The year was 1951. A postage stamp cost three cents and 19 cents bought a gallon of gas. Color television was introduced and direct dial-to-dial telephone service began. Meanwhile in Hamilton, New Jersey, a group of community leaders started “Little Bigger League”, a baseball program for boys ages 13-15. Few participants in the inaugural 10-team league could have envisioned the success that would follow. In 1954, Babe Ruth’s widow, Claire Ruth, gave her permission for the organization to change its name to Babe Ruth League. “Babe was a man who loved children and baseball,” she said. “He could receive no greater tribute than to have a youth program named after him.”
Sixty-seven years after its modest beginning, Babe Ruth League, Inc. is now the premier amateur baseball and softball program in the world. The program has grown in size, stature and reputation, and consists of over 1 million players and close to 1.5 million volunteers. In its widely-acclaimed history, it has earned the respect of its peers and it is a model organization of which Babe Ruth and an alumni base that numbers in the tens of millions, can be pleased and proud.
My years of involvement with Babe Ruth League have been amongst the best learning experiences of my life. It has really helped me to understand the critical needs of communities and the tangible ways in which children’s lives can be improved from a wholesome baseball or softball experience.
The Babe Ruth League Alumni Association has the potential to be one of the most successful and resourceful alumni groups for youth baseball and softball. I thank every volunteer and friend of the program for always going above and beyond for Babe Ruth League. The Alumni needs your involvement and support to continue to provide a foundation for a positive lifetime journey for our participants, and an enjoyable experience for everyone involved with the Babe Ruth League organization. Mark Watkins
Alumni Association Chairman To enjoy the May 2017 Issue of Diamond Legacy, Click Here
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