20th Century Baseball

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

That century had quaint occurances in it just like those of the nineteenth century.

- Everyone carried on about the sancity of Ruth 60 home runs in a year - so much so that Maris' record had an asterisk at first. Boy did McGuire and Sosa show them at the end of the century! Both averaged over 60 home runs for 4 consecutive years.

- For 50 years the Big Train sat alone in the 3000 strikeout club. In the 70s Gibson joined him. Then in the 80s the floodgates opened. By the time the dust settled in the early 2000s, there was no longer a 3000K club. Four pitchers had exceeded 4000Ks and the bar was raised. Walter Johnson no longer made the grade.

- Like Johnson, the Bambino sat alone in the 700 HR club for nearly 50 years until the 70s when joined by Aaron. But the floodgates did not then immediately open. However, by the early 2000s we find Bonds a virtual certainty to join these two with Sosa and others ahead of Bonds pace right now. Of course this does not impact Ruth's standing. But it does eliminate the significance of the 500 HR club.

I imagine that the above and other standards which previously existed, will be forgotten much like Ed Delahanty's record of 7 RBIs in an inning disappeared once Tatis hit 2 grand slams in an inning. Old standards are not cherished. Or are they?

Old records which have been with us since our childhood are difficult to part with. What do you think?