Ruth Stevens, Babe's daughter, dies at 102

Julia Ruth Stevens, the adopted daughter of the legendary slugger Babe Ruth, passed away Saturday at the age of 102, her son Tom confirmed to the New York Times.

Stevens came to know Ruth when he met her mother, Claire Hodgson, in 1923 -- the year the Babe led the Yankees to their first World Series title. Ruth married Hodgson on Opening Day of the ’29 season and adopted Stevens as his daughter. They lived with Ruth’s biological daughter, Dorothy, in a West 88th Street apartment in Manhattan.

Stevens regarded Ruth as her own father, accompanying him on his famous trip to Japan in 1934. She tossed several ceremonial first pitches at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium, including the Yankees’ final game at old Yankee Stadium in 2008, throughout the years, and often publicly cheered for Ruth’s original team, the Red Sox -- even when they played their bitter rivals. She appeared at Major League games until she was 100 years old.

Stevens is survived by her son, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.