12 things you probably don’t know about Babe Ruth

Although Ruth’s pitching would eventually take a backseat to his reputation as a slugger, his work on the mound was that of a Hall of Famer in the making. In 1916 he led the American League with a 23-12 record and a 1.75 earned-run average, and outdueled the great Walter Johnson in a 13-inning 1-0 victory over the Washington Senators. Ruth followed that up in 1917 with a 24-13 mark and a league-leading 35 complete games. Thereafter he became an everyday player and his pitching stats trailed off, but he long held the World Series record for pitching scoreless innings, with 29 and two-thirds while compiling a 3-0 record in the 1916 and 1918 World Series.