Babe Ruth and the Creation of the Celebrity Athlete

Erscheinungsjahr 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4766-6532-0
Verlag: McFarland and Company, Inc.

Buch, Englisch, 175 Seiten, Paperback, Format (B × H): 178 mm x 254 mm, Gewicht: 547 g

From his first year in the majors, George Herman ""Babe"" Ruth knew he could profit from celebrity. Babe Ruth Cigars in 1915 marked his first attempt to cash in. Traded to the Yankees in 1920, he soon signed with Christy Walsh, baseball's first publicity agent. Walsh realized that stories of great deeds in sports were a commodity, and in 1921 sold Ruth's ghostwritten byline to a newspaper syndicate for $15,000 ($187,000 today). Ruth hit home runs while Walsh's writers made him a hero, crafting his public image as a lovable scalawag. Were the stories true? It didn't matter—they sold. Many survive but have never been scrutinized until now. Drawing on primary sources, this book examines the stories, separating exaggerated facts from clear falsehoods. The author traces Ruth's ascendance as the first great media-created superstar and celebrity product endorser.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Barthel, Thomas

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Sport | Tourismus | Freizeit Sport Ballsportarten Badminton Baseball

Über Autor(innen)

Thomas Barthel is Professor Emeritus from the State University of New York, and has written seven books. He lives in Clinton, New York.