Hypothetical Question, could Ruth hit modern pitching

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

I honestly don’t know who would struggle more…

1. The best from the past being transported today with all the modern advances and salary and computer/video help to adjust their game.

-or-

2. The best from today transported to 1920 and having to play in those conditions with only the technology available at the time with no IR and pitchers having to pitch complete games and little to no use of relief pitching.

Today's AVERAGE player would melt under the strain of past conditions.

The AVERAGE player of the past could only do better today.

[CJinPA]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

Today's AVERAGE player would melt under the strain of past conditions.

The AVERAGE player of the past could only do better today.

It sounds as if you're underestimating today's players - don't do that. Baseball today is a different game than it was in the say the 20's - 50's.

I've posted this in another thread but the pitchers of today would annihilate all but the very, very best in the old generations. The pitch shaping, velocity, and pinpoint precision of sliders, curves and changeups would blow yesteryear hitters out of the water - for a time. If they kept their mouths shut, the ramp-up for older players would take even longer!

I can only take what I hear from the Ryne Sandbergs, Mike Schmidt and John Kruks of the world during their broadcasts and see with my eyes. They all have stated during broadcasts or interviews that the evolution of MLB pitching since around 2010 has been astonishing. Schmidt himself said he'd struggle to perform like the superstar hitters of today.

I'll take their words for it and extrapolate that back to the 20's-50's. It's tough debate since we'll never know - but we can all see the game is different in so many ways - some would survive, I have no doubt but to what degree?

[bnorth]

I love these type of posts. It amazes me how people romanticize about their heroes. Todays players are JACKED and super athletic. Even the little guys are JACKED to the max. You ever see little bitty Jose Altuve without a shirt. He looks like the incredible hulk in miniature form.

The most jacked player from Ruths time would be WAY more out of shape than todays MLB benchwarmer. People are bigger, faster, and holly $hit insanely stronger now than 100 years ago.

What I see is a bunch of people that love their favorite player and are mad people do not think he would still be the greatest if playing now. Babe Ruth was the greatest of his era without question. If in his absolute prime he was magically transported to now. He would b e considered so out of shape he wouldn't even be in the best shape on a lot of beer league softball teams.

[packs]

Originally Posted by bnorth

I love these type of posts. It amazes me how people romanticize about their heroes. Todays players are JACKED and super athletic. Even the little guys are JACKED to the max. You ever see little bitty Jose Altuve without a shirt. He looks like the incredible hulk in miniature form.

The most jacked player from Ruths time would be WAY more out of shape than todays MLB benchwarmer. People are bigger, faster, and holly $hit insanely stronger now than 100 years ago.

What I see is a bunch of people that love their favorite player and are mad people do not think he would still be the greatest if playing now. Babe Ruth was the greatest of his era without question. If in his absolute prime he was magically transported to now. He would b e considered so out of shape he wouldn't even be in the best shape on a lot of beer league softball teams.

This is just simply not true. Ruth was hitting in old stadiums and he was outhitting the entire league. No one had ever done that before and it wasn't just because Ruth was "jacked". He had supreme technique and supreme coordination.

You can't shake those skills. They are immediately transferrable in any time. He would be killing pitching today and probably hitting over a thousand home runs in tiny parks.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by packs

This is just simply not true. Ruth was hitting in old stadiums and he was outhitting the entire league. No one had ever done that before and it wasn't just because Ruth was "jacked". He had supreme technique and supreme coordination.

You can't shake those skills. They are immediately transferrable in any time. He would be killing pitching today and probably hitting over a thousand home runs in tiny parks.

LOL, Ruth outhitting the league is hilarious. He changed the game for sure by being the FIRST big homerun hitter. As soon as the game changed because of him there was several others hitting big homerun totals. He was just the first and not some super human outhitting the league.

[packs]

Originally Posted by bnorth

LOL, Ruth outhitting the league is hilarious. He changed the game for sure by being the FIRST big homerun hitter. As soon as the game changed because of him there was several others hitting big homerun totals. He was just the first and not some super human outhitting the league.

When Babe Ruth hit 54 home runs in 1920 only one other American League team had 50 home runs total. Actually, only one other team in the entire league hit more collective home runs than Ruth hit by himself, and that was 64 home runs for the Phillies in their tiny park.

So LOL I guess?

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by bnorth

You ever see little bitty Jose Altuve without a shirt

Only when he's not wearing a buzzer

[robw1959]

Originally Posted by bnorth

I love these type of posts. It amazes me how people romanticize about their heroes. Todays players are JACKED and super athletic. Even the little guys are JACKED to the max. You ever see little bitty Jose Altuve without a shirt. He looks like the incredible hulk in miniature form.

The most jacked player from Ruths time would be WAY more out of shape than todays MLB benchwarmer. People are bigger, faster, and holly $hit insanely stronger now than 100 years ago.

What I see is a bunch of people that love their favorite player and are mad people do not think he would still be the greatest if playing now. Babe Ruth was the greatest of his era without question. If in his absolute prime he was magically transported to now. He would b e considered so out of shape he wouldn't even be in the best shape on a lot of beer league softball teams.

So please explain how the Splendid Splinter, Ted Williams, who wasn't ripped or jacked could have hit a baseball over 500 feet to a painted seat in Fenway, and nobody else on the Red Sox, including super strong Big Pappi has even come close. Baseball has always been the "everyman" sport. Hitting has always been about load, swing path, and timing . . . not brute strength.

And your assessment of Babe Ruth in today's era is laughable. I suppose Satchel Paige couldn't have pitched in the majors today either, even though he had a heater so fast that he was known for sitting his outfield down from time to time, and pitching the entire inning without them.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by robw1959

So please explain how the Splendid Splinter, Ted Williams, who wasn't ripped or jacked could have hit a baseball over 500 feet to a painted seat in Fenway, and nobody else on the Red Sox, including super strong Big Pappi has even come close. Baseball has always been the "everyman" sport. Hitting has always been about load, swing path, and timing . . . not brute strength.

And your assessment of Babe Ruth in today's era is laughable. I suppose Satchel Paige couldn't have pitched in the majors today either, even though he had a heater so fast that he was known for sitting his outfield down from time to time, and pitching the entire inning without them.

You might want to actually check out how big Ted Williams was.

Oh my, Mr Paige doing that was more of an example of how poor his competition actually was during those exhibitions. To be clear there is zero chance Babe Ruth could magically appear and not look absolutely foolish against todays best pitchers.

Now if Mr Ruth was born 30 years ago and had all the benefits of todays training, food, supplements, and ate the horse meat he would still be one of the best to ever play.

The question was if Babe Ruth was transported to todays game could he hit. Not if he was afforded all the benefits of todays technology/training could he hit.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by bnorth

You might want to actually check out how big Ted Williams was.

Oh my, Mr Paige doing that was more of an example of how poor his competition actually was during those exhibitions. To be clear there is zero chance Babe Ruth could magically appear and not look absolutely foolish against todays best pitchers.

Now if Mr Ruth was born 30 years ago and had all the benefits of todays training, food, supplements, and ate the horse meat he would still be one of the best to ever play.

The question was if Babe Ruth was transported to todays game could he hit. Not if he was afforded all the benefits of todays technology/training could he hit.

Funny how people keep changing the question, isn't it? And yeah, Paige could strike out the side therefore he must have been throwing everything in the 90s. There's a logical conclusion. BTW, from all I've read Paige also had an extraordinary arsenal of offspeed and trick pitches.

[robw1959]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Funny how people keep changing the question, isn't it? And yeah, Paige could strike out the side therefore he must have been throwing everything in the 90s. There's a logical conclusion. BTW, from all I've read Paige also had an extraordinary arsenal of offspeed and trick pitches.

Don't forget about the "pea at the knee," which was his go-to pitch, his fastball.

[robw1959]

Originally Posted by bnorth

You might want to actually check out how big Ted Williams was.

Oh my, Mr Paige doing that was more of an example of how poor his competition actually was during those exhibitions. To be clear there is zero chance Babe Ruth could magically appear and not look absolutely foolish against todays best pitchers.

Now if Mr Ruth was born 30 years ago and had all the benefits of todays training, food, supplements, and ate the horse meat he would still be one of the best to ever play.

The question was if Babe Ruth was transported to todays game could he hit. Not if he was afforded all the benefits of todays technology/training could he hit.

This is all patently false, with no evidence whatsoever. The barnstorming teams had some pretty elite competition, I believe, including such guys as Oscar Charleston, Cool Papa Bell, and Josh Gibson just on the Negro League side. On the MLB side, well, you had the stars of that era as well. How can you just dismiss and denigrate them all unless you wish to remain in denial about it?

[jakebeckleyoldeagleeye]

What about the baseballs they hit back in Ruth's day? Spitballs, emery balls, scuffed balls but today the hitter gets to hit a new ball every other pitch.
Could these guys today have stayed in the box against the old headhunters without batting helmets and body armor and hitting back rounds? After all the only player ever killed while playing was in 1920.
Would they have done a Pete Reiser or Earle Combs and risked life and limb vs a concrete wall?
No DH back then either so it was 154 games in the outfield for Ruth and not doing the Ohtani just hitting 4 times and then sit on the bench and pick his nose.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by robw1959

This is all patently false, with no evidence whatsoever. The barnstorming teams had some pretty elite competition, I believe, including such guys as Oscar Charleston, Cool Papa Bell, and Josh Gibson just on the Negro League side. On the MLB side, well, you had the stars of that era as well. How can you just dismiss and denigrate them all unless you wish to remain in denial about it?

Are those the 3 players Mr Paige pitched against when he had his outfield sit down. If so that is very impressive if not why would you even mention their names?

I am not dismissing how amazing Babe Ruth was against others in his era. I am simply saying the technology and supplements have greatly improved athletes over the last 100 years.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by robw1959

This is all patently false, with no evidence whatsoever. The barnstorming teams had some pretty elite competition, I believe, including such guys as Oscar Charleston, Cool Papa Bell, and Josh Gibson just on the Negro League side. On the MLB side, well, you had the stars of that era as well. How can you just dismiss and denigrate them all unless you wish to remain in denial about it?

We don't really know the context of those anecdotes. It's highly unlikely any pitcher, even Paige, could have been sure of striking out the side in a real game all the more so with that type of opposition. There may have been an element of show there.

The story Buck O'Neill told of Paige walking the bases full to get to Josh Gibson, if indeed true, was awesome.

[Yoda]

I think Ruth would have to adjust his batting styles to meet the new variety of pitches developed since when he was in his prime, eg. the split finger fastball and all its' variations. I think he would have been a major force but never hit 614 dingers lifetime I doubt he would have taken roids, even if he could find them,
since beer, hot dogs and women of loose morals were more his thing.
Who knows, he might have been Ohtani-like, a great hurler and DH on his days
off.
But, too, he was such a social force during the roaring 20's, but it a far different time these days.