George Herman Ruth followed his father, John, in the lightning rod business, and after a succession of small jobs, wound up as a bartender. It was during his time at the family's saloon that he married Catherine Schamberger, a newly arrived German native. In 1895 Kate gave birth to the first of eight children, George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Jr. George, Sr. continued to run saloons in the area during Babe's boyhood. The location of one of these saloons was in the area of centerfield of what is now Oriole Park at Camden Yards. By the time Babe was five George Sr. was running his own saloon, over which his family lived. The neighborhood was poor and rough, and young Babe, with two parents working constantly and having little time to guide their son, picked up many of the area's bad habits. In the spring of 1902 George, Sr., unable to manage Babe, made the fateful decision to send him to St. Mary's school for boys. Babe spent the better part of the next twelve years there, finding companionship, family and his true love, baseball. Over the ensuing years George Sr.'s time with Babe was sporadic at best. Babe's time off from the school was brief and George Sr.'s interest in being a father, an only parent since Kate's death in 1912, was limited. Over the years George continued to run his saloon and even remarried. On Saturday, August 24, 1918, at his saloon on Eutaw and Lombard streets, a quarrel had broken out among his second wife's family, and George Sr. intervened. Outside the bar he got into a fight with one of the men, fell and hit his head. He was taken to University Hospital where he died shortly thereafter. Babe and his wife attended the services, and eventually cut mosts ties with the Baltimore area and it's bad memories.
George Herman Ruth followed his father, John, in the lightning rod business, and after a succession of small jobs, wound up as a bartender. It was during his time at the family's saloon that he married Catherine Schamberger, a newly arrived German native. In 1895 Kate gave birth to the first of eight children, George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Jr. George, Sr. continued to run saloons in the area during Babe's boyhood. The location of one of these saloons was in the area of centerfield of what is now Oriole Park at Camden Yards. By the time Babe was five George Sr. was running his own saloon, over which his family lived. The neighborhood was poor and rough, and young Babe, with two parents working constantly and having little time to guide their son, picked up many of the area's bad habits. In the spring of 1902 George, Sr., unable to manage Babe, made the fateful decision to send him to St. Mary's school for boys. Babe spent the better part of the next twelve years there, finding companionship, family and his true love, baseball. Over the ensuing years George Sr.'s time with Babe was sporadic at best. Babe's time off from the school was brief and George Sr.'s interest in being a father, an only parent since Kate's death in 1912, was limited. Over the years George continued to run his saloon and even remarried. On Saturday, August 24, 1918, at his saloon on Eutaw and Lombard streets, a quarrel had broken out among his second wife's family, and George Sr. intervened. Outside the bar he got into a fight with one of the men, fell and hit his head. He was taken to University Hospital where he died shortly thereafter. Babe and his wife attended the services, and eventually cut mosts ties with the Baltimore area and it's bad memories.
Family Members
Siblings
