Final answer:
Babe Ruth, one of the most famous baseball players in history, started as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox before becoming a legendary hitter for the New York Yankees. His prowess at hitting home runs and larger-than-life persona made him a cultural icon of the 1920s.
Step-by-step explanation:
Babe Ruth is a legendary figure in the history of Major League Baseball and American popular culture. Ruth started his career as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but he became a household name once he became an outfielder for the archrival New York Yankees.
With his formidable batting skills, he was arguably the greatest hitter in baseball, earning such nicknames as the Sultan of Swat and the Colossus of Clout. In a time when radio was bringing athletes into American homes, Ruth's fame and personage grew to immense proportions.
His record of hitting 60 home runs in 1927 captivated the nation and his lifestyle embodied the excesses of the 1920s. Ruth's impact on the sport was so profound that he became synonymous with baseball during a period when the sport was considered America's pastime.
Baseball defined American culture like nothing else at the time and Ruth, with his gregarious personality and exceptional talent, transcended the sport itself to become an international icon of America.
It's worth noting that parallel to Ruth's career, Josh Gibson of the Negro Leagues, sometimes referred to as the 'black Babe Ruth', exhibited impressive skills that led some scholars to suggest that perhaps Ruth might be better described as the 'white Josh Gibson', an indication of the high regard both players were held in among fans and historians of the sport.