Babe Ruth is elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame with a record of hitting 64 home runs in 1927

George Herman Ruth is the original, greatest American slugger of his time. His teammates would always refer to him as “Dunn’s babe” because he was his coach’s most valuable player. His nickname stuck with him throughout his life and he was later recognized as Babe Ruth. In 1927, Ruth set the record for the most home runs in a single season, striking 60 long balls in just 151 games.

On this day, February 2, in 1936, Babe Ruth was nominated as one of the five inductees for the Baseball Hall of Fame. His record of 60 home runs set the single season record until broken 34 years later by Roger Maris. Also a pitcher during a portion of his career, Ruth set the World Series record for innings pitched and for winning 89 games in six years.

Babe Ruth played for three major league teams in his lifetime: the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Boston Braves. At the end of his storied career in 1935, he retired with a total of 714 home runs.