100 Years Ago: Babe Ruth Hits First Run Against the New York Yankees

Baseball fans in Greater Boston are celebrating a Red Sox milestone today - well, sort of.

The Boston Globe reported that on May 6, 1915, Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run in a 13-inning loss to the New York Yankees.

Ruth, who was graced with several nicknames throughout his career such as “The Great Bambino,” and the “Sultan of Swat,” also pitched 12 1/3 innings in the match-up, which ended with a final score of 4-3.

His first home run at Fenway Park, which was on June 25 of the same year, resulted in a 9-5 Sox win over the Yankees.

Red Sox fans remember Babe Ruth for his championship-winning pedigree in the Bronx - after being sold from Boston on Dec. 26, 1919.

The transaction, because of Ruth’s role in the New York championships of the 1920s, is referred to as the “Curse of the Bambino.” Perhaps the most important piece of Boston baseball lore, the curse is said to be the reason for the Fenway pennant drought, which didn’t end until the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004.

Back in 1915, Babe Ruth purely bled Boston red. He won three championships with the franchise before earning four rings with the Yankees.

It’s anybody’s guess what Red Sox fans will be thinking about more: Babe’s years in Boston - or the ones that followed.

Photo Credit: National Baseball Hall of Fame Library

Read the Boston Globe story for more on Babe Ruth’s Red Sox-era stats.