Beaumont, Texas : The woman who was called "Babe"
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
No one would dispute that Babe Ruth was the greatest superstar in Major League Baseball history. He had numerous nicknames. No other major leaguer had as many nicknames as he did.
It would be endless to list all of Babe Ruth's nicknames, so here are just a few: "The Bambino", "The Sultan of Swat" and "The King of Crash". Speaking of which, even though "Babe" wasn't his real name but a nickname, it somehow came to be used as if it were his real name.
Surprisingly, there is an American woman who was called "Babe" as if it were her real name, simply because it was her nickname. What's more, she was a great athlete who demonstrated incredible abilities and whose name shines brightly in history: Babe Didrikson Zaharias (died of cancer in 1956 at the age of 45). ...She apparently said that she was given the nickname "Babe" after Babe Ruth because as a young girl she would hit five home runs in one baseball game.
"Babe" was born in Port Arthur, Texas, and at the age of four moved to Beaumont, also in Texas, not far from Port Arthur, where she lived until she graduated from high school.
In Beaumont, there is a museum commemorating "Babe" along Interstate 10 (I-10). I visited the museum in early fall of 2013.
As I drove east on I-10 from Houston, Texas, into the city of Beaumont, I slowed down and kept glancing to the left side of the road, knowing that the "Babe" museum would be visible. When the museum's distinctively shaped building came into view, I exited the I-10.
The museum is located on the edge of a vast piece of land, and the entire area is designated "Babe Zaharias Park." Most of the land is taken up by several soccer fields. It was a Sunday, so many people were enjoying soccer. Most of the people there were Hispanic. I asked one of them, "Don't you guys play baseball?" but he didn't understand English and it seemed I had to speak Spanish, which I don't speak at all. I asked the other one, who understood English, and he replied, "We are not interested in baseball at all." As a baseball lover, I was disappointed.
I walked towards the museum. It was a unique and beautiful cylindrical building.
When I went inside, I saw just one cylindrical room with a counter in the middle and a young black woman. I thought this was bad. I've always had a good relationship with elderly women, but I often don't get on well with younger women. I'm particularly not good with young, beautiful, cool women. The young black woman working the counter was a cool beauty, so I thought this was really bad. Sure enough, when I approached, she just glanced at me and quickly went back to what she was reading.
Above the counter where the woman was sitting, on the wall behind her, hung a large painting of "Babe" playing golf.
On one wall of the room was a list of Babe's achievements as an athlete, chronologically listed. It was truly impressive. It showed her incredible records and achievements in so many different sports.
There were also display cases lining the walls, filled with photos and medals commemorating her achievements as an athlete. "Babe" competed in three track and field events at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, setting four world records and winning two gold medals (80-meter hurdles and javelin throw) and one silver medal (high jump).
However, the overwhelming majority of the exhibits were about her remarkable achievements in golf, a sport she took up after achieving great success in athletics. "Babe" won many prestigious tournaments (for example, 10 major LPGA tournaments in total), and was even inducted into the Women's Golf Hall of Fame.
I asked the beautiful woman at the counter if I could take photos of the museum's interior and exhibits. She looked up, said "yes," and quickly went back to reading. I was almost moved by the indifference this young, cool, beautiful woman showed to me.
"Babe" was also active in other sports besides golf, such as basketball, baseball, and tennis, but there were only a few exhibits related to those. As for baseball, there was only a description that she also played baseball, but I couldn't find any baseball-related photos or items on display. That's a bit disappointing...Maybe something like that was on display and I just missed it.
Above the display cases were photographs with the names of all the athletes who had received scholarships established in Babe's honor (all female students at Lamar University in Beaumont). This was the exhibit that made the biggest impression on me. ...By the way, Babe never studied at university.
As I was about to leave the museum, the woman at the counter said to me in a bright and gentle voice, "Have a nice day." I was surprised, but I was happy. So I replied in a bright and gentle voice, "You too," and headed out the door.
I was a little disappointed that I couldn't find any baseball-related photos or items on display in the museum, but I was impressed that the woman who was called the name of a great Major League Baseball player was truly a great all-around athlete, and that her existence continues to support young women who follow in her footsteps in the form of scholarships.
I'm really glad I visited the museum.
(If I've made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I'll try to make corrections or additions.)