[Robb_K]

The installments of The Life Of Babe Ruth were not generally the book's opening feature (other than in the first book of the series because Babe Ruth's life and career were not the focus of the series, which was, rather, bringing the highlights of a variety of current popular US sports to the attention of adolescents. Babe Ruth's name was used to first attract their attention, and his take on those sports, and introducing the important aspects of those sports to the youngsters was the series' objective. They used Ruth's appeal and universally-known name as the attraction, and used his figure in instructing them on how to play those games as part of a way to get them interested in sports other than Baseball, to help get them involved in activities good for their health, and keep them from getting into trouble by adopting unsavoury activities out of boredom.

Link to the book: Babe Ruth Sports Comics 08

[SuperScrounge]

Unsavory activities? Like drinking and fooling around with loose women? Because Babe Ruth Would ne... oh, right... 

[Robb_K]

Unsavory activities? Like drinking and fooling around with loose women? Because Babe Ruth Would ne... oh, right...   

Touchee!  But, they were thinking more of keeping them from kicking old ladies in the streets, joining gangs and mugging old people, breaking and entering, stealing destroying property, and as Monty Python used to say.......doing all-around not good things.  Most of the young boys in North America (USA and Canada) growing up during the late '40s and early '50s (myself included) remembered The Babe as a kindly old man who had coached The Brooklyn Dodgers, or simply as a legend they had seen in old newsreel footage, who later made guests appearances at boys clubs, Little League training sessions showing the boys how to sewing the bat, and at autograph signings. They looked up to him as a legendary baseball player who brought the home run to the game, and was also one of the all-time greatest hitters for batting average, as well, AND, who also was one of the great pitchers.  The publishers figured that boys' interest in all things related to that legend would entice them to buy their book, which might get them interested in reading about how he helped kids with their baseball and other sports skills, as well as introduce them to reading about other sports.  The first handful of issues sold well, but interest petered out, and the series was cancelled.