In 1902 Baltimore, Maryland, seven-year-old George Herman Ruth, Jr., is abandoned at the austere St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys by his father, who complains the boy is unmanageable. There, Ruth is routinely punished for being “incorrigible,” and teased for his hot temper and pudgy physique. One day, Ruth astonishes his detractors with his innate talent for baseball, and teacher Brother Mathias refers to him as a “miracle.” Twelve years later, Baltimore Orioles manager Jack Dunn wishes to recruit Ruth for his team, but principal Brother Paul protests, arguing that the ornery youth is unfit for life outside his cloistered school. When Dunn offers to adopt the boy, Brother Mathias believes Ruth has finally found a home and agrees to let him go. Later in 1914, Dunn sells Ruth to Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee for a staggering $30,000. At Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, Ruth wins over the crowd by hitting the ball out of the field for a home run. Enjoying his new celebrity, Ruth adopts the moniker “Babe,” and indulges his insatiable appetite at a café, where he pursues a shy waitress named Helen. His boorish personality fails to impress Boston socialites, and he is expelled from a cocktail party for making jokes about flatulence. However, Ruth is consoled by an aspiring actress named Claire, and they spend a drunken evening together. Still intoxicated, Ruth arrives late to a game the next day and breaks a park record by hitting a ball over the wall at center field. Sometime later, Ruth meets the wife and children of teammate “Jumpin’” Joe Dugan, and decides to start a family of his own. Casting aside his brief affair with Claire, he turns his attention back to the waitress, Helen, who hesitantly accepts his invitation to a game. At the Red Sox’s 1916 match against the Detroit Tigers, Helen watches as Ruth punches the referee and prompts a brawl. She is terrified by his unscrupulousness, but he promises to become a family man and buys her a farm. Six months after their marriage, Ruth becomes restless and goes to the city in search of women and alcohol. The next morning, Helen reads newspaper headlines reporting that her husband was in an automobile accident with a sixteen-year-old mistress. Ruth returns home with horses, hoping to win back his wife’s affections. The two reconcile and attend a musical revue, produced by Red Sox owner Harry Frazee. When the show fails at the box office, Frazee compensates his $125,000 debt by selling Ruth to the New York Yankees for the same amount. The deal sets a world record, and Ruth becomes famous for earning more money than the U.S. president. Although he enjoys a life of excess in New York City, Helen is unhappy with the move, and returns to their farm. In her absence, Ruth reunites with his former lover, Claire, who is now a Ziegfeld Follies dancer. They make love, and Ruth confesses his dream of becoming a team manager. When Ruth admits he does not want to leave Helen, Claire encourages him to reconcile with his wife. Ruth returns home with an adopted baby girl and a nanny, hoping to start a family, but returns to New York City for work. At a game against the Chicago White Sox, Ruth continues his winning streak, hitting the first infield home run in baseball history. As he fends off fans, a man approaches, desperate for an autograph. The gentleman explains that his gravely ill son, Johnny Sylvester, wants nothing more than a signed baseball. Ruth visits Johnny in the hospital, gives him an autographed ball, and vows to hit two home runs at his next game as proof that the boy will heal. Ruth makes good on his promise. By 1922, Ruth struggles with alcoholism, and continues to overindulge in food and illicit sex. However, he has maintained a romance with his primary mistress, Claire, and continues to perform well for the Yankees. When he joins his family on a train vacation, Helen decries his infidelity and refers to him as “incorrigible.” Reminded of his troubled youth, Ruth becomes violent, prompting Helen to demand a divorce and storm away. Yankees manager Miller Huggins witnesses the attack and threatens to fine Ruth for misconduct. Enraged, Babe grabs Huggins, dangles him upside down from the train’s caboose, and is punished with a two-week suspension. At a 1925 game against the Washington Senators, Ruth’s temper and debauchery finally start to diminish his performance, and fans jeer. Ruth starts a fight, and Claire later warns him to slow down. Appreciating her steadfast adoration and keen business acumen, Ruth marries Claire and makes a comeback, despite threats from a new team rival, Lou “Iron Horse” Gehrig. Ruth celebrates his restored success at a sophisticated nightclub, where he sees Yankees owner Colonel Rupert and declares his intent to become a team manager. Rupert promises to grant Ruth’s wish, as long as he overcomes the Chicago Cubs at the upcoming 1932 World Series. At that game, Ruth misses several pitches, but remains determined to attain Rupert’s offer. Pointing his fingers above the scoreboard, Ruth hits the ball out of Wrigley Field for a winning home run. By 1933, however, Ruth has still not received confirmation of his appointment. At Thanksgiving, he accepts a telephone call at Jumpin’ Joe’s home, and mistakenly believes it is the good news he has been waiting for. Instead, he learns that Helen was killed in a fire. In the coming year, Ruth takes custody of his adopted daughter, and remains unfazed when Gehrig doubles his number of home runs. Ruth is convinced he will soon become a manager, but Rupert rescinds his promise, arguing that Ruth’s reckless behavior proves he is unfit for authority. When Ruth claims he has changed, Rupert offers him a minor league team. Insulted, Ruth demands to be released from the Yankees, and Rupert ends his contract. As Ruth leaves, Claire slaps Rupert’s face and reminds him that Yankee Stadium is “the house that Ruth built.” In time, Ruth becomes assistant manager for the Boston Braves, but Claire warns him to retire before losing his dignity. In 1935, Ruth is heckled at a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and overhears the Braves’ owner’s plan to fire him. Still playing, he goes to bat and misses his first swing. Ruth falls to the ground, spitting blood, but he hits the next ball out of the park and sets a new record for Forbes Field. Continuing to score home runs, Ruth wins over the hostile crowd. During a standing ovation, Ruth walks away from the mound and shakes his boss’s hand, but he drops his cap, indicating his decision to retire. As he continues alone to the entrance tunnel, he is startled by Johnny Sylvester, the boy he visited in the hospital years earlier. Having survived his illness and lived into adulthood, Johnny returns his autographed ball, hoping it will bring Ruth the same good luck.