The Natural - George Herman Ruth - Known as "babe Ruth"

The Natural

George Herman Ruth, known as "Babe Ruth," was the first sports celebrity. He was an American Major League baseball player and is one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture. Babe Ruth has also been named the greatest baseball player in history due to his rankings and his home run hitting gift. One of the most famous stories about Babe Ruth includes a home run and a sick child in the hospital in 1926. He learned about an 11-year-old named Johnny Sylvester who has been in the hospital after an accident. The doctors weren't sure if Johnny was able to live the rest of his life. With Babe Ruth's charismatic character, he promised the boy a home run. When the next baseball game came he not only hit one home run but he hit three. Johnny heard the news that those home runs were for him; he started to feel better. Babe later then visited Johnny in person.

In an early chapter of The Natural, a player called "the Whammer" who has the characteristics just like Babe Ruth declares his own "called shot." He points his bat toward and then past Roy Hobbs. But in the end Hobbs strikes the Whammer out. The major league slugger Jim Thome also uses this gesture as a hint for an at-bat. Babe Ruth's "called shot" was performed at the 1932 World Series. During the at-bat, Ruth starts his pointing gesture that he will hit a home run.

Another symbol of Babe Ruth in The Natural, was his infamous stomach problems. Massive stomach problems cause him in the hospital and to miss the first two months of the 1925 season. He had to undergo stomach surgery because of intestinal problems from too much drinking and eating.

One of the eight players included in the Black Sox scandal was Shoeless Joe Jackson (Joseph Jefferson Jackson). Before testimony in front of the grand jury, Jackson admitted that he did agreed to participate in this scandal. Joe Jackson received the biggest bribe. Legend is said that when Jackson was leaving the courthouse, a young boy begged him, "say it ain't so, Joe," but Jackson did not respond. He said that the story was just a myth and this event did not occur. But others say there were exchange of words between Jackson and young fans. In the novel Hoobs names his bat "Wonderboy." In those days it was not unusual to name their bats. For example Shoeless Joe Jackson names his back "Black Betsy" and Babe Ruth name three of his bats, "Black Betsy," "Big Bertha," "Beautiful Bella."

The Chicago White Sox were said by some to be the best baseball team in 1919. At the end of the season in first place, the White Sox were up against the Cincinnati Red in the World Series. They were forced to beat the Reds, the Sox lost in eight games. A year later, eight players on the team were accused of losing intentionally for gamblers who wanted to "fix the Series. by doing this they received large amounts of cash. These eight players were then known as the "Black Sox." Roy's agreement with Judge Banner to lose the last game symbolizes this sandal. But in Roy's case it is the owner of his own team who wants him to "throw" the final game which determined who would play in the postseason. Roy accepts this bribe and strikes out every time he's on the plate.

Ted Willams was the second-youngest plater to ever lead the majors in runs batted in and the oldest