When I saw the listing for the letters on the auction-house website, I found it rather intriguing. They were mailed to Mrs. Babe Ruth from fans who adored her husband and, unable to get close to him, wanted a nod from someone who did.
The letters were sent to Claire Ruth in the late 1960s to early 1970s, according to the auction catalog sheet. They bore the address of the apartment that she had shared with the Babe on Riverside Drive in New York.
I was eager to see from whom the letters were coming and for what the writers were asking of the woman. So, as soon as I entered the building, I went looking for the letters and began reading some of them:
Babe Ruth the legend is no mystery to anyone – whether a baseball fan or not. He was one of the country’s most popular ball players and people loved him, especially kids who crowded around him to get his autograph. He played for 22 years in the Major Leagues, hitting 714 home runs, a record that stood until 1974 when Hank Aaron broke it.
I was more curious, though, about his wife Claire Merritt Hodgson Ruth and her duty as stand-in during the decades after the Babe died of cancer in 1948.
She met the Babe in 1923 while he was still married but estranged from his first wife Helen. Claire, too, had been married before and had a daughter. The Babe was a man who loved “food, liquor, life, and women,” taking full advantage of his status as a ball player and single – although still married – man.
Born in Athens, GA, Claire moved to New York in 1918 hoping for a career in show business. She found work as a model and showgirl. One day she went to a Yankees game with an actor friend who introduced her to Babe Ruth. They became romantically involved, but his Catholic teachings would not allow him to even consider divorcing Helen. After Helen died in a house fire in January 1929, the Babe and Claire were married three months later and remained together until his death (She died in 1976).
She became his personal manager, taking over his finances and his health, and curbing his social proclivities.
After his death, Claire became the person who represented his interests. She stood in for him at ceremonial events, and as in the case of the letters, apparently fielded requests for autographs and photos (herself or possibly with the help of others?). One site indicated that she was very protective of his Major League records, but was happy with Hank Aaron’s breaking the home-run record.
The batch of letters at auction sold for $65 (another lot of 9 had sold last year for $30). None had her signature, and were primarily letters (most from children) requesting signed photos and other memorabilia pertaining to the Babe.
Some of the signed memorabilia on the web carried the signature “Mrs. Babe Ruth,” with her signing her last name much the same way as her husband. One site noted that her signature bearing her own name is popular with baseball collectors.
Here are some of those letters:
