For the last four years of the deadball era, Sisler was an outstanding hitter. He was among the league leaders in on base %, slugging &, batting average each season. Then, when the live or rabbit ball was introduced, he jumped into another gear and surpassed even Cobb in hitting for 3 years. Unfortunately for Bagwell, he "bulked up" and became especially productive during the heart of the steroid era, and there are some who hold that against him. I happen to think that he was a great hitter in his own right and that he belongs in the Hall of Fame. But I am also extremely impressed by Sisler's work, especially when we factor in the difficulty of hitting prior to 1920.
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