Death and funeral of Babe Ruth

Last updated

Death and funeral of Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth wake 1948.jpg
Babe Ruth lying in state in the rotunda of the old Yankee Stadium
DateAugust 17–19, 1948 (1948-08-17 – 1948-08-19)
Venue
Location
TypeFuneral

Babe Ruth died on August 16, 1948, from a type of throat cancer. He underwent hormone therapy, and surgery in an attempt to treat his cancer. He was also one of the first cancer patients to receive sequential radiation and chemotherapy treatment. The treatments were not successful.

Contents

His funeral took place over three days, from August 17 to August 19, 1948. Ruth was a well-known Major League Baseball player who played for the New York Yankees for fifteen years. His funeral included a two-day open casket funeral at Yankee Stadium, a mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral and a burial at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery. The funeral events were attended by many prominent people. A total of 57 honorary pallbearers were appointed for his funeral.

While Ruth's body was lying in state at Yankee Stadium it was estimated that 100,000 fans came to pay their respects at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Police estimated that 80,000 people stood outside as his cortege arrived for a requiem delivered by Cardinal Francis Spellman. After the requiem, approximately 100,000 people lined the 30 mi (48 km) route to the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.

Illness and death

Babe Ruth Bows Out, Nat Fein's Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of Ruth, two months before his death Babe Ruth Bows Out.jpg
Babe Ruth Bows Out , Nat Fein's Pulitzer Prize–winning photo of Ruth, two months before his death

In 1946, Ruth began to experience severe pain over his left eye and had difficulty swallowing. Results from tests taken at French Hospital in New York revealed an inoperable malignant tumor at the base of his skull. In his neck, doctors identified a lesion which they diagnosed as nasopharyngeal carcinoma, or "lymphoepithelioma", a type of throat cancer. [1] A physician who reviewed Ruth's autopsy in 1998 concluded that Ruth's lifelong use of tobacco "probably played a part" in his cancer. [2]

Treatments over the next eighteen months proved to be ineffective, with Ruth slowly and notably withering. [3] He was initially treated with painful cancer therapies which were available at the time, including X-ray therapy. He was also injected with female hormones. He underwent unsuccessful surgery to remove the mass. Doctors also tried a new treatment called chemotherapy, which made Ruth one of the first cancer patients to receive sequential radiation and chemotherapy. He was also concurrently given experimental drugs which initially worked, with his health temporarily improving. However, the remission proved to be temporary. [4]

Ruth died in his sleep on August 16, 1948, at 8:01 p.m. in Memorial Hospital in New York City; he was 53 years old. Reverend Thomas F. Kaufmann gave Ruth the last sacrament, later saying: "The Babe died a beautiful death. He said his prayers and lapsed into a sleep. He died in his sleep". [5] Dr. Hayes Martin announced Ruth's death, revealing that the cause of death was cancer. [6] Previously, only his family had known; Ruth had not been told of his diagnosis. His body was taken from the hospital to the Universal Funeral Chapel and his family allowed mourners to visit and pay their respects after 3:00 p.m. [7]

Funeral

Ruth's funeral took place in New York City, over three days. His body was viewed by thousands at Yankee Stadium and St. Patrick's Cathedral. The scale of the event was later described in Life magazine: "When the Yankee slugger died from cancer at the age of 53, he received the kind of tribute normally reserved for kings and presidents. His funeral was a multi-day, multi-site affair". [8]

Pallbearers

The Babe Ruth Foundation named 57 honorary pallbearers, including many prominent politicians, baseball executives and players, and journalists. [9] Notable pallbearers included:

Yankee Stadium

Babe Ruth played for the New York Yankees from 1920 to 1934 and was regarded as one of the greatest baseball players. [11] He starred for them for fifteen years. [12] After his death, thousands of fans were able to view Ruth's body as he lay in state at Yankee Stadium. [13] From August 17th to the 18th his mahagony casket was placed in the stadium lobby which was situated just behind home plate. [14] In the two days that Ruth was displayed in an open casket, it is estimated that 100,000 fans came to file past his casket. [8]

In 1998, the Montgomery Advertiser said that 77,000 people had jammed the streets to wait for their turn to come into Yankee Stadium. [15] People also traveled from other states to pay their respects. After the wake at Yankee Stadium, Ruth's body was moved on the night of August 18th and held at the Universal Funeral Chapel. [14]

St. Patrick's Cathedral

On August 19, there were 300 police assigned for crowd control at St. Patrick's Cathedral where a service for Ruth was to be held. [14] The Brooklyn Daily Eagle ran the headline, "180,000 Brave Rain as Rites Are Held for Babe Ruth" on August 19, 1948. There was a service for Ruth at St. Patrick's Cathedral and the majority of people could not enter the church so they waited outside. The funeral procession arrived at 11 am and Ruth was carried into the cathedral in a mahogany casket. [16] Roughly 5,000 people were able to enter the cathedral and the police estimated that 75,000 were waiting outside. The Messenger newspaper reported that the crowd fell silent when Ruth's body was taken from the hearse. Only the noise from the policemen's horses walking could be heard, and people looked on from rooftops and from the windows of the buildings near the church. [17] [18] Also attending the funeral were Leo Durocher, manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Mel Ott, right fielder of the New York Giants, and Hank Greenberg, former first baseman and outfielder from the Detroit Tigers. [19]

At the cathedral, Ruth's casket was placed on a catafalque which was surrounded by six lit candles. [20] The Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Francis Spellman delivered the requiem. [21] Cardinal Spellman did not deliver a eulogy but he said a special prayer asking that Ruth's memory may inspire future generations. [20] The text of his speech was reported by The Catholic Advance: [5]

May the Divine Spirit that inspired Babe Ruth to overcome hardships and win the crucial game of life animate many generations of American youth to learn to play their positions on all American teams, and may this generous-hearted soul, through the mercy of God, the final scoring of his own good deeds, and the prayers of his faithful friends, rest in everlasting peace. Amen.

Burial

The graves of Babe and Claire Ruth in Hawthorne, New York Babe Ruth 800.jpg
The graves of Babe and Claire Ruth in Hawthorne, New York

Ruth's casket, covered with a blanket of roses and orchids, was carried from St. Patrick's to the hearse after the mass. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat estimated that 75,000 people waited silently outside in the rain for the procession to leave. The procession included five flower cars, several limousines and the hearse carrying Ruth. The procession went through the Bronx, where thousands of people lined the streets to watch. [20]

The Catholic Advance estimated that 100,000 people lined the streets to watch Ruth's funeral procession along the 30 mi (48 km) route. [5] The procession ended at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery where 6,000 people came to pay respect and witness Ruth's casket being interred. [20]

Shortly after Ruth's death the New York City Council voted to create Babe Ruth Plaza near Yankee Stadium. [22] After his burial, a granite monument was placed on top of his gravesite, depicting Jesus Christ blessing a boy in a baseball uniform. His wife Claire was later buried alongside him, after her death in 1976. [23] On September 21, 2008, at the sixtieth anniversary of Ruth's death, St. Patrick's Cathedral held a memorial mass in his honor. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babe Ruth</span> American baseball player (1895–1948)

George Herman "Babe" Ruth was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", he began his MLB career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its "first five" inaugural members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yankee Stadium (1923)</span> Former baseball stadium in the Bronx, New York

The original Yankee Stadium was located in the Bronx in New York City. It was the home of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 2008, except for 1974–1975 when it was renovated. It hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the home of the New York Giants National Football League (NFL) team from October 21, 1956 through September 23, 1973. The stadium's nickname is "The House That Ruth Built" which is derived from Babe Ruth, the baseball superstar whose prime years coincided with the stadium's opening and the beginning of the Yankees' winning history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Mantle</span> American baseball player (1931–1995)

Mickey Charles Mantle, nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York Yankees, primarily as a center fielder. Mantle is regarded by many as being one of the best players and sluggers of all time. He was an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player three times and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

<i>The Pride of the Yankees</i> 1942 film by Sam Wood

The Pride of the Yankees is a 1942 American sports drama film produced by Samuel Goldwyn, directed by Sam Wood, and starring Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, and Walter Brennan. It is a tribute to the legendary New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, who died a year before its release, at age 37, from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which later became known to the lay public as "Lou Gehrig's disease".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Maris</span> American baseball player (1934–1985)

Roger Eugene Maris was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 home runs in 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miller Huggins</span> American baseball player and manager (1878–1929)

Miller James Huggins was an American professional baseball player and manager. Huggins played second base for the Cincinnati Reds (1904–1909) and St. Louis Cardinals (1910–1916). He managed the Cardinals (1913–1917) and New York Yankees (1918–1929), including the Murderers' Row teams of the 1920s that won six American League (AL) pennants and three World Series championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Braves Field</span> American baseball park

Braves Field was a baseball park located in Boston, Massachusetts. Today the site is home to Nickerson Field on the campus of Boston University. The stadium was home of the Boston Braves of the National League from 1915 to 1952, prior to the Braves' move to Milwaukee in 1953. The stadium hosted the 1936 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and Braves home games during the 1948 World Series. The Boston Red Sox used Braves Field for their home games in the 1915 and 1916 World Series since the stadium had a larger seating capacity than Fenway Park. Braves Field was the site of Babe Ruth's final season, playing for the Braves in 1935. From 1929 to 1932, the Boston Red Sox played select regular season games periodically at Braves Field. On May 1, 1920, Braves Field hosted the longest major league baseball game in history: 26 innings, which eventually ended in a 1–1 tie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Creamer</span> American sportswriter (1922–2012)

Robert Watts Creamer was an American sportswriter and editor. He spent most of his career at Sports Illustrated.

<i>The Babe</i> 1992 film by Arthur Hiller

The Babe is a 1992 American biographical sports drama film about the life of famed baseball player Babe Ruth, who is portrayed by John Goodman. Directed by Arthur Hiller, written by John Fusco, it was released in the United States on April 17, 1992, to mixed reviews. The somewhat fictionalized account of Ruth's life begins in Maryland with his childhood. The film covers his personal life and rise as a ball player with the Red Sox, trade to New York, and decline in health and career that ends with his walking away after being a "name only" manager to boost ticket sales.

The 1948 New York Yankees season was the team's 46th season. The team finished with a record of 94–60, finishing 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians and 1.5 games behind the second-place Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Bucky Harris. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium.

<i>The Babe Ruth Story</i> 1948 film by Roy Del Ruth

The Babe Ruth Story is a 1948 American biographical film about professional baseball player Babe Ruth (1895–1948), who achieved fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Directed by Roy Del Ruth, the film stars William Bendix as the ballplayer and Claire Trevor as his wife Claire Merritt Hodgson. The film initially received positive reviews, however, modern-day critics faulted the film's heavy-handedness and direction, and it is said by many to be one of the worst films ever made.

The 1919 Major League Baseball season is best remembered for the Black Sox Scandal, in which the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, 5–3, in order to illegally gain money from gambling. This scandal resulted in the dissolution of the National Baseball Commission and the creation of the office of the Commissioner of Baseball. The new commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, banned eight players from baseball for life. The season began on April 19, 1919, when the Brooklyn Robins defeated the Boston Braves 5–2 at Braves Field in the first game of a doubleheader. The regular season ended on September 29 with the New York Yankees defeating the Philadelphia Athletics 4–2 at Shibe Park, with the infamous 1919 World Series opening two days later in Cincinnati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lou Gehrig</span> American baseball player (1903–1941)

Henry Louis Gehrig was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned for his prowess as a hitter and for his durability, which earned him his nickname "the Iron Horse". He is widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He was an All-Star seven consecutive times, a Triple Crown winner once, an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player twice, and a member of six World Series champion teams. He had a career .340 batting average, .632 slugging average, and a .447 on-base average. He hit 493 home runs and had 1,995 runs batted in (RBI). He still has the highest ratio of runs scored plus runs batted in per 100 plate appearances (35.08) and per 100 games (156.7) among Hall of Fame players. In 1939, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and was the first MLB player to have his uniform number (4) retired by a team.

The Yankee Stadium Legacy set is a 6,752-card compilation chronicling every single game the New York Yankees ever played at the original Yankee Stadium since April 18, 1923. The card set was manufactured by Upper Deck and made its official debut by being randomly inserted into packs of Upper Deck’s 2008 Series 1 Baseball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State funerals in the United States</span> Funeral rites reserved for U.S. state officials or important citizens

In the United States, state funerals are the official funerary rites conducted by the federal government in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., that are offered to a sitting or former president, a president-elect, high government officials and other civilians who have rendered distinguished service to the nation. Administered by the Military District of Washington (MDW), a command unit of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region, state funerals are greatly influenced by protocol, steeped in tradition, and rich in history. However, the overall planning as well as the decision to hold a state funeral, is largely determined by a president and their family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ban Johnson Park</span> Baseball stadium

Ban Johnson Park was a baseball stadium located in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was also known as Whittington Park and McKee Park. The ballpark was located within today's Whittington Park Historic District and directly across from the still active Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo.

Cecil Rutherford "Rud" Rennie, newspaperman, was a sportswriter for the New York Herald Tribune, chiefly assigned to the New York Yankees baseball team and the New York Giants football team, for some 36 years. He was a friend and confidant of many celebrated sports figures such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Pepper Martin, and Dizzy Dean, as well as his many colleagues in the press box. Much quoted from his writings as well as tossed-off quips, Rennie was a member of The Newspaper Guild from its founding in 1933. He served on the board of directors of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, and was frequently on the yearly selection committee for Most Valuable Player and the Honor Roll, and was on the executive committee of the New York Chapter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christy Walsh (sports agent)</span> American sports agent

Walter "Christy" Walsh was an American writer, cartoonist, and sports agent. He is best known for acting as Babe Ruth's agent, and is considered to be the first sports agent in baseball.

<i>Babe Ruth Bows Out</i> 1949 Pulitzer Prize winning photograph

Babe Ruth Bows Out, also known as The Babe Bows Out, is a 1948 photograph of Major League Baseball player Babe Ruth taken by New York Herald Tribune photographer Nathaniel Fein at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx. The picture won the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Photography.

References

  1. ↑ Maloney, William James; Weinberg, Mea A. (July 2008). "A comprehensive analysis of Babe Ruth's head and neck cancer". Journal of the American Dental Association . 139 (7): 926–932. doi:10.14219/jada.archive.2008.0279. ISSN   0002-8177. PMID   18594078. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  2. ↑ Altman, Lawrence K. (December 29, 1998). "The Doctor's World; Ruth's Other Record: Cancer Pioneer". The New York Times. p. F1.
  3. ↑ Markel, Howard (August 15, 2014). "Home run king Babe Ruth helped pioneer modern cancer treatment". PBS News Hour . Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  4. ↑ Cummins, Eleanor (February 6, 2018). "No one told Babe Ruth he had cancer, but his death changed the way we fight it". Popular Science . Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Kelly, Jim (August 27, 1948). "6,000 Jam Into Cathedral For Babe Ruth funeral". The Catholic Advance. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Former Yankees Star Passes Away in Sleep". The Baltimore Sun . August 17, 1948. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Babe Ruth's body to lie in state in stadium that is his memorial". United Press International . August 17, 1948. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Syken, Bill (September 23, 2022). "Bye Bye, Bambino: The Funeral of Babe Ruth". Life . Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "List of 57 Pallbearers For Babe Ruth funeral". The Morning Call . Associated Press. August 18, 1948. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Mates, Newspapermen Honorary Pallbearers for Babe Ruth Funeral". The Scranton Times-Tribune . August 18, 1948. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  11. ↑ Apple, Charles. "The career of baseball legend Babe Ruth The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  12. ↑ Leavy, Jane (December 30, 2019). "Why on Earth Did Boston Sell Babe Ruth to the Yankees?". New York Times. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  13. ↑ Phillips, Thomas D. (2012). Touching All the Bases: Baseball in 101 Fascinating Stories . Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 69. ISBN   978-08108-85523.
  14. 1 2 3 "Babe Ruth's funeral Rites Will Be Held This Morning at St. Patrick's Cathedral". St. Joseph Gazette . Associated Press. August 19, 1948. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024.
  15. ↑ Bock, Hal (August 16, 1998). "Even in Death, Ruth Larger Than Life". Montgomery Advertiser . Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024.
  16. ↑ Kaufman, L. (August 19, 1948). "180,000 Brave Rain as Rites Are Held for Babe Ruth". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Archived from the original on February 8, 2024.
  17. ↑ Thousands Stand in Rain. New York, New York: Time Inc. August 30, 1948. pp. 20–21. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024.
  18. ↑ Mercer, charles (August 19, 1948). "Huge Throngs View Babe Ruth funeral". The Messenger. p. 4. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  19. ↑ Schwartz, Larry (November 19, 2003). "Ruth packs another house for his funeral". ESPN . Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "75,000 Stand in the Rain at Draft:Babe Ruth funeral". St. Louis Globe-Democrat . Associated Press. August 20, 1948. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024.
  21. ↑ Kaufman, L. (August 19, 1948). "Mourners Jam St. Patrick's Flow Into Surrounding Streets". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  22. 1 2 Sandomir, Richard (September 6, 2008). "Yankees Have Yet to Honor Ruth in His House's Final Season". The New York Times . Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  23. ↑ Kilgannon, Corey (October 5, 2018). "Where Babe Ruth Still Draws Fans". The New York Times . Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.