There are some men who are thrust into the public eye by their actions, like a person who shows bravery in extreme conditions, and there are some men who can literally force their way into the spotlight, like politicians. And there are a very few man who become centers of national attention as much for what they do as for the way they do it.

George Herman Ruth, also known as the Babe, Bambino, Sultan of the Swat, and even as Tarzan, was one of those men. In the time just after World War I, he stepped into the limelight both for his spectacular ball playing and for his spectacular off-the-field escapades.

The Babe was a simple man fond of his creature comforts, liquor, women and fancy cars. He rose from humble origins (although not an orphan, he was placed in an institution for orphans by his father) to be more popular than the President of the United States. At the height of his success and his salary, reporters pointed out to the Bambino that at $80,000 a year, he was making more than President Hoover ($75,000). "What the hell," Ruth said, "I had a better year than he did last year."

Ruth began as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in 1914. In two years, he became the best pitcher in the majors, posting a 23-12 record, but after two more years, he switched to outfield to get more chances to bat. Ruth enjoyed pitching, and, indeed, once said his greatest thrill in baseball was the 29 2/3 scoreless innings he pitched in the World Series for the Bosox. His second greatest thrill, however, was the 587-ft. home run he hit in Tampa in the spring of 1919, and that symbolized the beginning of his years of batting feats.

In January of 1920, Boston made the most celebrated sale in the history of baseball when they gave Ruth to the New York Yankees for the then-astronomical sum of $100,000 and a loan of $300,000 to help faltering Red Sox club owner Harry Frazee.

The spring of 1920 opened a new chapter not only in Ruth's career but in the history of baseball as well. That season the Babe hit a whopping 54 home runs--close to twice the previous mark for home runs in a single season--batted .376 and recorded a slugging average of .847, a record that stands to this day. This has been called the greatest season ever by a major league player and if Ruth had another season matching it, only the 1921 season could come close. Ruth, in 152 games that year, batted .378, connected on 59 home runs, and notched a slugging average of .846.

Ruth matched his play on the field with his playing on the town. He partied every night and a New York City policeman often would encounter a drunk Ruth barrelling down a one-way street the wront way in one of his slick automobiles. More often than not, however, the policeman would not only pardon him, but would offer to drive him the rest of the way home. All this carousing eventually lead to marital problems and after the death of his first wife from whom he was already separated, Ruth married Claire Hodgson, who is still alive.

After his peak in the late twenties, Ruth's knees began to give out from under his great body. His powerful arms could still wield a bat, but his legs could no longer carry him around the bases or the outfield. He was released from the Yankees in 1934 but his obstinacy carried him into the 1935 season with the Boston Braves. In a game against the Pirates on May 25, 1935, the Babe hit his last three home runs.

Ruth wanted a chance at managing, but most owners felt that he could hardly control himself, much less an entire team. Ruth died in the summer of 1948 from a throat cancer that had plagued him for many years, but the legend of the most liked, one of the wildest and very likely the best baseball player of all time, is still very much present decades later.