The Controversial Backstory Of How Baby Ruth Candy Bars Got Their Name

Baby Ruth bars hit it out of the park in terms of taste. Peanuts, caramel, and nougat all swathed in a smooth milk chocolate shell — what's not to like? Unfortunately, though, the story behind the candy's name isn't quite as sweet.

Introduced in 1921 by the Curtiss Candy Company, Baby Ruth bars were a reformulation of Kandy Kake – the company's vintage candy bar with peanuts and pudding at its center. The company's founder, Otto Schnering, took a bold swing with this new recipe, but it paid off — perhaps thanks to the man still considered to be the greatest player in Major League Baseball history.

At the time the new candy bar was created, New York Yankee Babe Ruth was taking American baseball by storm, breaking home run records and earning himself nicknames like "The Great Bambino" and the "Sultan of Swat." Given the timing — not the mention the fact that the names Baby Ruth and Babe Ruth differ by just one letter — it was not off-base for people to assume the candy bar was named after and made in collaboration with the sports star. However, this was not the case.

Babe Ruth had no affiliation with the Curtiss Candy Company and was not receiving any royalties for the use of his name. To make matters worse, the company was also operating hundreds of miles away, deep in Chicago Cubs territory. As you can imagine, "The King of Crash" didn't take this state of affairs lying down.

With a moniker clearly resembling his own and no permission granted, one may assume that Babe Ruth sued the Curtiss Candy Company over its Baby Ruth bars. But the dexterous pitcher had a different plan. He responded by attempting to license a candy bar of his own through the George H. Ruth Candy Company. It was dubbed "Ruth's Home Run Bar" and wrappers were signed by him to prove authenticity.

In a twist worthy of a ninth-inning upset, it was the Curtiss Candy Company that then filed a lawsuit accusing the slugger of trademark infringement. According to a Pennsylvania State University article, the candy company argued Babe Ruth wasn't yet famous when the product launched. But, at the heart of their defense was the claim that "Baby Ruth" alternatively referred to Ruth Cleveland, the beloved first daughter of President Grover Cleveland, born in 1891. Ruth received national attention as she grew up in the White House, and once again after she sadly died of diphtheria at just 12 years old. The Curtiss Candy Company, however, was erected 12 years after her passing, and the Baby Ruth bar launched five years after that.

Despite the shaky logic and suspicious timing, Curtiss won the case. To add insult to injury for the baseball icon, Baby Ruth went on to become the "official candy bar of Major League Baseball" and cemented its place beside stadium hot dogs, leaning even farther into baseball-themed advertising.