Yahoo Sports Trump awards Medal of Freedom to Babe Ruth, Roger Staubach, Alan Page
President Donald Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to seven individuals, including NFL greats Roger Staubach and Alan Page and Major League Baseball legend Babe Ruth, during a ceremony at the White House on Friday.
Dr. Miriam Adelson, Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Elvis Presley and Justice Antonin Scalia also received a Medal of Freedom.
The award is the nation’s highest civilian honor for those “individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
As anyone who has attended any type of ceremony knows, they mostly consist of a master of ceremonies reading short bios with a photo op at the end. This time around, though, we got some gems.
Babe Ruth was a pitcher
Trump introduced George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr., who was awarded the Medal of Freedom 70 years after his death in August 1948, as one of the most celebrated sports heroes in world history.
And did you know The Great Bambino is more than just a home run slugger?
“At the age of 19 he was signed by the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher and soon became one of the best pitchers in baseball,” Trump said. “People don’t know that. People don’t know that Babe Ruth was one of the best pitchers. He still has records today.”
Ruth’s bio on the National Baseball Hall of Fame page begins with his entrance to the Major League as a left-handed pitcher with Boston, where he “won 89 games in six years while setting the World Series record for consecutive scoreless innings.”
Trump references “the worse trade in the history of sports” as Ruth and $100,000 going to the New York Yankees. It was in fact a sale in 1920. He also estimates that the amount is “probably like $25 million today, but it was still a lousy deal.” It’s more like $1.3 million.
Trump referenced his relationship with the late George Steinbrenner, who owned the Yankees, calling him one of his best friends and telling his grandson Steinbrenner was a “real piece of work” and “difficult.”
“Sitting with George in the playoffs, as I often had to do, was like you’d go home exhausted. It was exhausting,” he said.
The Yankees won four of their World Series titles with Ruth. He created The Babe Ruth Foundation and raised money for the war effort during the Second World War.
Thomas Stevens, Ruth’s grandson, accepted the medal on behalf of the family.
Staubach, Trump win golf tournament together
Trump shared a golf antidote about a man he remembers watching as a child. The Hall of Fame quarterback won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys after winning the Heisman Trophy in 1963.
“I have to tell you I had a golf match where Roger was my partner,” Trump said. “And we were in deep trouble. And Roger was also in deep trouble. He was so deep in the weeds that you wouldn’t believe it. And we desperately needed a par on the 18th hole to win.
“And he came out and hit his shot. I don’t know how it happened. He was this far from the hole, we got our par, we won. And I said, that’s Roger Staubach.
“I hope you remember that Roger. That was quite exciting,” Trump said, turning toward his former golf partner.
Staubach played for the United States Naval Academy, setting 28 records, and volunteered to fight in the Vietnam War. He was a “champion for many charitable causes,” per the press release, including the United Way of America, the Children’s Scholarship Fund and Allies in service.
Page earns award as jurist, athlete, philanthropist
Trump gave a brief bio on Alan Page, who was joined by his family. The Minnesota Star Tribune noted that unlike the other recipients, Page has bluntly criticized the president’s record on race relations.
As each of the others’ accomplishments were spelled out by Trump to a packed house, Page remained stoic, hands clasped. When the president went off-script for a quip about each, Page was not among those who revealed any amusement.
That includes when the president guessed that Page was “a little nervous here with all the Supreme Court justices” attending the ceremony in recognition of Justice Scalia.”
Page played for the University of Notre Dame and went on to a 15-year career with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1988.
He earned his law degree while playing for the Vikings and practiced in the off-season. Upon his 1981 retirement he practiced law full time and won a seat on the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1992 where he served for more than 20 years.
His Page Education Foundation has provided scholarships to nearly 7,000 students of color since its inception in 1988.
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