MLB power rankings: Top 30 nicknames of all-time
By John Buhler
8. Babe Ruth: The Bambino
The most celebrated baseball player of all-time Babe Ruth also have a ton of nicknames to go along with his larger than life persona, including Babe. George Herman Ruth would acknowledge nicknames like the Sultan of Swat and the Colossus of Clout, but The Bambino is the one that resonates the most over time.
Ruth was a former left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox before reinventing himself as a power-hitting outfielder for the New York Yankees. The Curse of the Bambino became synonymous with Ruth, as the Yankees would win seven World Series during his playing career, while the Red Sox would go title-less for 86 years after the lopsided trade.
Ruth would set all-time home run record at 714 at the time of his retirement, which would stand until Hank Aaron broke it in 1974 with the Atlanta Braves. The Bambino nickname exemplified Ruth’s on and off-field persona more than any nickname of his.
He was the MLB’s first true power hitter, a big time partier off the field, and a guy who really cared about the kids. Ruth would die at age 53 in Manhattan in 1948, but his baseball legacy remains one that will likely never be tarnished in any capacity. There was only one Bambino.