Chris Russo Blasts Cubs Star Crow-Armstrong Over Babe Ruth Conspiracy Theory Comments

Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong drew sharp rebuke from baseball commentator Chris Russo after suggesting that legendary player Babe Ruth may not have actually existed. Crow-Armstrong made the remarks while discussing the implausibility of Ruth’s accomplishments relative to modern pitching, noting that even if pitchers had underhand deliveries during Ruth’s era, his achievements remain historically significant.

Russo, a former MLB Network host, responded with forceful pushback on the “First Take” program this week, calling Crow-Armstrong’s comments “derogatory” and a disservice to baseball history. He highlighted Ruth’s unmatched power statistics, including 27 home runs hit over 500 feet—a feat Russo noted Barry Bonds never achieved—and emphasized Ruth’s dominance across eras of the game.

The veteran commentator stressed that Ruth’s 1920 season produced 54 home runs, more than seven of the eight existing MLB teams combined, and repeated the feat in 1927 with 60 homers. Russo argued that Ruth would have been a Hall of Famer based on his pitching credentials alone, posting a 2.19 ERA with the Boston Red Sox before focusing on hitting.

Ruth became baseball’s all-time home run leader on July 18, 1921, with his 139th homer and ultimately retired with 714 total—a record that stood until Hank Aaron surpassed it in 1974. Ruth maintains the all-time lead in slugging percentage at .690 and OPS at 1.164.