Keep in mind also how important Ruth was to baseball. The White Sox had just thrown the World Series in 1919, and the details of their betrayal were slowly coming to light in 1920. This was potentially a disaster for baseball. It was at this time that Ruth began to really dominate the game. 54 home runs in 1920, 59 in 1921.
Ruth's unprecedented power captured the public's imagination at just the right time, distracting people from what was playing out in a Grand Jury in Chicago. It's not as if Ruth planned it that way of course, but even by coincidence he did save baseball from what could have been a public reletions disaster and redefined how the game would be played forever after.
I know Gretzky was the best ever when he came along, but I don't think he changed the way the game would be played the way the Babe did.
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