This Day in Baseball History

1925 - The Babe collapses

Two years removed from winning the first World Series in franchise history, the New York Yankees saw their hopes for the 1925 season take a hit when, towards the end of spring training, Babe Ruth collapsed in a train station in Asheville, NC. 

Having just turned 30, Ruth was larger than life, and his indulgent, nocturnal, hard-partying ways had apparently reached a fever pitch. He showed up to training camp grossly overweight, and according to teammate Joe Dugan it had been "day and night, broads and booze," all offseason. 

Ruth collapsed at the Asheville train depot as his team was readying to depart following an exhibition game. After staying behind to recover, he boarded a train for New York—then collapsed again, this time slamming his head on the floor.

The fall caused quite a stir, and a London newspaper even published an obituary on the Babe. Reporters elsewhere who knew better began jokingly referring to the incident as “The Bellyache Heard ’Round the World.”

Doctors soon found that Ruth was suffering from an ulcer, and after an operation, Ruth was confined to a month of rest and recovery in the hospital.

He returned to a Yankees team that was 15-25, and he never quite got going. He had, by his standards, a down year, hitting "only" .290/.393/.543 with 25 home runs in 98 games. The Yankees finished the year at 69-85. They wouldn't have another losing season for 40 years. 

1979 - Earl Weaver wins his 1,000th game as skipper

Legendary skipper Earl Weaver only ever managed one team. He was the Baltimore Orioles' bench boss from 1968-1982, then again in 1985 and '86, and didn't oversee a losing season until his last one.

In 1979, in the first game of what would be the fourth AL pennant-winning season the Orioles won during his tenure, Weaver collected his milestone 1,000th win as manager, as his team beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3. 

Weaver would finish his career with 1,480 wins, a fantastic .583 winning percentage, and one World Series title, which he won in 1970. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a manager in 1996. 

Birthdays

1981 - Jorge De La Rosa

1985 - Ian Stewart

1985 - Lastings Millege 

1986 - Steve Clevenger