Red Sox were not alone

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - Connie Mack turned down Babe Ruth on this date in 1914. Ruth wasn't the Great Bambino yet. In fact he wasn't even a major leaguer. He was a promising minor league pitcher, but the team he played for, the Baltimore Orioles of the International League was in financial trouble and needed cash. Orioles owner Jack Dunn offered Ruth and a couple other players to Philadelphia A's (today's Oakland A's) owner Connie Mack for $10,000. Mack had his own money problems so he said no.

A couple days later the 19-year old Ruth and two other players were sold to the Boston Red Sox for $25,000. It was with the Red Sox that Ruth made his major league debut, mainly as a pitcher. He won two and lost one in 1914. The next year Ruth went 18 and 8, but it was his hitting that began to open people's eyes. In 92 at bats, Ruth hit .315 with 4 home runs and 21 runs batted in.

Ruth started to play the outfield, and therefore hit more often, each year, and by 1919 he was an everyday outfielder. In 1920 he was sold to the New York Yankees, a transaction the Red Sox have never been able to live down. And the rest is history.

• Factoid: Babe Ruth pitched in 5 games during his Yankee career and won all 5.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCE:
Connie Mack refuses Babe Ruth

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