Babe Ruth: Launching the Legend

The fascinating, nearforgotten tale of how Babe Ruth revolutionized baseball and became America's biggest hero, all in a single season

With World War I, the "Black Sox" scandal, and a dearth of home runs, 1920 looked like the end of baseball. Then, in a move forever known in Boston as the "Curse of the Bambino," Babe Ruth joined the Yankees. His timing was impeccable, and his season of seasons--with a record-breaking 54 home runs--was just the tonic America needed.

In Babe Ruth: Launching the Legend, baseball historian and critically acclaimed author Jim Reisler describes the remarkable impact Babe Ruth and the 1920 Yankees had on the game. Their brand of baseball was something never seen before, creating a level of excitement that rescued the game at its darkest hour. This is the story about that pivotal moment in baseball history, an era frozen in time, with Ruth on the verge of becoming a legend --and giving rise to the Yankees dynasty that endures to this day.

Jim Reisler (Irvington, NY) has written articles for The New York Times and Newsweek and is the acclaimed author of three baseball books: Black Writers/Black Baseball, Babe Ruth Slept Here, and Before They Were the Bombers.