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 Babe Ruth in 1935 Photo Gallery
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Boston Brave Babe Ruth Plays His Final Game, May 30, 1935

“All ballplayers should quit when it starts to feel as if all the baselines run uphill.” –Babe Ruth, 1935

This past week was notable for all fans of the great Bambino, Babe Ruth. Eighty-nine years ago, on May 25, 1935, at Forbes Field, the Babe clouted the last home runs of his career. Going out in typical “Ruthian” style, it proved to be a memorable afternoon. The Babe went 4-for-4, with three long ones and a single, though the Braves lost the game 11–7 to the Pirates. The final homer off the Pirates’ Guy Bush — number 714 — sailed over the upper deck in right field and cleared the roof as it left the park. The blast was the first time anyone had hit a fair ball completely out of Forbes Field.

Then just five days later, on May 30, 1935, Babe played his final game. In the first inning of an 11-6 loss to the Phillies at the Baker Bowl, he grounded out to first baseman Dolph Camilli in his final career at-bat. On June 2, eighty-nine years ago today, he announced his retirement after an argument with Braves’ owner Judge Fuchs.

The Babe Doesn’t Look Happy in Boston

All of this got me thinking about Babe’s last year as an active player which he spent as a member of the Boston Braves. In searching for pictures of him in a Braves uniform, I soon discovered it’s tough to find one of him with a smile on his face. As a matter of fact, in most of them, he looks absolutely miserable. After reading about his year with the Braves, I soon realized why — it was a historically bad year and there was very little to smile about! So when I came across this beautiful colorized photo of Ruth with a big grin on his face, I knew I had to post it. 

Anyway…here’s a few words about his short time with the Braves, the Bambino’s last —and very forgettable — year in the majors. It’s a shame such a wonderful career ended on such a sour note:

The Braves in 1935: A Historically Bad Year

Babe was hired by team owner Judge Fuchs in February 1935, with the promise of eventually fulfilling his dream of managing.  On Opening Day, 1935, Babe had a role of all of the Braves’ runs in a 4–2 win over the Giants, but it was all downhill from there.

Although his 1934 season would be considered decent for most ball players, it was significantly below Ruthian standards, as he hit .288, with 22 home runs, and 84 RBIs. Age, plus years of high living and poor conditioning,  had begun taking its toll, and his deterioration became more pronounced. As the start of the 1935 season approached, it was apparent to all observers that he was now only a shadow of his former self. He could no longer run, and his fielding was so bad that three of the Braves pitchers threatened to go on strike if Ruth was in the lineup. Then, a month into the season, he stopped hitting as well. Seeing the team in utter collapse and realizing he was finished even as a part-time player, Ruth retired six days after the memorable afternoon described above.

How bad was the 1935 season for the Braves? Read below:

Despite fielding essentially the same team that finished fourth a year earlier, the 1935 season quickly turned into a debacle. In fact, their Opening Day win was the only time they were over .500 all year. They won only four games in May, and by the time Ruth retired they were 9-27, their season all but finished. They ultimately finished 38–115, the worst season in franchise history. Their .248 winning percentage is tied for the seventh-worst in baseball history, and the sixth-worst in National League history. It is the second-worst in modern baseball history (behind only the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics), and the worst in modern National League history. (1)

Babe Ruth finished his major league career with a very “un-Ruthian” season: He played in 28 games, with 72 at-bats. He hit .181, with 13 hits, 13 runs, 6 home runs, and 12 RBIs.

Gary Livacari

Photo Credits: The Ruth colorization was found on the Out Of The Park website by poster Krantzbucks: http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/board/ootp-mods-rosters-photos-quick-starts/184046-gambo-t_wil1-photopack-779.html; The other photos are from the Boston Public Library Leslie Jones Baseball Collection and Public Domain

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