Babe Ruth quotes

Babe Ruth was an American baseball player who became one of the sport’s greatest legends. His powerful hitting and charismatic personality transformed baseball and captivated fans across the nation. He set numerous records during his career and remains an enduring icon of American sports. Here are 85 of his quotes:

Yesterday's home runs don't win today's games.

Babe Ruth

You just can't beat the person who never gives up.

Babe Ruth

All ballplayers should quit when it starts to feel as if all the baselines run uphill.

Babe Ruth

If it wasn't for baseball, I'd be in either the penitentiary or the cemetery.

Babe Ruth

I didn't mean to hit the umpire with the dirt, but I did mean to hit that bastard in the stands.

Babe Ruth

Cobb is a prick. But he sure can hit. God Almighty, that man can hit.

Babe Ruth

If I'd just tried for them dinky singles I could've batted around .600.

Babe Ruth

I'll promise to go easier on drinking and to get to bed earlier, but not for you, fifty thousand dollars, or two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars will I give up women. They're too much fun.

Babe Ruth

Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.

Babe Ruth

Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back.

Babe Ruth

There is one hit of mine which will not stay in the official records, but which I believe to be the longest clout ever made off a major league pitcher. At least some of the veteran sport writers told me they never saw such a wallop. The Yanks were playing an exhibition game with the Brooklyn Nationals at Jacksonville, Fla., in April, 1920. Al Mamaux was pitching for Brooklyn. In the first inning, the first ball he sent me was a nice, fast one, a little lower than my waist, straight across the heart of the plate. It was the kind I murder, and I swung to kill it. The last time we saw the ball it was swinging its way over the 10-foot outfield fence of Southside Park and going like a shot. The ball cleared the fence by at least 75 feet. Let's say the total distance traveled was 500 feet: the fence was 423 feet from the plate. If such a hit had been made at the Polo Grounds, I guess the ball would have come pretty close to the top of the screen in the centerfield bleachers.

Babe Ruth

Of course I'm not kidding myself. My recent illness proved to me that I've reached the place now where I've got to take particularly good care of myself. A lot of the boys have been kidding me because they said that illness "scared me to death." Frankly it did scare me and I'm still scared. I hope to stay scared to the point where I never forget that taking care of myself is the most important thing in my life from now on.

Babe Ruth

To My Friend John Sylvester, Just a few words reminding you that I have not forgotten my sick little pal. Sorry I couldn't get out to see you but here's hoping this little message of cheer finds you well on the road to recovery. I will try to knock you another homer maybe two today. Best regards from your friend and rooter, "Babe” Ruth.

Babe Ruth

I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can.

Babe Ruth

After all, there's only one aswer to be made to the young fellow who is asking constantly for advice as to how to hit. The answer is: "Pick out a good one and sock it!

Babe Ruth

I copied Jackson's style because I thought he was the greatest hitter I had ever seen, the greatest natural hitter I ever saw. He's the guy who made me a hitter.

Babe Ruth

My answer to that [i.e. the question of whether Ruth hoped to set a new single-season HR record] was "No." I don't believe I can ever better my 60 mark that I made in 1927. And, frankly, I don't believe anyone else will beat it for a long time either.

Babe Ruth

That kid sure can bust 'em.

Babe Ruth

The only real game, I think, in the world is baseball.

Babe Ruth

I'm afraid that someday I'll kill some pitcher. It is one thing I've always dreaded. My heart stood still in that game in Detroit when I almost got Ehmke with that drive through the box. I thought for a certainty that the ball would hit him before he got his hands up to protect himself. A couple of pitchers have asked me not to hit the ball back at them, and I always try not to. Why should I try to hurt any ball players? We are all out there trying to make a living, and no man worthwhile would deliberately try to injure another.

Babe Ruth

Who is richer? The man who is seen, but cannot see? Or the man who is not being seen, but can see?

Babe Ruth

Reading isn't good for a ballplayer. Not good for his eyes. If my eyes went bad even a little bit I couldn't hit home runs. So I gave up reading.

Babe Ruth