The air in Pittsburgh was heavy on May 25, 1935. It wasn't just the humidity of a late spring afternoon at Forbes Field; it was the palpable sense of an ending. Everyone knew George Herman Ruth was done. The "Sultan of Swat" was forty years old, bloated, and playing for a Boston Braves team that was, frankly, abysmal. His knees were shot. His eyes weren't what they used to be. Yet, on that Saturday, the universe decided to give the greatest power hitter in history one final, echoing roar. Babe Ruth last home run wasn't just a single hit; it was the climax of a three-homer game that felt more like a miracle than a box score entry.
He was basically a ghost of his former self by then.
If you look at the stats leading up to that day, they’re grim. Ruth was hitting .153. He’d spent years as the king of New York, but after a messy breakup with the Yankees, he’d landed with the Braves under the false promise of eventually managing the club. It was a marketing stunt. He was there to sell tickets, not win pennants. But for one afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the clock stopped ticking.
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The day the Babe rediscovered his swing
Most people think of Ruth as a Yankee, and rightfully so. It’s weird to picture him in a Braves uniform. It looks wrong, like seeing a masterpiece in a cheap plastic frame. But that day in Pittsburgh, the frame didn't matter.
Ruth faced off against Red Lucas in the first inning. He connected. A two-run shot into the right-field stands. The crowd, despite being Pirates fans, went wild. They weren't cheering for the opponent; they were cheering for the legend. Then came the third inning. Guy Bush was on the mound now. Bush was a tough right-hander, a former Cub who had faced Ruth in the 1932 World Series—the "Called Shot" series. Ruth got him too. Another home run.
By the time the seventh inning rolled around, the atmosphere was electric. Guy Bush was still out there. He threw a 3-1 fastball. Ruth, with that iconic, violent, yet graceful corkscrew swing, didn't just hit it. He destroyed it.
Why Number 714 was different
This wasn't some "wall-scraper" that barely cleared the fence. Babe Ruth last home run, his 714th, was a moonshot. It cleared the right-field roof at Forbes Field, a feat that had never been accomplished before. It was estimated to have traveled over 600 feet, though modern physics and ballpark dimensions suggest that might be a bit of "Babe-sized" exaggeration. Still, it was the first ball to ever completely exit that stadium.
It was majestic.
Bush later recounted that Ruth gave him a little nod as he rounded third base. It wasn't a taunt. It was a "thanks for the memory" kind of moment. After that third home run of the day, Ruth didn't even finish the game. He touched home plate, walked into the dugout, and basically told Braves manager Bill McKechnie that he was done for the day. He sat on the bench, breathing hard, knowing he’d just squeezed the last bit of magic out of his bat.
The sad reality of the 1935 season
Don't let the three-homer game fool you into thinking it was a triumphant exit. It was actually kind of depressing. The Braves lost that game 11-7. That was the story of their season. They would go on to finish 38-115, one of the worst records in the history of Major League Baseball.
Ruth played only a few more games after the Pittsburgh miracle. He didn't hit another home run. He didn't even get another hit. His final career hit was that 714th blast. He officially retired five days later, on May 30, after a scoreless appearance as a pinch-hitter.
There's a persistent myth that Ruth retired on the spot after the third home run in Pittsburgh. He didn't. He tried to keep going because he was a professional, but his body just quit on him. He was a man who lived large—the hot dogs, the beer, the late nights—and it had finally caught up.
What most fans get wrong about the record
We talk about 714 as this sacred number. For decades, it was the number in American sports. When Hank Aaron approached it in 1974, he received death threats. When Barry Bonds passed it, the conversation was clouded by the steroid era. But in 1935, 714 wasn't just a record; it was a mountain that looked unscalable.
- The Yankee Factor: People forget he hit 659 of those home runs as a Yankee.
- The Pitching: Ruth did this in an era where travel was by train and night games didn't exist.
- The Equipment: He was swinging a "lumber" bat, often weighing 36 to 40 ounces. Modern players use bats closer to 31 ounces.
Imagine trying to whip a heavy log through the zone against a guy like Guy Bush who’s trying to take your head off. It's insane.
Why Babe Ruth last home run still matters in 2026
You might wonder why we’re still talking about a game from nearly a century ago. It’s because the Babe represents the "Big Bang" of baseball. Before him, the game was about bunts and steals—"dead ball" era stuff. Ruth taught the world that the long ball was king.
His final home run serves as the perfect bookend. It wasn't a cheap hit. It was a reminder that even when the legend is fading, the greatness is still in there somewhere, waiting for one last pitch to drive into the seats. It’s the ultimate "one last ride" story.
Honestly, the way he left was very "Babe." He didn't have a choreographed farewell tour. He didn't have a Nike commercial. He just hit the hell out of a baseball, walked into the dugout, and eventually headed to the clubhouse to change into street clothes for the last time.
Examining the "Longest Home Run" claims
Historians like Bill Jenkinson, who wrote The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs, have spent years obsessing over the physics of that final blast. While the 600-foot claim is likely lore, the fact remains that it cleared a roof that no one else could touch.
- Forbes Field dimensions: The right-field wall was 300 feet, but the roof was high and set back.
- The flight path: Witnesses said the ball was still rising when it cleared the structure.
- The aftermath: The ball was eventually recovered by a kid named Lou Geis, who kept it for decades.
How to appreciate the history today
If you're a baseball nerd or just someone who appreciates a good "glory days" story, there are a few things you should actually do to connect with this history.
Visit the sites (virtually or in person).
Forbes Field is gone, mostly. It was demolished in 1971. However, part of the outfield wall still stands in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. You can literally go there and stand near where the Babe’s last ball took flight. It’s a surreal experience for any sports fan.
Look at the box scores.
Go to Baseball-Reference and look up May 25, 1935. See the names. Arky Vaughan was playing for the Pirates that day—a Hall of Famer in his own right. Seeing the context of the game makes the Babe’s performance even more ridiculous. He was a dinosaur among mammals, and he still ate them alive for one afternoon.
Watch the rare footage.
There isn't high-def film of the 714th home run, but there is plenty of footage of Ruth’s 1935 stint with the Braves. Watch his gait. Look at how he moves. You’ll see a man who could barely walk, which makes the power of his swing even more inexplicable.
Understand the transition.
Ruth’s retirement cleared the way for the next generation. Joe DiMaggio would debut for the Yankees just a year later in 1936. The torch didn't just pass; it was practically hurled.
Final takeaways on Number 714
The story of the Babe Ruth last home run is a lesson in ending things on your own terms, even if the world thinks you're washed up. Ruth knew he was done. He’d been trying to retire for weeks, but the Braves' owner, Emil Fuchs, begged him to keep playing to help gate receipts. Pittsburgh gave him the exit he deserved, even if he had to linger for a few more days to make it official.
If you ever find yourself in Pittsburgh, head over to the University of Pittsburgh campus. Find the brick wall that remains of Forbes Field. Stand there and look toward where right field used to be. It’s a quiet spot now, but if you listen close enough, you can almost hear the crack of a 38-ounce bat hitting a ball so hard it disappeared over the roof and into legend.
To truly understand the impact, you have to look past the myth and see the man—tired, hurting, but still capable of greatness. That’s the real legacy of 714. It wasn't just a number. It was a period at the end of the most important sentence in baseball history.
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To dive deeper into the technical side of his swing, research the "rotational hitting" mechanics that Ruth pioneered. Most players of his era used a "linear" style, but Ruth used his entire lower body to generate torque—a technique that is now the standard for every modern power hitter from Aaron Judge to Shohei Ohtani. Checking out the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum's digital archives is a great way to see the actual bats and equipment he used during that final season. It puts the sheer physicality of his career into perspective.