Editing Babe Ruth (section)

====Developing star====
[[File:Babe Ruth Boston pitching.jpg|thumb|left|Ruth pitching for the [[Boston Red Sox]]]]
On July 11, 1914, Ruth arrived in Boston with Egan and Shore. Ruth later told the story of how that morning he had met [[Helen Woodford Ruth|Helen Woodford]], who would become his first wife. She was a 16-year-old waitress at Landers Coffee Shop, and Ruth related that she served him when he had breakfast there. Other stories, though, suggested that the meeting occurred on another day, and perhaps under other circumstances. Regardless of when he began to court his first wife, he won his first game as a pitcher for the Red Sox that afternoon, 4–3, over the [[Cleveland Naps]]. His catcher was [[Bill Carrigan]], who was also the Red Sox manager. Shore was given a [[Starting pitcher|start]] by Carrigan the next day; he won that and his second start and thereafter was pitched regularly. Ruth lost his second start, and was thereafter little used.<ref name="debut" /> In his major league debut as a batter, Ruth went 0-for-2 against left-hander [[Willie Mitchell (baseball)|Willie Mitchell]], [[Strikeout|striking out]] in his first [[at bat]] before being removed for a [[pinch hitter]] in the seventh inning.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=87}}</ref> Ruth was not much noticed by the fans, as Bostonians watched the Red Sox's crosstown rivals, the [[Boston Braves|Braves]], begin [[1914 Boston Braves season|a legendary comeback]] that would take them from last place on the [[Fourth of July]] to the [[1914 World Series]] championship.<ref name="debut">{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=41–44}}</ref>

Egan was traded to Cleveland after two weeks on the Boston roster. During his time with the Red Sox, he kept an eye on the inexperienced Ruth, much as Dunn had in Baltimore. When he was traded, no one took his place as supervisor. Ruth's new teammates considered him brash and would have preferred him as a rookie to remain quiet and inconspicuous. When Ruth insisted on taking batting practice despite being both a rookie who did not play regularly and a pitcher, he arrived to find his bats sawed in half. His teammates nicknamed him "the Big Baboon", a name the swarthy Ruth, who had disliked the nickname "Niggerlips" at St. Mary's, detested.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=43–44}}</ref> Ruth had received a raise on promotion to the major leagues and quickly acquired tastes for fine food, liquor, and women, among other temptations.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=27–29}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=52–55}}</ref>

Manager Carrigan allowed Ruth to pitch two [[exhibition game]]s in mid-August. Although Ruth won both against minor-league competition, he was not restored to the pitching rotation. It is uncertain why Carrigan did not give Ruth additional opportunities to pitch. There are legends—filmed for the screen in ''[[The Babe Ruth Story]]'' (1948)—that the young pitcher had a habit of signaling his intent to throw a [[curveball]] by sticking out his tongue slightly, and that he was easy to hit until this changed. Creamer pointed out that it is common for inexperienced pitchers to display such habits, and the need to break Ruth of his would not constitute a reason to not use him at all. The biographer suggested that Carrigan was unwilling to use Ruth because of the rookie's poor behavior.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=89–90}}</ref>

[[File:1914 Providence Grays with Babe Ruth.jpg|thumb|right|[[Providence Grays (minor league)|Providence Grays]] team photo with Babe Ruth (top row, center), 1914]]
On July 30, 1914, Boston owner [[Joseph Lannin]] had purchased the minor-league [[Providence Grays (minor league)|Providence Grays]], members of the International League.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=44}}</ref> The Providence team had been owned by several people associated with the [[Detroit Tigers]], including star hitter [[Ty Cobb]], and as part of the transaction, a Providence pitcher was sent to the Tigers. To soothe Providence fans upset at losing a star, Lannin announced that the Red Sox would soon send a replacement to the Grays. This was intended to be Ruth, but his departure for Providence was delayed when Cincinnati Reds owner [[Garry Herrmann]] claimed him by [[Waivers (baseball)|waiver]]. After Lannin wrote to Herrmann explaining that the Red Sox wanted Ruth in Providence so he could develop as a player, and would not release him to a major league club, Herrmann allowed Ruth to be sent to the minors. Carrigan later stated that Ruth was not sent down to Providence to make him a better player, but to help the Grays win the International League [[pennant (sports)|pennant]] (league championship).<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=92–93}}</ref>

Ruth joined the Grays on August 18, 1914. After Dunn's deals, the Baltimore Orioles managed to hold on to first place until August 15, after which they continued to fade, leaving the pennant race between Providence and [[Rochester Red Wings|Rochester]]. Ruth was deeply impressed by Providence manager [[Bill Donovan|"Wild Bill" Donovan]], previously a star pitcher with a 25–4 [[Win–loss record (pitching)|win–loss record]] for Detroit in 1907; in later years, he credited Donovan with teaching him much about pitching. Ruth was often called upon to pitch, in one stretch starting (and winning) four games in eight days. On September 5 at [[Maple Leaf Park]] in Toronto, Ruth pitched a one-hit 9–0 victory, and hit his first professional home run, his only one as a minor leaguer, off [[Ellis Johnson (baseball)|Ellis Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.mlb.com/news/article/83873114/ten-facts-for-100th-anniversary-of-babe-ruths-debut/|title=Ten facts for 100th anniversary of the Babe's debut|last=Castrovince|first=Anthony|work=MLB.com|date=July 10, 2014|access-date=January 7, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109021513/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/83873114/ten-facts-for-100th-anniversary-of-babe-ruths-debut/|archive-date=January 9, 2017}}</ref> Recalled to Boston after Providence finished the season in first place, he pitched and won a game for the Red Sox against the [[New York Yankees]] on October 2, getting his first major league hit, a [[double (baseball)|double]]. Ruth finished the season with a record of 2–1 as a major leaguer and 23–8 in the International League (for Baltimore and Providence). Once the season concluded, Ruth married Helen in [[Ellicott City, Maryland]]. Creamer speculated that they did not marry in Baltimore, where the newlyweds boarded with George Ruth Sr., to avoid possible interference from those at St. Mary's—both bride and groom were not yet of age<ref name="99facts" /><ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=99–100}}</ref> and Ruth remained on parole from that institution until his 21st birthday.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=103}}</ref>

In March 1915, Ruth reported to [[Hot Springs, Arkansas]], for his first major league [[spring training]]. Despite a relatively successful first season, he was not slated to start regularly for the Red Sox, who already had two "superb" left-handed pitchers, according to Creamer: the established stars [[Dutch Leonard (left-handed pitcher)|Dutch Leonard]], who had broken the record for the lowest [[earned run average]] (ERA) in a single season; and [[Ray Collins (baseball)|Ray Collins]], a 20-game winner in both 1913 and 1914.{{sfnp|Creamer|1992|p=104}} Ruth was ineffective in his first start, taking the loss in the third game of the season. Injuries and ineffective pitching by other Boston pitchers gave Ruth another chance, and after some good [[relief pitcher|relief]] appearances, Carrigan allowed Ruth another start, and he won a rain-shortened seven inning game. Ten days later, the manager had him start against the New York Yankees at the [[Polo Grounds]]. Ruth took a 3–2 lead into the ninth, but lost the game 4–3 in 13 innings. Ruth, hitting ninth as was customary for pitchers, hit a massive home run into the upper deck in [[right fielder|right field]] off of [[Jack Warhop]]. At the time, home runs were rare in baseball, and Ruth's majestic shot awed the crowd. The winning pitcher, Warhop, would in August 1915 conclude a major league career of eight seasons, undistinguished but for being the first major league pitcher to give up a home run to Babe Ruth.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=106}}</ref>

[[File:Babe Ruth by Conlon, 1916.jpeg|thumb|left|Ruth during batting practice with the [[Boston Red Sox]] in 1916]]
Carrigan was sufficiently impressed by Ruth's pitching to give him a spot in the starting rotation. Ruth finished the 1915 season 18–8 as a pitcher; as a hitter, he batted .315 and had four home runs. The Red Sox won the [[List of American League pennant winners|AL pennant]], but with the pitching staff healthy, Ruth was not called upon to pitch in the [[1915 World Series]] against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]]. Boston won in five games. Ruth was used as a pinch hitter in Game Five, but [[Ground out (baseball)|grounded out]] against Phillies ace [[Grover Cleveland Alexander]].<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=50–52}}</ref> Despite his success as a pitcher, Ruth was acquiring a reputation for long home runs; at [[Sportsman's Park]] against the [[St. Louis Browns]], a Ruth hit soared over Grand Avenue, breaking the window of a [[Chevrolet]] dealership.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=33}}</ref>

In 1916, attention focused on Ruth's pitching as he engaged in repeated pitching duels with Washington Senators' ace [[Walter Johnson]]. The two met five times during the season with Ruth winning four and Johnson one (Ruth had a [[Win–loss record (pitching)|no decision]] in Johnson's victory). Two of Ruth's victories were by the score of 1–0, one in a 13-inning game. Of the 1–0 [[Shutouts in baseball|shutout]] decided without extra innings, AL president [[Ban Johnson]] stated, "That was one of the best ball games I have ever seen."<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=56–57}}</ref> For the season, Ruth went 23–12, with a 1.75 ERA and nine shutouts, both of which led the league.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=55}}</ref> Ruth's nine shutouts in 1916 set a league record for left-handers that would remain unmatched until [[Ron Guidry]] tied it in 1978.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schlueter |first=Roger |date=February 23, 2012 |title=Verlander's 2011 was epic |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=20120223&content_id=26813526&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040445/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=20120223&content_id=26813526&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=January 20, 2014 |website=MLB.com}}</ref> The Red Sox won the pennant and [[1916 World Series|World Series]] again, this time defeating the [[Brooklyn Dodgers|Brooklyn Robins]] (as the Dodgers were then known) in five games. Ruth started and won Game 2, 2–1, in 14 innings. Until another game of that length was played in 2005, this was the longest World Series game,{{efn|An 18-inning World Series game, also between the Red Sox and Dodgers, was played in 2018.}} and Ruth's pitching performance is still the longest postseason [[complete game]] victory.<ref name="99facts">{{cite magazine|last=Corcoran|first=Cliff|url=http://mlb.si.com/2013/07/11/99-cool-facts-about-babe-ruth/|date=July 11, 2013|access-date=January 20, 2014|title=99 cool facts about Babe Ruth|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208062047/http://mlb.si.com/2013/07/11/99-cool-facts-about-babe-ruth/|archive-date=February 8, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Berg |first=Ted |date=October 12, 2013 |title=12 longest games in MLB postseason history |url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/12-longest-games-in-mlb-postseason-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202121315/http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/12-longest-games-in-mlb-postseason-history/ |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |access-date=January 20, 2014 |work=[[USA Today]]}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=38}}</ref>

Carrigan retired as player and manager after 1916, returning to his native Maine to be a businessman. Ruth, who played under four managers who are in the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]], always maintained that Carrigan, who is not enshrined there, was the best skipper he ever played for.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=33, 85}}</ref> There were other changes in the Red Sox organization that offseason, as Lannin sold the team to a three-man group headed by New York theatrical promoter [[Harry Frazee]].<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=133}}</ref> [[Jack Barry (baseball)|Jack Barry]] was hired by Frazee as manager.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=134}}</ref>