Topic: Spirits who changed the soul of the game and their definitive cards

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by jingram058

How about the man who single-handedly changed the game, who saved it in the aftermath of the Black Sox, who ended the dead ball era, who packed ball parks?

If true, that's yet another reason for me to dislike Babe Ruth. I loved the running game played during the dead ball era. That was far more entertaining, action filled baseball than the present swing for the fences game played these days.

[dbussell12]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

If true, that's yet another reason for me to dislike Babe Ruth. I loved the running game played during the dead ball era. That was far more entertaining, action filled baseball than the present swing for the fences game played these days.

ha! i agree. my historical time period specialty is 1909-1919. what a fascinating period for the sport on all levels. so much happened during this period of rapid industrial, technological, and global shift in the game and in the country too. photojournalistically (with type 1s and orgs like bain and paul thompson + spooner and wells especially), with card drawings, design + lithography (caramels, t206s, et al) + of course the style and method of which the game was played.

running, defense, and pitching focused. what a time to watch the pitching duels and feats of pitchers like reulbach, wiltse, powell, etc. mathewson, wood, johnson. strategy minded and focused players like speaker. great stuff.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by dbussell12

ha! i agree. my historical time period specialty is 1909-1919. what a fascinating period for the sport on all levels. so much happened during this period of rapid industrial, technological, and global shift in the game and in the country too. photojournalistically (with type 1s and orgs like bain and paul thompson + spooner and wells especially), with card drawings, design + lithography (caramels, t206s, et al) + of course the style and method of which the game was played.

running, defense, and pitching focused. what a time to watch the pitching duels and feats of pitchers like reulbach, wiltse, powell, etc. mathewson, wood, johnson. strategy minded and focused players like speaker. great stuff.

I agree with it too. But then Ruth came along and made "Home Run" Baker look like kindergarten. And he saved the game from the negativity surrounding the likes of Hal Chase and the 8 men out. Some great ballplayers there, to be sure, but the corruption surrounding them was something the game could not endure. Do I think Ruth is overrated? Absolutely not! Look at what he accomplished in comparison to any of his peers, and how beloved a figure he was. I wish I could chase girls all night, eat a package of hotdogs boiled in a clubhouse coffee urn, washed down with 2 quarts of beer, and then go out and play at that level, consistently. Heck, even the haters loved him, all over the world.

[dbussell12]

Originally Posted by jingram058

I agree with it too. But then Ruth came along and made "Home Run" Baker look like kindergarten. And he saved the game from the negativity surrounding the likes of Hal Chase and the 8 men out. Some great ballplayers there, to be sure, but the corruption surrounding them was something the game could not endure. Do I think Ruth is overrated? Absolutely not! Look at what he accomplished in comparison to any of his peers, and how beloved a figure he was. I wish I could chase girls all night, eat a package of hotdogs boiled in a clubhouse coffee urn, washed down with 2 quarts of beer, and then go out and play at that level, consistently. Heck, even the haters loved him, all over the world.

totally right. the game was on the edge of being 'black marked' forever by fans and an american culture which trusted the upright posture of the sport. it could no longer be denied that players like zimmerman and chase; even cobb and speaker had a hand in a much larger political situation which also rested at the feet of the ever more greedy owners and the growing divide between the lived reality of being a ballplayer and people who made big money off the game. ie the federal league split + owners like ebbets charging a then unheard of $5 a ticket for world series games!!

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

If true, that's yet another reason for me to dislike Babe Ruth. I loved the running game played during the dead ball era. That was far more entertaining, action filled baseball than the present swing for the fences game played these days.

I don't disagree that today's game is kinda one-note, but hating on Babe Ruth...



Personally, I think there is nothing more thrilling than to see a player like Ruth step into the box, but the game ebbs and flows based on equipment, stadiums and talent. Look at the running game in the 1970s-1980s, it surpassed the deadball game. Speed demons all over the place because the artificial turf in many stadiums favored speed:

Rickey Henderson
Vince Coleman
Lou Brock
Tim Raines
Joe Morgan
Ron LeFlore
Omar Moreno
Willie Wilson
Davey Lopes
Mickey Rivers

Not a single player stole over 100 bases between 1900 and 1920; over 100 bases were stolen seven times between 1974 and 1988.