Today in history On August 11, 1929

On August 11, 1929 – Babe Ruth becomes the first baseball player to hit 500 home runs in his career with a home run at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.

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On August 11, 1929, Babe Ruth made baseball history by becoming the first player in Major League Baseball to hit 500 career home runs. The milestone came during a game between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio. Ruth, already a legendary figure for revolutionizing the sport with his incredible power hitting, launched his 500th homer off pitcher Willis Hudlin. At the time, home run numbers of that magnitude were unheard of, as baseball had only recently shifted from the “dead-ball” era to a more power-focused game. This achievement cemented Ruth’s status as not just the face of baseball, but a cultural icon in America.

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Ruth’s 500th home run was more than a personal triumph, it represented a turning point in how the game was played and celebrated. He finished his career with a then-unthinkable 714 home runs, a record that stood for nearly four decades until Hank Aaron surpassed it in 1974. His feat in 1929 inspired generations of players to embrace power hitting as a legitimate strategy, forever changing the dynamics of the sport. League Park, the site of this historic moment, has since become a place of nostalgic significance for baseball fans, symbolizing the day Babe Ruth redefined the limits of athletic achievement in America’s pastime.