Sluggers of today don't measure up to Babe

We interrupt the 1998 home-run merry-go-round for a brief dose ofreality.

The excellent HBO special on Babe Ruth that aired on the 50thanniversary of his death Sunday - it will be repeated several timesthis week - serves as a timely reminder that with all due respect toRoger Maris, Mark McGwire, Ken Griffey Jr. and Sammy Sosa, on and offthe field, Ruth was one of a kind.

Michael Jordan is the closest thing to an American sports folkhero alive today, but he has his rivals in that department. InRuth's time - a time when baseball was the only team sport thatmattered - he stood alone and became a mythic figure whose appealnever will be matched.

As far as …