Babe Ruth, the legendary baseball figure known as the Sultan of Swat, is considered a key part of MLB history. However, Pete Crow-Armstrong from the Chicago Cubs recently stirred up intrigue by suggesting that Ruth is more of a myth than a legend.
During an appearance on Kristin Cavallari’s podcast “Let’s Be Honest,” alongside fellow Cub Carson Kelly, Crow-Armstrong was asked for an unpopular opinion. He provided a controversial take, stating, “‘Babe Ruth never existed’ is one that I like.”
He further explained that Mariners pitcher Tayler Saucedo discussed the scarcity of videos showing Ruth playing, which led to a theory of Ruth’s mythical status. Crow-Armstrong found this idea intriguing.
“I heard some pitcher with the Mariners…he was going down the rabbit hole with somebody about how Babe Ruth never existed,” Crow-Armstrong stated. “I was like, lowkey, that’s awesome.”
Crow-Armstrong expanded on this theory based on his experiences in baseball. He commented on how baseball has evolved and speculated that earlier players faced significantly different challenges, suggesting the possibility of Ruth being an exaggerated figure.
“We always talk about how the game is evolving,” he said. “People might as well have been underhanding the ball to that guy, and he’s regarded, still, as one of the best players ever. Might as well dive further into it, and maybe he never existed.”
His teammate Kelly found the premise amusing, remarking “that’s crazy.” Comparisons to other conspiracy theories led to a quick change of topic.
Babe Ruth isn’t around today to respond to such claims, but this isn’t the first time Crow-Armstrong made bold statements that drew attention. Previously, he issued comments about Dodgers fans, which he later partially retracted, admitting his irritation stemmed from a fan interaction.