Hypothetical Question, could Ruth hit modern pitching

Carter08 · #1 10-16-2023, 05:43 PM

The current thinking in baseball seems to be roll through as many pitchers as you need in a game to make sure the team is always pitching well into the 90s. The increased torque required for that seems to result in increased injuries and surgeries. Personal observation but I would guess it�s supported somewhere.

I imagine many great hitters of the past would be able to catch up to the speed with training but in their day they most likely never had to think about facing a 100mph pitch, much less a constant barrage of them.

Snowman · #2 10-16-2023, 06:13 PM

I forgot to address the comments earlier about record breaking being more a function of technology and environmental factors than evolutionary factors. This is certainly true as well, though the degree to which this applies varies greatly by sport.

Here's an interesting TED talk on the topic

https://youtu.be/8COaMKbNrX0?si=Dzvz-03MvT086MUS

eliotdeutsch · #3 10-16-2023, 06:25 PM

Love this Ted talk on the subject. Just posted it and saw you had as well.

Peter_Spaeth · #4 10-16-2023, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carter08

The current thinking in baseball seems to be roll through as many pitchers as you need in a game to make sure the team is always pitching well into the 90s. The increased torque required for that seems to result in increased injuries and surgeries. Personal observation but I would guess it’s supported somewhere.

I imagine many great hitters of the past would be able to catch up to the speed with training but in their day they most likely never had to think about facing a 100mph pitch, much less a constant barrage of them.

Right. Even assuming some top pitchers from the 20s could hit the low 90s, there's no chance they were throwing consistently in the 90s for 9 innings every 4th day. I don't care how manly they were compared to today's wimps.

Pedro famously said to wake up the Bambino so he could drill him in the ass, but if he had thought about it he probably would have said so he could strike him out.

robw1959 · #5 10-16-2023, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Right. Even assuming some top pitchers from the 20s could hit the low 90s, there's no chance they were throwing consistently in the 90s for 9 innings every 4th day. I don't care how manly they were compared to today's wimps.

Pedro famously said to wake up the Bambino so he could drill him in the ass, but if he had thought about it he probably would have said so he could strike him out.

This is so silly. Pitchers in the 1960s and '70s were doing this REGULARLY throughout the course of any given season. Jim Palmer, for example, pitched 25 complete games one year. This year, the entire American League starting pitcher staff only combined for 22.

Oh, and Pedro would get the same wakeup call pitching to Ruth that Satchel Paige got when his fastball in 1935 was turned into a 450+ foot blast over the centerfield fence.

Peter_Spaeth · #6 10-16-2023, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robw1959

This is so silly. Pitchers in the 1960s and '70s were doing this REGULARLY throughout the course of any given season. Jim Palmer, for example, pitched 25 complete games one year. This year, the entire American League starting pitcher staff only combined for 22.

Oh, and Pedro would get the same wakeup call pitching to Ruth that Satchel Paige got when his fastball in 1935 was turned into a 450+ foot blast over the centerfield fence.

I doubt it. If Koufax was, look what it did to him.

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