Only People Over the Age of 50 Will Recognize These Historic Photos

Photos of Babe Ruth’s farewell showed a weakened but still beloved figure standing before a huge crowd. Newspapers treated the scene as the closing of a national sports chapter. For fans, the image mixed pride and sadness. Today, it is remembered as a tender goodbye to baseball’s first true superstar.

The most famous farewell images come from June 13, 1948, at Yankee Stadium, when Ruth’s number was retired. He was seriously ill with cancer and leaned on a bat as he faced the crowd. The photograph became especially moving because Ruth died only two months later, sealing its memorial quality.