Hypothetical Question, could Ruth hit modern pitching

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by jayshum

If your criteria is someone who can hit for power and also pitch, then Ohtani is the only answer.

I guess so. But not just pitch, but pitch very well. And if you take away the pitching, then not just hit for power, but hit with tremendous power. And of course sustain it without breaking down.

[Vintageclout]

Originally Posted by Touch'EmAll

Fun question to ponder. Take it a step further - could Ty Cobb hit modern pitching, or Hornsby, or Dimaggio, or Ted Williams ? You can't discredit all these top tier hitters throughout the years. So tough to compare era's.

Joe DiMaggio & Ted Williams would SPANK modern pitchers. Want the proof? They both wore out Bob Feller, who threw approx. upper 90s - 100 mph as well as having one of the filthiest “12 to 6” curveballs in MLB history. Joltin Joe batted .342 lifetime against Feller (17 points higher than his lifetime batting average) in 193 at bats with 11 home runs. Meanwhile, Williams batted .344 lifetime against Feller (equal to his career average) in 154 at bats with 10 homers and an incredible 1.135 OPS! DiMaggio was way ahead of his time, utilizing a virtually “no stride” swing resulting in him rarely missing the baseball (evident by him only striking out only 369 times in 13 seasons). Regarding Williams, his superior vision was literally off the eye charts, and it is no coincidence that his uncanny eyesight led to Ted being one of America’s finest fighter pilots in the Korean War.

One must also keep in mind that pre-1950 players utilized much heavier bats (36+ ounces in many instances). Modern players use lighter bats (roughly 32-34 ounces) since the lighter bat results in significantly more bat speed. That said, imagine putting a 33/34 ounce bat in Babe Ruth’s hands versus the typical 36-44 ounce bats he used throughout his career! If you look at early to mid 1920s film of Ruth’s swing, he swung that 40+ ounces bat like it was a toothpick - utilizing incredible hip speed and torque to whip that lumber around like no one I’ve ever seen. His athleticism and strength was uncanny, and had he used a bat weighing 6-8 ounces LESS, that would have easily assisted him in handling the faster velocity.

One final critical point is that pre-1950 players never had the advantage of high-tech training programs that have ably assisted many pitchers reaching high 90s to 100+!mph. Can you imagine Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, DiMaggio, Williams, etc. reaping the benefits of this advanced training that would easily put them above the levels of most modern day players!

[jakebeckleyoldeagleeye]

Originally Posted by jayshum

If your criteria is someone who can hit for power and also pitch, then Ohtani is the only answer.

DH on non-pitching days is tough work alright.