Would the Legendary Babe Ruth Still Be a Star if He Played Today?

rats60 · #1 04-25-2017, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanofjapan

Walter Johnson, who was probably the hardest throwing pitcher who Ruth faced in his career, had a fastball that topped out at about 90mph. Today even guys that never make the majors can throw that hard. And that is just one example. Ruth would be facing a completely different, and much higher, standard of pitchers than what he was used to.

Greg Maddux topped out at about 90mph and he was one of the greatest pitchers of all time. Walter Johnson was timed as high as 99mph. I don't think pitchers throw that much harder, even though that is really irrelevant. It is just easy for people to dismiss pitchers of that era because they didn't have speed guns timing every pitch.

Snapolit1 · #2 04-25-2017, 08:51 AM

I think the bottom line, for me at least, is that if you put 1925 Babe Ruth in a time machine and dropped him on a field today, I think he'd struggle to hit 25 home runs. If you dropped him in 1992 and gave him all the benefits of modern training, know how, nutrition, etc. . . . .who the hell knows what would happen. I do not believe for one moment however under the later scenario that he'd be hitting 60 home runs in a year or more than entire teams are hitting. I do not believe he would be the man, myth and the legend that is is today. As I send above, he might well be Cecil Fielder.

packs · #3 04-25-2017, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I think the bottom line, for me at least, is that if you put 1925 Babe Ruth in a time machine and dropped him on a field today, I think he'd struggle to hit 25 home runs. If you dropped him in 1992 and gave him all the benefits of modern training, know how, nutrition, etc. . . . .who the hell knows what would happen. I do not believe for one moment however under the later scenario that he'd be hitting 60 home runs in a year or more than entire teams are hitting. I do not believe he would be the man, myth and the legend that is is today. As I send above, he might well be Cecil Fielder.

To offer a different take on the modern training, equipment, etc. argument, please remember that when Ruth began playing baseball it was at an orphanage. He became Babe Ruth without any advantages at all in his life. I wouldn't hold modern equipment or training up against someone with that kind of perseverance and incredible talent.

seanofjapan · #4 04-27-2017, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rats60

Greg Maddux topped out at about 90mph and he was one of the greatest pitchers of all time. Walter Johnson was timed as high as 99mph. I don't think pitchers throw that much harder, even though that is really irrelevant. It is just easy for people to dismiss pitchers of that era because they didn't have speed guns timing every pitch.

Yeah, but Maddux, while one of the greatest pitchers, was never considered one of the hardest throwers of his generation. Johnson was, and by a wide margin at that. According to his Wikipedia entry, Johnson was clocked at 91mph (not sure if that is accurate, but its where I got my info).

I'm not saying that pitching speed is a suitable means of measuring a pitcher, tons of great pitchers didn't throw particularly hard while a lot of hard throwers weren't particularly great. It is however one of the few things where you can put a number on how things have changed over the years - I don't think its controversial to state that the top speeds of pitchers today is higher than it was in the early 20th century (correct me if I am wrong on this). For all the other factors that make a pitcher good - control, finesse, ability to read a batter, movement on a breaking ball, etc - they are pretty much impossible to measure and thus impossible to compare in a meaningful way. We might infer however that given all the other ways in which all sports have progressed, probably there have been incremental increases in these areas as well.

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