10-08-2025
10 Baseball, Life, And Leadership Lessons From Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth died on this date – August 10, 1948 – 77 years ago.
Known to the world as 'Babe' or 'The Babe,' he is arguably the most iconic, legendary athlete who ever donned a uniform – any time, any place, any sport. To say that Babe was – and still is – bigger than life is to engage in senseless futility. Can't be overemphasized.
Babe's prowess on the field during his 21-year career grew along with his status in American life. No attempt will be made to parade his unbelievable statistics; this is more than that. It is an attempt to understand greatness.
Here, then, is a collection of thoughts from none other than The Babe himself.
On Effort: 'I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can.'
On Self-improvement: 'Don't be afraid to take advice. There's always something new to learn.'
On Positive Attitude: 'Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.'
On Determination: 'It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.'
On Gratitude: 'If it wasn't for baseball, I'd be in either the penitentiary or the cemetery.'
On Fearlessness: 'Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.'
On Being Realistic: 'All ballplayers should quit when it starts to feel as if all the baselines run uphill.'
On Great Teams: 'The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.'
On Continuing Success: 'Yesterday's home runs don't win today's games.'
And finally (for now)…
On Results: In 1927, Babe was asked if he was aware that he made more money that year than the president of the U.S., he casually responded, 'I had a better year.'
