On May 7, 1917, a 22-year-old Boston pitcher named Babe Ruth squared off at Griffith Stadium against Washington's Walter Johnson, the most feared arm in baseball. Johnson had led the AL in wins four straight years and strikeouts five straight. He was the standard. Ruth beat him 1-0. The Red Sox lefty threw a two-hit complete game, his sixth win against zero losses on the season, and improved his lifetime record against Johnson to 6-0. Three of those six wins ended 1-0, that's how thin the margin was every time these two faced each other. AL President Ban Johnson called it "one of the best ballgames I've ever seen." Two years later Ruth would be sold to the Yankees and start hitting home runs for a living. But before he was the Bambino, he was a 22-year-old who could out pitch the greatest pitcher alive. The forgotten chapter of his career produced 94 wins and a 2.28 career ERA, Hall of Fame numbers if he'd never picked up a bat.
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