Hypothetical Question, could Ruth hit modern pitching

[rhettyeakley]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I agree that they wouldn't "like" it, but they could still play and would still be stars.

I think todays hitters would be able to hit for sure. The game was different back then so the hitters that were terrible fielders may not have been kept around. There were quite a few hitters that were terrible fielders that were never given the time of day in the majors (Buzz Arlett, etc) as their hitting prowess didn’t overcome their shortcomings in the field (which was infinitely more difficult in the past with glove size, field conditions, field size,etc)

Today’s pitchers…I have no idea how they would fare in the past. They would initially (I imagine) be insanely overpowering but they would have essentially zero shelf-life as Tommy John surgery would not exist and I imagine they would end up sacrificing power for longevity.