Editing Babe Ruth (section)

===Minor leagues: Baltimore Orioles===
In early 1914, Ruth signed a professional baseball contract with [[Jack Dunn (baseball)|Jack Dunn]], who owned and managed the [[Minor League Baseball|minor-league]] [[Baltimore Orioles (minor league)|Baltimore Orioles]], an [[International League]] team. The circumstances of Ruth's signing are not known with certainty. By some accounts, Dunn was urged to attend a game between an all-star team from St. Mary's and one from another Xaverian facility, [[Mount St. Mary's University|Mount St. Mary's College]]. Some versions have Ruth running away before the eagerly awaited game, to be punished, and then returning to pitch St. Mary's to victory as Dunn watched. Others have [[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]] pitcher [[Joe Engel]], a Mount St. Mary's graduate, pitching in an alumni game after watching a preliminary contest between the college's freshmen and a team from St. Mary's, including Ruth. Engel watched Ruth play, then told Dunn about him at a chance meeting in Washington. Ruth, in his autobiography, stated only that he worked out for Dunn for a half hour, and was signed.<ref name = "cream">{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=48–51}}</ref> According to biographer Kal Wagenheim, there were legal difficulties to be straightened out as Ruth was supposed to remain at the school until he turned 21, though{{efn|Ruth long thought his birthday was February 7, 1894. This was, in fact, the birthday of an elder brother of the same name, who died soon after birth. Ruth learned this when he needed a passport in 1934.}}<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=19}}</ref> [[SportsCentury]] stated in a documentary that Ruth had already been discharged from St. Mary's when he turned 19, and earned a monthly salary of $100.<ref name=":1" />

[[File:1914 Babe Ruth baseball card 02.jpeg|thumb|left|upright|[[Baseball card]] showing Ruth as a [[Baltimore Orioles (minor league)|Baltimore Oriole]], 1914]]
The train journey to spring training in [[Fayetteville, North Carolina]], in early March was likely Ruth's first outside the Baltimore area.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=20–21}}</ref> The rookie ballplayer was the subject of various pranks by veteran players, who were probably also the source of his famous nickname. There are various accounts of how Ruth came to be called "Babe", but most center on his being referred to as "Dunnie's babe" (or some variant). SportsCentury reported that his nickname was gained because he was the new "darling" or "project" of Dunn, not only because of Ruth's raw talent, but also because of his lack of knowledge of the proper etiquette of eating out in a restaurant, being in a hotel, or being on a train. "Babe" was, at that time, a common nickname in baseball, with perhaps the most famous to that point being [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] pitcher and [[1909 World Series]] hero [[Babe Adams]], who appeared younger than his actual age.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=36}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=22}}</ref>

Ruth made his first appearance as a professional ballplayer in an inter-squad game on March 7, 1914. He played shortstop and pitched the last two [[inning]]s of a 15–9 victory. In his second at-bat, Ruth hit a long home run to right field; the blast was locally reported to be longer than a legendary shot hit by [[Jim Thorpe]] in Fayetteville.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=61–62}}</ref> Ruth made his first appearance against a team in [[organized baseball]] in an exhibition game versus the major-league [[Philadelphia Phillies]]. Ruth pitched the middle three innings and gave up two runs in the fourth, but then settled down and pitched a scoreless fifth and sixth innings. In a game against the Phillies the following afternoon, Ruth entered during the sixth inning and did not allow a run the rest of the way. The Orioles scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to overcome a 6–0 deficit, and Ruth was the winning pitcher.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=66–67}}</ref>

Once the regular season began, Ruth was a star pitcher who was also dangerous at the plate. The team performed well, yet received almost no attention from the Baltimore press. A third major league, the [[Federal League]], had begun play, and the local franchise, the [[Baltimore Terrapins]], restored that city to the major leagues for the first time since 1902. Few fans visited [[Oriole Park]], where Ruth and his teammates labored in relative obscurity. Ruth may have been offered a bonus and a larger salary to jump to the Terrapins; when rumors to that effect swept Baltimore, giving Ruth the most publicity he had experienced to date, a Terrapins official denied it, stating it was their policy not to sign players under contract to Dunn.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=72–77}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=38–40}}</ref>

The competition from the Terrapins caused Dunn to sustain large losses. Although by late June the Orioles were in first place, having won over two-thirds of their games, the paid attendance dropped as low as 150. Dunn explored a possible move by the Orioles to [[Richmond, Virginia]], as well as the sale of a minority interest in the club. These possibilities fell through, leaving Dunn with little choice other than to sell his best players to major league teams to raise money.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=78–80}}</ref> He offered Ruth to the reigning [[World Series]] champions, [[Connie Mack]]'s [[Philadelphia Athletics]], but Mack had his own financial problems.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=26}}</ref> The [[Cincinnati Reds]] and [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] expressed interest in Ruth, but Dunn sold his contract, along with those of pitchers [[Ernie Shore]] and [[Ben Egan]], to the [[Boston Red Sox]] of the [[American League]] (AL) on July 4. The sale price was announced as $25,000 but other reports lower the amount to half that, or possibly $8,500 plus the cancellation of a $3,000 loan. Ruth remained with the Orioles for several days while the Red Sox completed a road trip, and reported to the team in Boston on July 11.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=40–41}}</ref>