What if they used today's baseballs?

[steve B]

Originally Posted by asphaltman

Yeah, I'm not going to pretend to understand the physics involved in how a baseball takes flight at what launch angle, exit velocity, spin on the ball, etc....it's for sure two different worlds and in many ways two different games. I think if this era of players were to be dropped in a game from 1909 they'd be floored as much as if that era of players were to be dropped in a game today. For sure, there are better, faster, stronger athletes today. This kids playing now grew up playing travel ball with non stop tournaments all the time. Just different.

One thing from the past that I wish was still around was the pitchers going deeper into games. The the lost art of throwing a good screwball, knuckleball, and even in the day a good spitter.

Different eras for sure.

Todays players can get an incredible amount of organized experience, but players before sometimes played more, even if the games were less organized.
To me one of the saddest things is seeing todays baseball fields for kids. My kids play at two parks near baseball fields... Wonderful baseball fields. Stands, decent infield and grass, big backstop, even stands, and a passable outfield wall. A long way from the fields I played on, which either had no outfield wall, or a bit of snow fencing with 350 painted on it at what was probably much less. No stands at some, everyone sat on folding chairs.
Of course, we played on our fields pretty much every day. Todays fields are all posted along the lines of "reserved for little league, don't even think of playing ball here. Or the police will come"

I can't imagine some of todays guys getting used to the minimal clubhouse areas they had in 1909. Just as I can't imagine some of the tougher characters adjusting to whirlpools and wall to wall carpet and a spread of free food. (ok, they might adjust to the buffet pretty easily)