Selling the Babe

Today marks the 105th anniversary of the Boston Red Sox’s worst nightmare as their owner, renown theatrical agent Harry Frazee, agrees to sell outfielder Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000.

The money — the equivalent today to $1.8 million — is paid in four increments of $25,000.

The deal does not become official until Jan. 3, 1920.

The 24-year-old Ruth is coming off a 1919 season in which he hits a major league-record 29 homers for the Red Sox.

Harry Frazee

Ruth goes on to even greater success with the Yankees, hitting 659 homers for them over the next 15 seasons, leading them to seven American League pennants and establishing New York as baseball’s preeminent team.

And, no, despite the popular urban legend, Frazee does not sell Ruth to the Yankees so he could finance a stage production of No, No, Nanette.

Mostly because No, No, Nanette does not make its theatrical debut until early 1925 – more than five years after the sale of Ruth to the Yankees.

Now, did Frazee use the money to finance his other Broadway productions?

Maybe, but not likely, since Frazee’s stage productions tend to make money – lots of money – on their own.

Seems more likely, though, that Frazee – whose theatrical productions provide him with far greater revenue than the Red Sox ever do – simply tires of the headaches he gets from Ruth’s late-night carousing and the contract demands coming from the game’s newest, finest power hitter.

Actors, well, Frazee could control them. As for Ruth, um, not so much.