There were many, as you might imagine, who would huff and puff and get all het up over the merits of social democracy, such is the stew of such matters. The likes of the socialist political theorist Michael Harrington, who did a fine line in colourful braces, suggested that social democracy supported Keynesianism, a sort of half-way house. A compromise even. Cue much muttering. Our man Joseph Stalin was also a vocal critic, so too -as we know – Irving Kristol a man of such intellect and prominence, that he was described by the now on-the-block Daily Telegraph as “perhaps the most consequential public intellectual of the latter half of the century”. This being the 20th Century, for avoidance of doubt. Indeed, Kristol was so influential that he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an award that is doled out by the President to recognise those who have made a difference. Those who have made an outstanding contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, or world peace, or some sort of cultural endeavour. Winners line up behind Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State, who won it twice, and included – amongst others – Steve Jobs, Pope John XXIII, John Wayne, Elvis Presley, and the great ‘Bambino’ or ‘Sultan of the swat’, the great George Herman Ruth, AKA Babe Ruth.
George Herman Ruth is one of America’s all-time great sporting heroes and widely recognised as possibly the greatest baseball player of all time. Whilst born in Baltimore, his family was originally from Germany, so who knows what would have happened had his grand-parents not jumped on a boat with a suitcase of spare clothes and a lot of va-va-voom. His childhood was a sad one, although not much is known. Only one of his seven siblings survived infancy and by the age of seven he was dispatched to an orphanage. Details are sketchy as to why, although it has been suggested that his father had little time for him and so he struggled with boundaries. He was basically a little urchin. Indeed, later in life, the great man admitted that he ran amok, bunked off school, and rattled through his father’s drinks cabinet when he out playing bridge. As you might imagine, the Xaverian Brothers, who ran the orphanage, good Roman Catholics to a man, played and missed a lot. Ruth was described as incorrigible.
He did though learn the basics. It was a simple life and boys learnt all sorts of basic skills from carpentry to shirt making. Later in his career, he’d still alter his own shirts rather than throw it at the club kit man with a look that said, ‘too tight’. How he came to play baseball is also, not known, but like many, he appeared to find a mentor, a role model, in the form of the rather large Brother Mattias Boutlier, a man who the boys at the orphanage had immense respect for largely on account of being very strong and very fair. A lesson, perhaps, for all those in middle management. Ruth revered the man, and they would stay close for the rest of his life. Brother Matthias oversaw discipline, and yet found something in the young tearaway. Ruth’s biographer Robert W. Creamer wrote that he “struck a spark in the boys’ soul”, lending credence the view that some urchins just need some love, some attention; some adult to show some genuine interest in their life. The outrageous behaviour is just a cry for help. Ruth, as a result, was a lifelong Catholic and would often pop into mass later in life after a night on the tiles. He gave generously with his time and would slip into orphanages or hospitals unannounced. Once in the money, he even bought big Brother Matthias a Cadillac, and then bought him another one when the excited brother took a turn with a little too much heat in the tyres and wrote the whole thing off.
Ruth’s extraordinary talent was spotted by one Jack Dunn who owned the Baltimore Orioles, a minor league team and whilst – again – no one really knows, the nickname Babe was supposedly due to him being Dunn’s darling, or special project. Dunn though, despite having some form, would run into financial difficulties, largely it seems because no one in Baltimore bothered to turn up to watch his Orioles, and so he ended up having to sell his star players, to pay the cleaners and keep the grass cut. Ruth headed to the Boston Red Sox where his career started to take shape, albeit not without its challenges. One day, Ruth arrived to find his bats sawn in half, by his teammates, who took great offence that the young rookie had insisted on taking batting practice. All very ‘Kevin Pietersen’. With money in his pocket, and no real supervision, he also found the temptations of city life, well, intoxicating. He also found women.
What might not be known, is that Ruth was originally a pitcher, but he grew frustrated by the lack of game time, given teams had more than one pitcher and so unless he was on a hot one, would be rotated depending on the whims of the chain-smoking manager. After the war, in which he gained an exemption by accepting a nominal position at a Pennsylvania steel mill, he started slugging home runs with ease. The press soon started to take notice. Records started to fall. Like Dunn, albeit with record crowds flogging to see the big hitter, the owner of the Red Sox, the theatrical promoter Harry Frazee, also needed money fast and so Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees. Some Red Sox fans were left feeling empty, their world over; and yet others seemed to shrug, knowing that Ruth was perhaps getting to be more trouble than he was worth. Too big for his boots. According to reporters, though, the Yankees had “pulled off the sports steal of the Century”. The deal was signed on January 6th 1920, and the Red Sox would not win another World Series until 2004. The 86-year drought became known as the Curse of the Bambino.
The Yankees eventually traded Ruth to the Boston Braves in 1935 where his magnificent career would wind down. He is ranked top on all time slugging with 0.69, whatever that means. He was the first batter hit 500 home runs. He won seven world series. The list goes on. The Yankees, dutifully, retired his #3 shirt. Whilst he was up for staying in the game as a manager, team owners were less enthused given his flamboyant lifestyle and perceived inability to manage his own life.
Babe Ruth died of cancer in 1948, at just 53 years old.
75,000 people attended his funeral.
An icon.
Hepburnsays 