Could you or I have dominated the 1880s?

[Head928]

I think that becoming a major league player back then would have been an easier road than it is now. As far as being a dominate player I don’t think I would have performed any better against Matty or Walter Johnson than anyone else did. The top athletes back then were still great athletes by today’s standards they were just a lot less of them around for a lot of the reasons already mentioned. The same goes for the NFL a 6’4” 250 lb athletic dude is not considered a big deal nowadays but that was the size of most NFL linemen up until even the 70s it does not mean that person would have dominated Jim Brown though.

[mechanicalman]

I think in the later innings of a double header, once the pitch count gets around the 350-375 range, I might be able to foul tip a Tim Keefe pitch.

[Joe_G.]

I believe some of the 19th century pitchers could bring the heat, particularly Amos Rusie, the "the Hoosier Thunderbolt". http://www.thenationalpastimemuseum....cle/amos-rusie

[Mountaineer1999]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

I think in the later innings of a double header, once the pitch count gets around the 350-375 range, I might be able to foul tip a Tim Keefe pitch.

I guess this could be true and I underestimate these guys but it seems to me a decent college player today would smack Tim Keefe around the lot. Especially if they move him back to 60 feet. Again, if the college player goes back to 1880 and Keefe pitches from 45 to 50 feet then big edge Keefe.

[TCMA]

I played four years of D3 college ball and two seasons of semi-pro, wood bat league ball. Remember, college players are swinging aluminum and that's another edge the old-timers would have if our modern guys were transported back.

Moving from aluminum to wood IS a challenge. Mainly because the wood bats are less forgiving and it's tougher to get "cheap" hits. I saw balls hit so hard in college off aluminum bats that the infielders wanted no part of it.

[boneheadandrube]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

I think in the later innings of a double header, once the pitch count gets around the 350-375 range, I might be able to foul tip a Tim Keefe pitch.

I could turn any Keefe offering into a frozen rope extending into left center. With the ricochet off the farthest buggy in the outfield I could make it to third, but would probably head for home where I would give Buck a concave chest or at least an undiagnosed high ankle sprain if he tries to protect the plate.

[egri]

I think the athletes of today aren't as tough as the athletes of yesteryear. Today's athletes pro athletes all have high school diplomas, at least some college if not a degree, and generally get pretty good signing bonuses, so if sports doesn't work out, they have viable fallback options. Back then, high school dropouts were common, the salaries were crap, and it was either succeed in sports or go back to the mill/farm, so the Ellis Kinder's and Dizzy Dean's of the world had no choice but to succeed no matter the circumstances. Even someone as immensely talented as Mickey Mantle didn't have any other options; when he was struggling in the minors and wanted to quit, Mutt Mantle threatened to drag him back to the lead mines for the rest of his life. The players of today aren't coming from that background and don't have that mentality. And that's before you get in to the lack of amenities and poor medical care that they received from team doctors. I can't imagine someone like Bryce Harper or Barry Bonds putting up with flannel uniforms in July or train rides without air conditioning for very long.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Originally Posted by egri

I think the athletes of today aren't as tough as the athletes of yesteryear. Today's athletes pro athletes all have high school diplomas, at least some college if not a degree, and generally get pretty good signing bonuses, so if sports doesn't work out, they have viable fallback options. Back then, high school dropouts were common, the salaries were crap, and it was either succeed in sports or go back to the mill/farm, so the Ellis Kinder's and Dizzy Dean's of the world had no choice but to succeed no matter the circumstances. Even someone as immensely talented as Mickey Mantle didn't have any other options; when he was struggling in the minors and wanted to quit, Mutt Mantle threatened to drag him back to the lead mines for the rest of his life. The players of today aren't coming from that background and don't have that mentality. And that's before you get in to the lack of amenities and poor medical care that they received from team doctors. I can't imagine someone like Bryce Harper or Barry Bonds putting up with flannel uniforms in July or train rides without air conditioning for very long.

Great post. I guess you could say the same for today's players though. What I'm referencing are the kids from the DR, Cuba etc. They have no fall back. It's either make it or go home and work in the fields.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/...e_at_hope.html


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[insidethewrapper]

At times in the 19th Century you could call your pitch ( high or low) and wait for a good one. Also early on they did "pitch" the ball, like slow pitch soft ball. And now some of these hitters are in the Hall of Fame. It was not until I believe 1884 that the delivery or overhand motion started the fastball era

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Originally Posted by insidethewrapper

At times in the 19th Century you could call your pitch ( high or low) and wait for a good one. Also early on they did "pitch" the ball, like slow pitch soft ball. And now some of these hitters are in the Hall of Fame. It was not until I believe 1884 that the delivery or overhand motion started the fastball era

And the speed pitch was banned in the early days as well.


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[horzverti]

I think that the worst MLB player now would be a HOFer at his 2016 position back in the 1880s. Given that the time traveling current player could take his 2016 body, skills and experience with him.

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by horzverti

I think that the worst MLB player now would be a HOFer at his 2016 position back in the 1880s. Given that the time traveling current player could take his 2016 body, skills and experience with him.

Probably 90% of them would get back in their time machine without playing a game when they find out they don't get a glove or a batting helmet, especially with the pitchers closer