Banning the Babe’s bat

Babe Ruth taking batting practice at Yankee Stadium

The four-piece, held-together-by-glue bat used by Babe Ruth is outlawed 102 years ago today by American League president Ban Johnson, who rules that bats must be one piece of wood with nothing added to them but a maximum of 18 inches of tape starting from the base of the handle.

Hardly deterred, Ruth goes on to lead the majors in home runs during the 1923 season with 41 and then leads the American League in homers in seven of the next eight seasons.

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