1918 – The American League season opens with Babe Ruth pitching a four-hit, 7 – 1, victory over the Philadelphia Athletics. Boston Red Sox manager Ed Barrow will start Ruth’s conversion to slugger later that season by working him into 72 games in the outfield and at first base.
March 17, 1918: A young Babe Ruth, still primarily a pitcher, slugs a pair of home runs during a spring training game at Whittington Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The second long ball is thought to be the first 500-plus foot blast in baseball history. The Herculean shot—hit off Brooklyn Robins hurler Norman Plitt—soared far…
1917 – The Red Sox play a benefit game against an American League all-star team and Babe Ruth and Rube Foster combine for a 2 – 0 shutout. The AL squad features Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, and Joe Jackson in the outfield. More than $14,000 is raised for the family of sports writer Tim Murnane, who died February 13th. Murnane had played and managed in Boston in the 19th century. Actress Fanny Brice helps sell programs and former heavyweight champ John L. Sullivan coaches 3B for the Sox. Ruth wins the fungo hitting contest with a drive of 402 feet, while Joe Jackson has the longest throw at an impressive 396 feet.
Babe Ruth shuts out the champion White Sox, 3 – 0, scattering nine hits. The Babe is 0-for-3 at the plate.
Red Sox lefty Babe Ruth won his 20th game of the season
The host Red Sox top the White Sox, 3 – 1, behind Babe Ruth’s four-hitter. Chicago bunches three of the four hits in the 3rd, including an RBI triple by Joe Jackson.
1917 – The Red and White Sox battle to a 15-inning 5 – 5 tie called on account of darkness. Babe Ruth tosses the last five innings for Boston, giving up no runs in his first relief appearance of the year. Chicago will win the next two games to keep a firm hold on first place.
Ernie Shore No Hitter or Perfect Game? on June 23, 1917, the Washington Senators in the first game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park. Babe Ruth started the game, walking the first batter, Ray Morgan. As newspaper accounts of the time relate, the short-fused Ruth then engaged in a heated argument with apparently equally…
On May 7, 1917, Boston Red Sox lefthander Babe Ruth outduels Washington Senators star Walter Johnson in a matchup of future Hall of Famers at Griffith Stadium. Ruth helps himself when he knocks in the only run of the Red Sox’ 1-0 victory with on an eighth-inning sacrifice fly. @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@ Other…
On April 11, 1917, Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox pitches a three-hitter in shutting down the New York Yankees on Opening Day. Ruth’s performance marks the start of good things to come. He will win 24 games in 1917, while leading the American League with 35 complete games…
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