Babe Ruth: Legends in Sports by Matt Christopher Read Free Book Online

back in the lineup. Ruth told
     the press he expected Landis to “do the right thing,” and that Huggins “has Ruppert buffaloed. Huggins is trying to make me
     the goat.” Ruth wanted Huggins fired and said he would never play for him again. If the suspension was upheld, Ruth said he
     was prepared to quit the game.
    But Ruth misread both Landis and Ruppert. Landis didn’t even want to meet with him and announced that he supported the suspension.
     Ruppert was even more direct, saying, “I understand Ruth says he will not play for the Yankees as long as Huggins is manager.
     Well, Huggins will be manager as long as he wants to be.” Ruth was shocked.
    Everyone liked Ruth. Everyone wanted to see him play. But everyone agreed that unless he started taking care of himself and
     changed his ways, baseball and the Yankees were better off without him. No one was bigger than the game.
    After a few days Ruth asked Huggins if he could apologize and the manager turned him down — he wanted Ruth to realize how
     serious the situation was. As Ruth waited on the sideline, he began to realize how much he enjoyed playing and how he was
     wasting his life. He even called Brother Matthias and spent several hours discussing his future.
    Finally, after nine long days, Huggins agreed to meet Ruth. Babe approached his manager like an ashamed little boy and apologized
     profusely. Then Huggins told him he would have to make the same apology to his teammates.
    The Yankees gathered in the clubhouse and Ruth sheepishly entered the room, nearly in tears. “I was wrong,” he admitted. “I’m
     too hotheaded.” He knew he had let everyone down. More importantly, he had let himself down, wasting his talent and ruining
     the season for his team and the fans.
    Ruth was allowed to rejoin the team, but the season could not be saved. The Yankees finished seventh and Ruth hit only .290
     with 25 home runs. Although Babe had always enjoyed the backing of the press, even the sportswriters had turned against him.
     Many believed he should retire and that the Yankees would be better off without him.
    So far, despite hitting a record number of home runs, Ruth had yet to fulfill his promise as a Yankee. While they had won
     three pennants, they had won only one world championship and in the seasons after that Ruth had done little to excite New
     York’s management, his teammates, or fans. Unless he permanently turned his life around soon, his career as a Yankee would
     be a failure.

CHAPTER SIX
1926–1928
The Greatest
    The suspension finally shocked Ruth into taking his life and his career seriously. He separated from Helen, and she moved
     from the farm back to Boston. He felt badly about his marriage falling apart, but he knew he had hardly been the ideal husband.
     All winter long Ruth tried to make amends for his horrible performance in 1925.
    He turned down a chance to make money on another exhibition tour. He wrote a magazine article in which he apologized to the
     fans and admitted he had acted like “a boob.” Determined to get back in shape, he put himself in the hands of gym owner Artie
     McGovern.
    It helped that he had the love and support of Claire Hodgson. Like Brother Matthias, Ruth respected her opinion. When she
     told him that he had tochange, Ruth listened. He realized that if he did not, he would lose more than his baseball career. He might also lose her.
    Every day he spent four hours at the gym, working out. At first the exercise sessions, which included long walks, handball,
     weightlifting, and steam baths, left him exhausted. But ever so slowly he began to lose weight and replace flab with muscle.
    By February of 1926 he was ready to play again. He had lost nearly thirty pounds and almost ten inches from his waist. Although
     no one would ever accuse Ruth of being slender, he was once again a powerful athlete.
    Meanwhile, the Yankees were invigorated by the addition of infielder Tony Lazzeri, a terrific hitter, and the