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Primary sourcePhotograph1920

The Hands of Babe Ruth

Charles M. Conlon · 1920

A close-up 1920 photograph by Charles Conlon of Babe Ruth's hands gripping a baseball bat, illustrating his batting technique.

A close study of Ruth's batting grip, highlighting the physical technique behind his famous power hitting.

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Black-and-white photograph in close-up of a man's two hands gripping a wooden baseball bat at its handle. The man wears a striped baseball jersey with a button and rolled sleeve. Dark background, with an RMY Auctions watermark.
Charles M. Conlon, The Hands of Babe Ruth, 1920.

About this source

What it is

This close-up black-and-white photograph, taken in 1920 by baseball photographer Charles M. Conlon, shows Babe Ruth's two hands gripping the handle of a wooden baseball bat.

Why it matters

The photograph was titled to highlight Ruth's distinctive grip, gripping the bat clear to the end of the handle, a detail connected to his power as a hitter. Conlon's close-up style focused attention on technique rather than the whole figure, reflecting growing public fascination with the mechanics of Ruth's hitting.

Look closer

  • What can you learn about Ruth's batting technique just from looking at his hands and grip?
  • Why might a photographer choose to focus only on the hands rather than the whole body?
  • What does this close-up leave out that a full photograph would show?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Babe Ruth on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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