Brunch with Babe by Megan

Brunch with Babe by Megan - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

The Great Bambino, the Sultan of Swat, the Caliph of Clout. Whatever your nickname of choice may be, they all hold true to represent one of the most successful men in the game of baseball: Babe Ruth.
George Herman “Babe” Ruth was born in 1895 in a small town in Massachusetts that was known for its meat packing plants. When he was seven, he was sent to St. Mary’s Industrial School for boys, which was both a reformatory and an orphanage. As he grew up he was taught how to be self-sufficient and provide for himself, learning trades such as carpentry and mending. Even as he earned fame and climbed the ladder of success, he refused to allow tailors to alter his clothing and did all of his mending on his own.
His baseball career began while he was at St. Mary’s, where most of the boys spent their free time playing baseball. In his younger years he played almost every position on the field, but was recognized most proficiently as a pitcher after being forced to play the position when he had laughed at his classmates who did not excel at it. He became the best pitcher at St. Mary’s, and also began to surprise spectators with his ability to hit long home runs.
At a time when baseball was recognized as a short game of strategy and stealth, Ruth revolutionized it into a game of power and skill, hitting record breaking home runs when bunting had before been seen as the skill that won the game. As he emerged and made an appearance in America’s favorite pastime, he shattered records set before him and came out as a hero; a century after his time, he remains at the top of the record board 3rd on the all-time home run list with 714, 2nd on the all-time on base percentage list with .474, and 2nd on the all-time slugging percentage list with .690. His success in this sport will be remembered for centuries to come, which proves his quote “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die” to be true: he was a legend in the sport of baseball.
As long as I can remember, I’ve been the kid who doesn’t leave home without a softball glove, a bat, and a ball. I relish in any game of catch or any round of soft toss I can get. At a young age, I fell in love with the sport and have never looked back.
If given the opportunity to eat a meal with any historical figure, I would have to say that Babe Ruth would be my choice without a doubt. Contrary to his success, he grew up a troublemaker, and I’m sure that his stories of his childhood would be just as exciting and animated as his stories of his baseball career. To hear someone with a similar passion for the same sport as me speak of their success would be so inspiring and exciting, and it would definitely be an experience that I would never forget. A pioneer in the sport and a guru of success, Babe Ruth would be one of the coolest people to spend an evening with.