Adoptees who Inspire: Babe Ruth

See, funny movies can be educational

Today is opening day for America's favorite pastime: baseball!

Unfortunately, my San Francisco Giants are playing opening day against their rival Dodgers in Los Angeles, so they'll be no peanuts and cracker jacks for me (more like crab sandwiches and craft beer aka $30 lunch--worth every penny) at one of the best stadiums in all of baseball.

Naturally, this is the perfect day to talk about today's Adoptee Who Inspires. Did you know that arguably the most famous name in all of baseball was adopted? Yes, The Babe himself!

Never too old to hang out with the mascot

Unfortunately, since he died over 30 years before I was born, most of my knowledge about The Sultan of Swat comes from the awesome baseball movie, The Sandlot. Which means I know all of his nicknames, and that kids in the early 1960's idolized him.

However, the movie did not mention that The Great Bambino was adopted!

George Herman Ruth was born in 1895 to a bartender and his wife in Baltimore. He was the eldest of eight children. His parents decided they didn't have time for him, so they placed him with St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a combination orphanage and reform school. He had basically been living on the streets at this point, and was labeled "incorrigible." In what sounds like the plot of a Charles Dickens novel, his parents signed over custody to the Brothers who ran the institution.

At St. Mary's, Brother Mathias took a shine to young George, and encouraged his obvious affinity for baseball. After a talent scout named Jack Dunn recognized the young man's potential at age 19, Dunn became his legal guardian to circumvent custody orders, and the legendary baseball player was signed to the Baltimore Orioles.

Babe Ruth and his first wife went on to adopt his first daughter, Dorothy. After his first wife died in a fire, he remarried, and he and his wife adopted each other's children. What a great advocate for adoption!

The famous Crazy Crab'z Sandwich. Yours for only $1,000,000

I cannot wait to share me and my husband's love of baseball with our future child, and I'm looking forward to their first trip to magical AT&T Park.  I've already been looking at baby outfits for that special day. And we will chase Lou Seal the mascot around the park until we get a picture.

Okay, go enjoy some baseball in whatever fashion/fandom your region dictates. Hopefully your team isn't as injured as mine. Now..I just need some home opener tickets so I can go enjoy one of these sandwiches.

Play Ball!