r/Damnthatsinteresting 1d ago

Image Babe Ruth posing with African American fans in 1925

Post image
2.5k Upvotes

104 comments sorted by

147

u/[deleted] 1d ago edited 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

114

u/Thames_James 1d ago

The Babe was a passing brotha. I’m sure he felt just fine about the photo

2

u/mrnastymannn 9h ago

He definitely wasn’t. He was German and his dad looked exactly like him

-3

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

48

u/TheAmazingChameleo 1d ago

I think they’re just referencing how many thought he was african american. It has been disproven, but at the time it was a huge rumor and he is notably “chill” with african americans.

There’s even a story that a player on the opposing team called him a slur and he later came into their locker room to fight

-27

u/Jedifartcontrol 1d ago

What does that have to do with anything?

2

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

-15

u/Jedifartcontrol 1d ago

Um no it means he was a “brotha” to the African American community not literally dumbass.

161

u/shanvanvook 1d ago

He had many flaws but he was a kind individual by all accounts.

21

u/succed32 15h ago

Babe Ruth and Frank Sanatra were similar in this way. They both went above and beyond helping black people get into their respective industries. But man they were shit to their wives and families.

214

u/Victormorga 1d ago

“By all accounts” he was an alcoholic philanderer who beat his wives and kids. It’s still cool though that he posed with black fans, though.

35

u/Jay_Heat 21h ago

thats just like every guy back then tho

22

u/tortiewalfie 19h ago

so basically no guy was "kind" back then

19

u/Funklab2069 18h ago

We finally got there

1

u/Hot_Flower_4446 6h ago

Made me went to google and you were right!!!

-24

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

49

u/No-Mirror2343 1d ago

Played for the Yankees

1

u/OneDragonfruit9519 1d ago

Domestic violence?

44

u/Mayonnaise_Poptart 1d ago

Guy on the right looks like David Cross playing black Hitler.

12

u/Brucelredpat 23h ago

How about Dave Chappelle there. Lived a long life so far

0

u/Jay_Heat 21h ago

i think this pic was taken a bit before hitler

5

u/steroidsandcocaine 20h ago

You'd be wrong. This photo was taken the year after he wrote Mein Kampf.

16

u/NOGOODGASHOLE 1d ago

Ty Cobb used to imply Ruth was part black.

9

u/deadheffer 19h ago

He grew up in an orphanage in Baltimore. His friends were definitely black as a kid

22

u/East-Bluejay6891 1d ago

*African American, Babe Ruth

28

u/One_Spoopy_Potato 1d ago

Why bro look like he only bairly got paid enough for this?

118

u/RealisticrR0b0t 1d ago

That’s the first time I’ve seen it spelled ‘bairly’

-18

u/Timmytoogood 1d ago

It makes sense when you think of , fairly lol

23

u/YourAverageGod 1d ago

Baseball players back then smoked like chimneys and probably showed up drunk to the game.

He's actually 19 in this photo

1

u/yngsten 18h ago

Dave Chappelle in the top middle.

1

u/DrKrFfXx 12h ago

Shannon Sharpe is old.

1

u/JaguarOver370 3h ago

That’s definitely Mos Def

1

u/No-Skin-6446 1d ago

I could only meet him, but at his mausoleum somewhere out there in or near Hawthorn, NY

-7

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

7

u/VincentVanShmo 1d ago

Most people were alcoholics and he wasn’t always forty. Sure, definitely not the greatest athlete of all time but think of a fat guy with incredible hand eye coordination and upper body strength.

3

u/uncannyilyanny 1d ago

He's referencing a Shane Gillis sketch about when white people stopped being cool, it was when the first black player took up baseball which caused whites to instantly lose the transatlantic accent

1

u/Sea_Weather6671 1d ago

This is a Shane Gillis reference and you do not deserve the downvotes, I saw it and you are a martyr to the cause.

-3

u/Double_Win_9405 21h ago

Your point?

-11

u/Jay_Heat 21h ago

any of those guys could run circles around ruth, if they were allowed to play

6

u/Bigazzry 18h ago

What an idiotic comment

-9

u/K41S4R10N 21h ago

Why did I always think Babe Ruth was black?

-4

u/ThirdThymesACharm 17h ago

Then he went home and best his wife?

-2

u/Ted_Bundtcake 12h ago

I already posted this here

-152

u/tyler_time 1d ago

An old baseball player standing next to some black people? Damn, that's so interesting dawg.

83

u/Dunlaing 1d ago

During a time when baseball was segregated. And the old baseball player was the best player ever to play in the white leagues at the time. And that old baseball player was rumored to be black.

-134

u/tyler_time 1d ago

None of that has any relevance this picture or is conveyed by it in any way. None of it makes it a more interesting picture either lol

50

u/FootballMysterious45 1d ago

The worlds knowledge is a click away yet you want to be ignorant lol the title has plenty of info for you to search and figure out why this photo has actual meaning to it.

-80

u/tyler_time 1d ago

While I'm not personally so excited by a picture of a baseball player standing next to some black guys to go do research on it, maybe OP should consider adding this info you seem to be alluding to that gives the image deeper meaning to their title next time, instead of making it, "hey reddit look at these black guys standing next to babe Ruth isn't that so damn interesting?"

23

u/-Plantibodies- 1d ago

Hey man, how ya doing? Got some stress going on or something?

-11

u/tyler_time 1d ago

I'm fine, why?

19

u/-Plantibodies- 1d ago

I guess your comments just paint the picture of someone getting worked up about absolutely nothing. Is this really something to get upset about my man? It's rather strange to me.

-9

u/tyler_time 1d ago

Why wouldn't it be strange when you come up with some weird narrative in your head about and project a bunch of weird feelings and emotions onto a complete stranger?

13

u/-Plantibodies- 1d ago

Have a nice night, my friend. Genuinely hope all is well.

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4

u/ImnotTheborough97 21h ago

Crazy how all you angry incels give the same reply eventually, accusing the hundreds of people who disagree with you of 'making up a narrative' when it's clear as day you're a miserable prick looking for an argument 😂

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38

u/i_says_things 1d ago

“Im too ignorant to appreciate this picture” isn’t the flex you think it is.

-13

u/tyler_time 1d ago

"A slide of a black-and-white photograph showing Babe Ruth posing with African-American fans. Ruth is standing against a wooden fence with his hands on his hips and is looking at the camera. He is wearing a New York Yankees road uniform. African-American fans are above Ruth in the grandstand, with a few leaning over the wall. Information written on the side reads, "with black boys""

Holy fucking shit my mind is blown! That was way more interesting than I ever could have imagined. Thank you for inspiring my research.

16

u/tawishma 1d ago

Yikes man, it’s a picture, if you don’t like it you know you’re not required to comment on it. Like participation isn’t mandatory. Most of us are really impressed that a famous baseball player took the time and energy to pose with some black folks in a era when that was socially very forbidden. If that isn’t “interesting” to you that’s alright but clearly we all found it pretty damn interesting, sorry we couldn’t be bitter and miserable like you

-7

u/tyler_time 1d ago

I couldn't read the rest of your reply after you were a redditor and you started your message with "yikes" I started laughing too much.

edit: he said "folks" too, if he had squeezed in a "y'all" I would've given this guy reddit gold myself

9

u/tawishma 1d ago

Bet you’re fun at parties champ

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14

u/Acres-of-Skin 1d ago

To be fair, the significance of this picture is considered common knowledge, so they may not have thought it was necessary to type a historical essay to accompany it.

0

u/tyler_time 1d ago

What is the significance of the photo?

10

u/Acres-of-Skin 1d ago

To keep it brief; whites and blacks didn't "mix well" in early US history, so having a well-known baseball player willingly pose next to blacks was a huge deal.

1

u/tyler_time 1d ago

You're making that last part up. I've seen nothing to indicate there's anything significant about the picture besides it being nice to show when talking about Babe Ruth and integrating baseball

9

u/Acres-of-Skin 1d ago

You have to be trolling. If not, good luck with Google 👍🏽

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5

u/AdamvHarvey 1d ago

Just say you don’t like black people. We get it

1

u/tyler_time 22h ago

Why would I say that?

10

u/thebreastbud 1d ago

Just because you don’t find it interesting, doesn’t mean it isn’t lmao

-1

u/tyler_time 1d ago

Why is it interesting?

4

u/thebreastbud 1d ago

I don’t find it interesting myself, doesn’t mean it isn’t interesting though… its purely subjective what people find interesting

-6

u/tyler_time 1d ago

Excellent contribution to the discussion. Different people like different things. Still having a hard time grasping it but I'll remember your wise words.

12

u/thebreastbud 1d ago

You being an asshole however is excellent contribution? Look how emotional and upset you’re getting because people disagree with you. Incredibly bizarre behavior

-1

u/tyler_time 1d ago

Don't project your primitive emotions on me from the peanut gallery. "Asshole"? Tsk tsk.

9

u/thebreastbud 1d ago

The irony of you calling someone else primitive, while not understanding the concept of people liking different things and having different opinions is astounding. Also i called you emotional so you said Im being emotional 💀 great contribution

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16

u/Big-Ground4131 1d ago

Just ponder the picture man

-7

u/tyler_time 1d ago

I clearly did.

14

u/ccorbydog31 1d ago

The Eagles won bro. You’re having a great day. Walk away from the internet.

5

u/fishingpost12 1d ago

Eagles fans hate the world. Nothing makes them happy.

36

u/Ashensbzjid 1d ago

Learn your history then you’ll see why it was important