June 2, 1935 – All good things must come to an end, in fact even the great careers of athletes. It occurred on this day that future Baseball Hall of Fame legend Babe Ruth announced his retirement as a player at 40 years of age. Ruth, most famously of the New York Yankees, started his career as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox from 1914 through 1919.
He was then famously traded to the Yankees and batted himself into immortality of the pinstriped team as he played in New York for 15 years. Few people realize that he in fact spent his final partial season as a player back in Boston in the NL as a member of the Boston Braves in 1935 before issuing this retirement notice.
He finished his career as the MLB’s leading Home Run hitter with 714, and that record lasted for almost 50 years until a future Braves player named Hank Aaron broke it.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Sports History On This Day: July 26
July 26, 1953 – Across the pond of the Atlantic there was the annual Tour de
Sports History On This Day: July 25
July 25, 1902 – James J. Jeffries is an interesting character in boxing history. Big
The Origins of Golf: A Deep Dive into the History of the Sport
The origin story of golf, one of the most popular sports that is played
Sports History On This Day: July 24
July 24, 1908 – There was some controversy at the London Olympic Marathon. American runner
Sports History On This Day: July 23
July 23, 1925 – As a child did you ever imagine yourself crushing that game-winning
Sports History On This Day: July 22
July 22, 1967 – They just couldn’t find their way out or at least the
Sports History On This Day: July 21
July 21, 1957 – A milestone moment in sports history. A young lady by the
Sports History On This Day: July 20
July 20, 1858 – The very first charged admission to see a baseball game occurred