I can't speak for the context in which the magic number was chosen, but in this context, the creation of classes, the usage of "babe" seems to more closely refe

I can't speak for the context in which the magic number was chosen, but in this context, the creation of classes, the usage of "babe" seems to more closely refer the definition wherein it refers to a "a baby infant". In fact, I initially didn't realise where the claim of sexism came from until I read the phrase a second time and remembered that there was also another definition of that word.