A Living Legend

Babe spent his post-baseball years giving talks on the radio, orphanages and hospitals. He also served as a spokesperson for United States War Bonds during World War II. He was acknowledged for his legendary status as a player when he was among the first five inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, along with Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Honus Wagner.

In the fall of 1946, Babe was diagnosed with throat cancer and spent three months in the hospital. The operations impaired his voice, caused him to lose 80 pounds, and rendered him nearly immobile. The following year April 27 was declared Babe Ruth Day for every organized baseball league in the U.S. and Japan. Babe's health continued to decline and on June 13, 1948 he made his last appearance at the stadium where his legend was born. On the 25th anniversary of the opening of Yankee Stadium the Yankees honored the player that made them the most recognizable team in the world by retiring his number 3. This would be the last time the Babe was ever seen in the famous pinstripes.

Babe Ruth died on August 16, 1948 at Memorial Hospital in New York City at age 53. His body lay in state at the entrance of Yankee Stadium on August 17 and 18, where over 100,000 people came to pay their final respects. Thousands of fans surrounded New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral and the route to the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York on the day of his funeral, as the world mourned the passing of Babe Ruth.

Of all the players in baseball history, none has ever reached the mythic status of Babe Ruth. Since his death, Babe continues to be formally recognized for his accomplishments. A few examples of the posthumous awards Babe received were The Associated Press's Athlete of the Century in 1999 and The Sporting News' Greatest Player of All-Time. These awards, along with many others, reflect Babe Ruth's prominence as one of the most revered athletes in American History.

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