I would agree that the players may seem unskilled because the game was just so different then. Comparing a Ty Cobb to Albert Pujols, and it seems like the players today are more athletic, bigger, and skilled. However, when you compare, for example, Ty Cobb or Willie Keeler to Ichiro, there doesn't seem to be that much of a difference. In other words, you have to compare apples to apples.
Not only is the game generally different today, more importantly it is very specialized, every position and spot in the batting order has a very tight category and role. The Ty Cobbs that dominated the deadball era would be stars today, but they would likely be batting 1st or 2nd rather than 3rd or cleanup.
Likewise, some of the famous starting pitchers of the deadball era would categorized as relievers and closers if they were to play today. We could argue this all day, but I think of all around pitchers like Mathweson and Johnson as starters, and one-two pitch specialists like Mordecai Brown as closers. And personalities like Rube Waddell would be the John Rockers bullpen types of today. Its all fun to think about....
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