Why was Babe Ruth's number retired?

On this date in 1948, George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. had his No. 3 jersey retired by the New York Yankees. Ruth advanced the sport of baseball immeasurably, dominating as both a pitcher and hitter like no one had ever seen before him. read more

On this day in 1935, Babe Ruth, one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, ends his Major League playing career after 22 seasons, 10 World Series and 714 home runs. The following year, Ruth, a larger-than-life figure whose name became synonymous with baseball, was one of the first five players inducted into the sport’s hall of fame. read more

His number was only retired for the New York Yankees. The only person to have his number retired league wide was Jackie Robinson. Babe Ruth has the third most homeruns and was also a good pitcher. He was just really good so out of respect they retired his number. read more

After playing 6 years with the Boston Red Sox, and 15 years with the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth retired from playing baseball after playing for the Boston Braves in 1935. read more

Hence, Babe Ruth wore number 3 and Lou Gehrig number 4. The first major leaguer whose number was retired was Gehrig, in July 1939, following his retirement due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which became known popularly as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Since then, over 150 other people have had their numbers retired, some with more than one team. read more