Perception of pre war baseball players vs other sports

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by jingram058

The perception by most people is that most of the truly great baseball players were in that earlier era. Perception is reality, factually or otherwise.

I don't think this is true, broadly speaking. It may be true with respect to this forum and the tendencies here to romanticize that era, but I don't think the rest of the sports world has fallen prey to those same delusions. Perhaps most will agree that Ruth is the GOAT, but I don't think you'll find that extended to pretty much anyone else. Maaaaybe Cobb, but certainly not with guys like Wagner, Hornsby, or Gehrig.

[refz]

I don’t think there’s to much more to cover here, most of which was already said. Baseball was earlier and more developed as a sport yes, and what also keeps old legends alive is trivia. Makes people possibly wonder and look up the player.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Snowman

I don't think this is true, broadly speaking. It may be true with respect to this forum and the tendencies here to romanticize that era, but I don't think the rest of the sports world has fallen prey to those same delusions. Perhaps most will agree that Ruth is the GOAT, but I don't think you'll find that extended to pretty much anyone else. Maaaaybe Cobb, but certainly not with guys like Wagner, Hornsby, or Gehrig.

I don't think that is true. Bill James has Honus Wagner ranked #2 all time ahead of Willie Mays. Those 4 are all top 10 players all time. However, I don't think there is any doubt that the best era for baseball was 1947-1979. Williams, Musial, Jackie Robinson, Mays, Mantle, Aaron, Clemente, Koufax, Gibson, Seaver, Bench, Schmidt, etc. No other era had that depth of great players.

In the 70s you had football take over as the #1 sport with the Super Bowl, Monday Night Football and great teams in Miami, Pittsburgh, Oakland and Dallas. Then in the 80s, basketball took off with Magic, Bird and Jordan. By the strike in 1994, baseball was clearly the #3 sport after being the national pastime for so long.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by rats60

However, I don't think there is any doubt that the best era for baseball was 1947-1979. Williams, Musial, Jackie Robinson, Mays, Mantle, Aaron, Clemente, Koufax, Gibson, Seaver, Bench, Schmidt, etc. No other era had that depth of great players.

I have to beg to differ. You can take any 30 year period between, say, 1900-79, rattle off a list of contemporaneous greats and say the same thing. A lot happens in thirty years, and many legends in every era.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

I have to beg to differ. You can take any 30 year period between, say, 1900-79, rattle off a list of contemporaneous greats and say the same thing. A lot happens in thirty years, and many legends in every era.

This. For exzmple 1905-1934. Cobb Speaker Wagner Ruth Jackson Lajoie Collins Sisler Hornsby Gehrig Young Mathewson Johnson Alexander Grove shall I continue? That can't rival 47-79?

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

This. For exzmple 1905-1934. Cobb Speaker Wagner Ruth Jackson Lajoie Collins Sisler Hornsby Gehrig Young Mathewson Johnson Alexander Grove shall I continue? That can't rival 47-79?

Definitely not preintegration.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by rats60

Definitely not preintegration.

True, the major leagues were sadly missing out on a lot of great black talent, but on the other hand, baseball was THE game for all kids back then, and MLB got the cream of a much larger white crop. I've always thought--and Goose Goslin says this on the "Glory of Their Times" audio--that the big stars then would also be great today, but because of better conditioning, training, travel conditions, etc., the average ballplayer of yesteryear wouldn't be able to compete with those of today.

[packs]

I’ve always felt like the average pre-war player was most likely much better than the average player today. Today the pool of major leaguers is only made up of those who decide to play baseball. Way less of the population is playing than during pre-war days. If you were a player on any pre-war team you beat out almost ever of age male in the country for your spot. Today you only compete against of a tiny percentage of the people you would have in 1910.

[jakebeckleyoldeagleeye]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

True, the major leagues were sadly missing out on a lot of great black talent, but on the other hand, baseball was THE game for all kids back then, and MLB got the cream of a much larger white crop. I've always thought--and Goose Goslin says this on the "Glory of Their Times" audio--that the big stars then would also be great today, but because of better conditioning, training, travel conditions, etc., the average ballplayer of yesteryear wouldn't be able to compete with those of today.

Put today's players back in those times. I can't see Mike Trout working in a coal mine in the off season.