So...Trump made a series of false claims about Babe Ruth while awarding Ruth the Presidential Medal of Freedom last week.
Trump said: "And I have heard for many years -- what's the worst trade in the history of sports? Babe Ruth, 19-year-old pitcher, for $100,000 and a 35-year-old third baseman."
- Ruth was 24 at the time the Yankees bought him, not 19.
- The sale was for $125,000, not $100,000, the Babe Ruth museum tells me.
- There was no 35-year-old third baseman in the transaction. It was a straight sale, the Ruth museum and Ruth biographer @LeighMontville say.
- The sale was for $125,000, not $100,000, the Babe Ruth museum tells me.
- There was no 35-year-old third baseman in the transaction. It was a straight sale, the Ruth museum and Ruth biographer @LeighMontville say.
Trump also said that Ruth was "drafted" as a pitcher. There was no draft in Ruth's era.
Trump said that Ruth hit his home runs in the "dead ball" era. The dead ball era famously ended with Ruth's emergence as a slugger.
Trump said that Ruth hit his home runs in the "dead ball" era. The dead ball era famously ended with Ruth's emergence as a slugger.
Trump said that the "$100,000" for which Ruth was purchased is "probably like $25 million today." $100,000 in December 1919 is $1.3 million today.
Annnd: Trump said, in his usual "people don't know (common thing)" way, that "people don't know that" Babe Ruth began as an excellent pitcher. Ruth biographer @LeighMontville: 
This concludes today's episode of Experts In Unpolitical Subject Get Dragged Into Donald Trump's Imaginary World.
