, including most home runs in a season and most total home runs.

Amongst several philosophies he had for life, Babe would say, "You just can't beat the person who never gives up."

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Sources: Babe Ruth Wikiquote (https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Babe_Ruth) / "Bat It Outǃ" by George Herman ('Babe') Ruth, in The Rotarian (July 14, 1940), pp. 12-14 / http://www.baberuth.com/biography/ / Babe Ruth Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Ruth) / Portrait taken in 1920 - Babe Ruth, full-length portrait, standing, facing slightly left, in baseball uniform, holding baseball bat / Irwin, La Broad, & Pudlin. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/92507380/>