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Shocking Babe Ruth Letter With Politically Incorrect Content
Suddenly retired during the 1935 season, Babe Ruth had lots of time to play golf and write. This letter from the St. Albans Golf Club near his home in Queens, N.Y., casts the jovial Babe in a shockingly unflattering light: His typewritten correspondence to a Virginia Beach woman jokes that if she tans too much, she will attract further attention from the "boogies" on Fulton Street. This is a clearly negative reference to African Americans as "boogies" was a derivative of the racially-influenced "boogie woogie" music that was sweeping across America at the time. The word was later added back in for historical accuracy. Incredibly, the racially-charged word itself was cut out of the letter where the rectangular hole is and attached to the letter with a paper clip. Ruth signed in his majestic hand (note the towering R). The 8-1/2 by 11" document on the golf club's letterhead has been folded several times but remains in excellent condition with slight yellowing. The postmark on the accompanying envelope shows that Ruth didn't mail the letter until a month after writing it. The envelope, also golf club stationery, was cut open on the top and two sides (frayed) to extract the letter but is folded to its original shape. Holding the letter in strong light reveals the brand of paper, too. Reveals a darker side to Babe Ruth that was previously unknown/unproven. Perhaps an outgrowth of the rumors (untrue) that he had African American blood due to his bulbous nose and other physical features. In fact, he was often called "Nig" in his early days, a reference that drove him wild with anger. A fascinating Ruth document of obvious importance.
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