The era of baseball played during the Babe Ruth era should be viewed from the same retrospective viewpoint that we judge each aspect of any progressive change within society. We shouldn’t attribute undeserving accolades for seemingly simplistic deeds or efforts. Moreover, some may argue that it’s just baseball, track or boxing. Conversely, it would be tough to argue against the fact that they are sports. What makes each of them transcend beyond just sports is the impact. It would be easy to speak of the impact of Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson or Jeese Owens because they seemingly stood up during difficult times and against significant obstacles. Each of them impacted some elements of society. Babe Ruth impact may have been less dynamic or celebrated but his impact was felt and reflected society progress as it relates to sports, race relations and economic growth. While our relationship with sports has always been complicated, it has been a platform to address social and racial injustices. In addition, it has influenced economic development within society. We should view the accomplishment of Babe Ruth in the same manner that we viewed Jackie Robinson or Hank Aaron. Babe Ruth was …show more content…
Italians suffered the indignity of being referred to as “dago’s and wops”. Blacks were referred to as “niggers”. Jewish, Latino’s and Irish suffered similar verbal abuses while trying to break into America’s pastime. We can’t ignore the fact that baseball predated integration occurred long before the infamous Civil Rights Act legislation by almost 2 decades. This simply act suggests that the Ruth and baseball was at the forefront of progressive thinkers and that seed for inclusion had been planted long ago. While these changes toward acceptance might not have spawned immediate equality, it still fosters a movement towards