I think Milkit hit it out of the park, that the photos don't reflect the action shots... but also that almost all of the players were "hit 'em where they ain't" rather than hit it over the fence. A worn out, deadball surely didn't help.
A different style of skill for sure...more of a Rod Carew, Ichiro thing than a Rob Deer,Steve Balboni style.
In some respects, that old deadball style had more of the "thinking man's" element than later years...of course some might argue that these players were often playing with "Waner's flask" in the hip pocket so maybe there is a reason they look less athletic
Call it the "drinking man's game"