[Archive]

Posted By: Anson

In regards to Gil and Jay's discussion, I agree with both of you......to some degree. Today's players have many other factors that influence their ability and approach to the game. These factors have evolved since the dawn of the game until now. Whether it's changes in the physical characteristics of the game features, the rules, the conditioning, the travel, the size of the league and dilution of talent, or the perception of the game through the players' eyes, you can argue your points until you're blue in the face. It's not an apples to apples situation. With too many factors, all we can do is take educated guesses. Yes, Anson, Kelly, Young, Johnson, Matty, Cobb, Wagner, Ruth, Williams, Musial, Mays, etc...would probably excel in any era. Sure, the approach would be different in every time period. However, these players showed a true ability to elevate their game above all others. It's not a matter of the average athlete....it's the legends and their place in history.

On the track of the thread, I find that Wagner is one of the few players where a single card impacts the value of his others. A case can be made for Plank and Lajoie, but I don't think that they get quite the boost.