Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig at United States Military Academy, West Point, NY May 6th 1927 Source US National Archives Author USMA
On this day, December 26th, 1919, Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox is sold to the New York Yankees by owner Harry Frazee. While there are several theories as to why Ruth was traded, one of the reasons was certainly because Ruth had demanded a $20,000.00 raise from Frazee. Ruth also made it well known that he would not play until his raise took effect. Frazee knew that he would not be able to accommodate him and was searching for an alternative solution.
His solution, to trade Babe Ruth, would keep superstitious fans on their toes for decades to come. After Ruth, aka, The Bambino was traded, the Boston Red Sox would not win another world series until 2004. Prior to the swap, The Boston Red Sox were one of the most successful professional baseball franchises. “The Curse of the Bambino”, however was not popularized until an article in the New York Times in 1990, prompting Red Sox fans to “Reverse the Curse”.
His solution, to trade Babe Ruth, would keep superstitious fans on their toes for decades to come. After Ruth, aka, The Bambino was traded, the Boston Red Sox would not win another world series until 2004. Prior to the swap, The Boston Red Sox were one of the most successful professional baseball franchises. “The Curse of the Bambino”, however was not popularized until an article in the New York Times in 1990, prompting Red Sox fans to “Reverse the Curse”.
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