George Herman “Babe” Ruth went by many nicknames and titles during his lifetime, but “Saint” was not one of them.
One of the most popular sports figures in history, the Babe displayed extravagance both on and off the baseball diamond. In 1925, he nearly died from a stomach illness—dubbed “The Bellyache Heard ’Round the World”—that some reports blamed on an exorbitant amount of soda and hot dogs. More likely, it was a disease he had contracted through adulterous affairs while married to Helen Woodford Ruth, which led to their eventual separation.
However, the arc of the Great Bambino’s life mirrors that of many sinners who, by God’s mercy and the example of others, overcome periods of moral decadence and dissipation.
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