Well now, if you’re wonderin’ how ol’ Babe Ruth passed on, let me tell ya. It was on August 16, 1948, when the great man left this world. He didn’t go easy, no sir. It was a kind of cancer that got him, somethin’ to do with his throat, though folks say it was more than just that. He had a hard time swallerin’ and was hurtin’ bad, specially over his left eye, back in ’46. Doctors found a nasty tumor sittin’ at the base of his skull, and there wasn’t much they could do about it.
Now, Ruth wasn’t the kind of man to just lay down and give up. He tried everything, like hormone treatments and even surgery. They also tried radiation and chemotherapy on him. Back then, they didn’t know as much as they do now about those treatments, but ol’ Babe, he was one of the first folks to get all that done. Sadly, though, it didn’t work. His cancer kept comin’ back, and he couldn’t fight it no more.
Even in his last days, Babe Ruth didn’t just sit in bed and mope. No, he was still meetin’ folks, answerin’ letters, and keepin’ busy, right up until August 15, the day before he passed. Can you imagine? A man that famous, still takin’ the time to talk to his fans and folks who loved him, right until the very end. That shows you the heart of the man.
But the cancer, it kept comin’ back, and he didn’t stand a chance against it. Ruth’s health just kept gettin’ worse. By the time he died, he’d been through more treatments than most people ever get. And still, that cancer took him. He passed away early in the mornin’ on August 16, and the whole baseball world went into shock. Everybody was so sad, ‘cause they knew they’d never see another like him.
Now, when it came time for his funeral, well, let me tell ya, it was somethin’ to behold. They had his body out at Yankee Stadium, where he’d hit so many of those famous home runs. Thousands of folks came to pay their respects, and then they moved his body over to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Folks said it was one of the biggest send-offs anyone had ever seen. The man was loved, and folks made sure he was honored right.
That funeral went on for three days, with people comin’ in from all over to say goodbye. Even folks who didn’t know much about baseball knew how big Ruth was, and how much he meant to the country. Ruth wasn’t just a baseball player, he was an icon, a man that represented all the good things about America. And his death was a reminder of how fragile life is, no matter how strong ya are on the field.
Before he passed, Ruth had done a lot of good in the world, too. He even helped with the war efforts durin’ World War II, doin’ public appearances to raise morale. That’s the kind of man he was – always tryin’ to do right, even when his own life was fallin’ apart. And even though he was taken from us too soon, Babe Ruth’s legacy lives on. He’ll always be remembered as one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game, and his story continues to inspire people everywhere.
So there ya have it. That’s how Babe Ruth died. A tragic end for a man who brought so much joy to the world. But even though he’s gone, we’ll never forget him. Not as long as there’s baseball, and not as long as people still talk about the Babe.
Tags:[Babe Ruth, Babe Ruth death, baseball legend, throat cancer, cancer treatments, Yankee Stadium funeral, baseball icon, American sports history, Babe Ruth legacy]