Ruth and Aaron: Different Era, Similar Careers 2/5/16

Hey baseball fans!

Today and tomorrow, baseball will be celebrating two very important birthdays: Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth! Aaron was born on February 5, 1934 and Ruth was born on February 6, 1895. Besides their birthdays, what is similar between these two great Hall of Famers? Ruth played in the '20s and '30s, while Aaron played in the '50s and '60s, so how alike could they be?















Power, Power, and more Power

Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth are second (755) and third (714), respectively, in career home runs and are two of three hitters in baseball history to collect over 700 of them. They are also back-to-back on the all time RBIs list at one (2,297) and two (2,214), respectively, and are only two of four hitters to drive in 2,000+ runs in a career.

The Leader of a Dynasty
Babe Ruth won three World Series with the Red Sox in 1915, 1916, and 1918, but he was the true catalyst for the Yankees' World Series triumphs in 1923, 1927, 1928, and 1932. He led the team (and the league for that matter) in most offensive categories during the championship years and made each of his teammates a better ballplayer. A few decades later, Hank Aaron was leading his Braves to back-to-back World Series appearances in 1957 and 1958. The Milwaukee Braves' 1957 pennant turned out to be their only World Series victory during the Aaron era, but those two years were still some of the best in Braves history.

The Stars of Their Eras
Ruth was absolutely the best hitter in baseball during the time when he smacked long balls in the Bronx, which explains why he was inducted in the first ever Baseball Hall of Fame class in 1936. Aaron, even though his era was dominated by hitters like Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Duke Snider, and Roberto Clemente, was probably also the best hitter in baseball during his time. These two titans on the diamond really flourished under the spotlight.


But the question still remains: which one of these great baseball players was better, Ruth or Aaron? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. Thanks for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."