The Great Bambino. The Sultan of Swat. The Behemoth of Bust. All are nicknames for the great George Herman “Babe” Ruth, a nationally renowned baseball Hall of Famer, best known for his left-handed pitching for the Boston Red Sox, his prodigiously powerful swings for the New York Yankees, and his all-around beguiling personality. Most overlook the latter due to his overshadowing spectacular career, however, his love for philanthropy and for helping youth landed him on this community’s very own stomping grounds: Seattle Prep.

Before his journey in philanthropy, before his fame, and long before he became the benevolent, 6′ 2” giant that he was, seven-year-old Ruth was what he considered a “bad kid”. Consequentially, he was sent to St. Mary’s Industrial Training School where he met the man to whom he attributed his career to, Martin Leo Boutilier; or as Ruth knew him, Brother Matthias. Ruth idolized Brother Matthias and would “watch him bug-eyed,” Ruth said, as he was shown the ropes of baseball as well as the foundations of his journey of faith. His high school baseball career swiftly transformed into a major league profession.

In 1914, Ruth became a minor league player for the Baltimore Orioles in which he participated for merely half of a season. Rumor had it that Ruth acquired a certain curiosity for an elevator in Fayetteville, Arkansas while attending spring training. He was said to have ridden it up and down over and over again until his teammates could not help but poke fun at him. After that, Ruth was dubbed the baby of the team, or “Babe”.

In the six seasons that Ruth pitched for the Boston Red Sox, and the fifteen seasons that he later played for the New York Yankees, he continued to attend morning mass. The early teachings of Brother Matthias remained an influence on him years later. So much so that the affluent King of Swat gifted his old friend a $5,000 Cadillac as a ‘thank you’.

His generosity did not end there. Ruth was known to stay after games, sometimes for hours, in order to connect with his young fans. He even visited young children in orphanages and in hospitals, spreading love for baseball all over the country.

In 1924, Ruth and his teammate Lou Gehrig embarked on their barnstorming tour of the West Coast. “Bustin’ Babe” and his trusty right-hand man “Larrupin’ Lou” seized the Seattle-Tacoma area, drawing colossal crowds everywhere they went. On October 19th, they played exhibition games in places like Dugdale Park in Rainier Valley raising funds for charity. On the 20th, Ruth was recognized at a banquet hosted by P-I and took place at Rainier Club.

The power pair then made their way to Capital Hill and found themselves pummeling baseballs from the front steps of the original Adelphia Hall, all the way to 10th Avenue.

The King of Crash went as quickly as he came. He departed for Portland directly after his short-lived visit to Prep; leaving Seattleites with loads to talk about and memories to last a lifetime. His legacy at Prep lives on in a black-and-white picture plastered on the wall in the Great Room, forever inspiring young athletes to be men and women for others.