A 1920 autographed photo of American baseball player Babe Ruth (1895–1948), regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture. The popularity of the game exploded in the 1920s, largely due to his hitting prowess, which led to escalating home run totals that not only excited fans, but helped baseball evolve from a low-scoring, speed-dominated game to a high-scoring power game. He began his Major League career in 1914 as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. By the time he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919, he had become a full-time hitter. After Ruth's sale, the hugely successful Red Sox did not win another World Series title for 86 years, and the Yankees became one of the winningest franchises in North American professional sports.Photo: Irwin, La Broad, & Pudlin; Restoration: Lise Broer