Babe Ruth Wore a Cabbage Under His Hat! – Reason Behind the Odd Tradition Explored

George Herman Ruth changed the game of baseball. The Bambino made the ballpark synonymous with big hits and power-hitting when he walked onto the field in the 1920s. The ballpark would never be the same with Babe Ruth handling a baseball bat. But for all his achievements and excellence, Ruth had some pretty odd tactics that he employed too. Not just off the field, even while on it.

Ruth was a statistically blessed 2-way player that benefitted from playing in the live-ball era. Some would go as far as to say he ushered it in. But for all his hitting and his statistics, Babe Ruth’s swagger is unmatched.

His called home-run in the 1932 World Series is a part of the lore and so is his legendary trash talk. Even from home plate, Babe Ruth never failed to entertain. Speaking to catchers, opposing dugouts, and opposing fans alike, he never minced his words.

Babe Ruth and his Cabbage Trick

The 1920s were a great time in baseball, but they will have undoubtedly been hot too. The stadiums at the time never took the sun or wind flow too much into account and the diamond would have gotten tremendously heated, even on game days. And that’s where one more of Babe Ruth’s eccentricities strike.

The physical specimen of an athlete took to placing cabbage leaves under his cap to help with the heat. The 6’2″, 215-pound Ruth, often wore a piece of cabbage under his hat in the playing field to keep his head cool. Revolutionary.

Not to say that Babe Ruth ever lost his calm on the diamond. He was one of the smartest operators in the ballpark. Add to that one of the most composed to get into right field for the Yankees.

Read More: 106-Year-Old New York Yankees Fan Who Saw Babe Ruth Live Recalls His Most Iconic Moment

Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series Story

Ruth did the unthinkable in a World Series game in 1932. Against the Chicago Cubs, in Wrigley Field, Ruth took home plate in front of a raucous Chicago crowd.

In the fifth innings of Game 3, held on October 1st, 1932, Babe Ruth was against Cubs pitcher Charlie Root. Ruth picked up his head and glanced a look at the Cubs dugout before looking away at a flagpole past centerfield.

History followed. Down a 2-2 count, Ruth launched a home run at the exact spot he had marked before and pointed at the Cubs dugout while doing it. And the “Bambino’s Called Shot” became a part of baseball folklore.