That time Babe Ruth ran into a wall and knocked himself unconscious

It was July 5, 1924, and the Yankees were facing the Washington Senators in D.C. for a double header. In the fourth inning of the first game, the Great Bambino raced to catch a ball that was headed into foul territory down the right-field line. But the focused Ruth slammed right into a concrete wall instead. He fell to the ground, unconscious, where he lay for a nerve-wracking five minutes.

Smartly dressed attendees peered over the offending wall to get a look at their vulnerable hero as Yankees trainer Doc Woods ran over with a bucket of water and a first aid bag.

Ruth finally opened his eyes and though Yankees manager Miller Huggins offered to take him out, Ruth wouldn't hear of it. He went on to play both games, limp and all (he damaged his hip in the collision), and recorded two more hits. Ruth would go on to start every game that season.

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You don't come out of life with half a dozen grandiose nicknames, like "The King of Crash" and "The Colossus of Clout," without a getting few bruises along the way. It's just incredible that some keen-eyed photographer managed to capture this rarest of moments. Check out the photo from the Library of Congress for yourself. --Lauren Hansen

(CC BY: The Library of Congress)