New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth hits his 700th career home run against the Detroit Tigers, as he continued to pile up prolific power numbers
On July 13, 1934, New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth hit his 700th career home run in the Bronx Bombers’ 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers. The once-thought impossible feat would ultimately be capped off with the Bambino ultimately retiring with a total of 714.
Ruth is, of course, considered one of the game’s greatest legends, and arguably the best baseball player ever. Often referred to as ‘The Sultan of Swat’, he transformed the game from a ‘small-ball’ approach to one focused on power hitting, and his popularity helped baseball become America’s national pastime. He retired with a career .342 average and then-record of 714 home runs, to go along with 2214 RBI. Upon his retirement, the Bronx Bombers retired his number 3.
A giant in the world of sports, Babe Ruth was a cultural icon of the first half of the 20th century. The mark he made on the game – and on the American public conscience – reaches far beyond any successors. He was, quite simply, larger than life.
The Bambino was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, as part of the inaugural class of inductees, alongside contemporaries Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner, and Christy Mathewson.
