The Art of Manliness #554: Babe Ruth and the World He Made
Oct 23, 2019
Jane Leavy, a former sports journalist and author renowned for her biographies of baseball legends, dives deep into the life of Babe Ruth. She unravels his troubled childhood in a Baltimore boarding school and how it set the stage for his rise as America’s first superstar athlete. The conversation explores Ruth's hunger for fame, his groundbreaking influence on sports marketing, and the evolution of celebrity culture. Leavy also sheds light on the myths surrounding Ruth, contrasting his public persona with his personal struggles and legacy.
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A New Ruth Biography
- Jane Leavy initially hesitated to write another Babe Ruth biography due to the numerous existing ones.
- She changed her mind after discovering unknown details about Ruth's childhood, like his parents' divorce, which previous biographies omitted.
Ruth's Childhood
- Understanding Babe Ruth requires understanding his difficult childhood.
- Ruth was sent to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, not as an orphan or delinquent, but as a boarding student whose family life was deeply troubled.
Barnstorming Tour
- Leavy uses Ruth and Gehrig's 1927 barnstorming tour as a narrative framework.
- This tour showcased Ruth at his peak fame, offering insights into his personality through local news reports, unlike New York papers.
