On This Day: Babe Ruth’s First MLB Home Run Anniversary – How the 1915 Blast Reshaped Baseball History

Baseball fans are buzzing this week as the sporting world marks the 111th anniversary of Babe Ruth’s very first Major League home run—a blast he launched on May 6, 1915, at the Polo Grounds while still pitching for the Boston Red Sox. The milestone has reignited fascination with Ruth’s transformation from dominant left-handed pitcher to the most feared slugger the game has ever seen, reminding a new generation why “the Sultan of Swat” remains baseball’s most enduring icon. The timing is perfect: on Tuesday night, New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge tied one of Ruth’s long-standing achievements by becoming only the second player in franchise history to record 25 homers and 50 RBIs through the club’s first 35 games, a feat last accomplished by Ruth in 1928. Judge’s Ruthian pace has fueled social-media comparisons and driven collectors to scour auction sites for anything linked to No. 3, from vintage bats to signed scorecards. Beyond the box scores, communities across the country are honoring Ruth’s legacy. Youth diamonds from Alabama to Alaska will host “Bambino Weekend” clinics, while the Babe Ruth League—now in its 50th year of MLB’s Pitch, Hit & Run program—reports a 27 percent spike in registrations for its summer tournaments. Ticket brokers in Baltimore, where Ruth was born, say museum tour bookings have doubled since Monday, aided by tourists eager to stand in the rowhouse that produced baseball’s first megastar. Historians note that Ruth’s first homer almost didn’t happen; he had fouled off two sharp curves before driving Jack Warhop’s pitch into the right-field bleachers. By season’s end he had four homers, but within five years he would shatter the single-season record with 54, ushering in the live-ball era and reviving attendance after the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Those achievements underpin Major League Baseball’s decision to livestream today’s Red Sox-Braves matinee with a pre-game Ruth retrospective narrated by Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. For collectors, the anniversary is actionable news: Heritage Auctions lists a PSA-graded 1916 Ruth rookie card that insiders predict could eclipse last year’s $7.2 million sale. Meanwhile, the Yankees Museum will unveil a newly restored film clip of Ruth’s famous “called shot” on July 4, pairing it with advanced 4K slow-motion to highlight the slugger’s corkscrew footwork. Whether you’re reliving grainy footage or marveling at Judge’s Statcast numbers, one fact is clear: every time Ruth’s name trends, baseball’s past and present collide, creating a perfect storm of nostalgia, record-chasing and fresh debate. Expect that momentum to carry through August 16—the 78th anniversary of Ruth’s passing—when Cooperstown plans a candlelight vigil on the Hall’s front lawn. Until then, the legend of Babe Ruth continues to grow, proving that more than a century later, the Babe still owns the spotlight.