A troubled child abandoned by his parents at the age of 
    7, Ruth was labelled "incorrigible" during his 12 years 
    at St. Mary's Orphanage. His first marriage to waitress 
    Helen Woodford was a failure, compounded by her tragic 
    death in a house fire in 1929. 

    In his final years, Ruth's dreams of becoming a major 
    league manager were dashed over and over again. After his 
    retirement from baseball, he was reduced to giving talks 
    on radio, at orphanges and in hospitals, and shilling 
    U.S. War Bonds during a conflict in Europe. 

    Ruth's 22-year career in baseball was punctuated with 
    stories of binge eating and bouts of alcoholism. He died 
    in 1948, after a two-year battle with throat cancer — no 
    doubt the result of his abusive lifesytle. 

    His lifetime batting average was .342, a 65 percent 
    failure rate at the plate.