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re: How would Babe Ruth fare in the steroid era?
Posted on 8/15/16 at 2:43 pm to mizzoubuckeyeiowa
Posted on 8/15/16 at 2:43 pm to mizzoubuckeyeiowa
quote:
So unless you can prove that Walter Johnson and the like were throwing so much slower back then, your assertion isn't really based on anything but assumption of time.
they were. there is actually a documentary on netflix called Fastball that goes through the history of different best fastball pitchers of their time. Walter Johnson is specifically documented. Johnson was actually the first pitcher to ever have his pitch speed measured
"In 1917, a Bridgeport, Connecticut munitions laboratory recorded Johnson's fastball at 134 feet per second, which is equal to 91.36 miles per hour (147.03 km/h), a velocity which was virtually unique in Johnson's day,"
While that number is probably not exact, one would at least surmise that pitchers of his day, on average, were considerably slower than today. If Johnson was the fastest throwing pitcher, clocking in at 91 MPH, imagine what an average pitcher was throwing
This post was edited on 8/15/16 at 2:45 pm
4
Posted on 8/15/16 at 3:02 pm to lsufball19
quote:
While that number is probably not exact, one would at least surmise that pitchers of his day, on average, were considerably slower than today. If Johnson was the fastest throwing pitcher, clocking in at 91 MPH, imagine what an average pitcher was throwing
Yeah but the batters were not in the shape that they're in today either so I believe it's a wash.
100 years is a fraction of a drop in the bucket as far as human evolution of neurobiology goes. The same type of hand-eye coordination that exists today, existed back then. Ruth had it to be as good as he was.
This post was edited on 8/15/16 at 3:10 pm
Posted on 8/15/16 at 3:34 pm to lsufball19
quote:
While that number is probably not exact, one would at least surmise that pitchers of his day, on average, were considerably slower than today. If Johnson was the fastest throwing pitcher, clocking in at 91 MPH, imagine what an average pitcher was throwing
The counter-argument to that (if we assume such rudimentary measurements back then are valid and can be translated today - is this the one where they used a motorcycle?)
They doctored the baseball like crazy back then, umps were lassez-faire and sometimes the baseballs were so scuffed they were black.
And yes, most of the pitches were fastball, change-up and curve...a few had a screwball.
This post was edited on 8/15/16 at 3:36 pm
Posted on 8/15/16 at 3:55 pm to lsufball19
quote:
"In 1917, a Bridgeport, Connecticut munitions laboratory recorded Johnson's fastball at 134 feet per second, which is equal to 91.36 miles per hour (147.03 km/h), a velocity which was virtually unique in Johnson's day,"
1917 was still the dead ball era. Spitballs were still allowed. They would retrieve foul balls/HRs from the stands and would keep using them until they began to unravel. You could scuff the shite out of a ball w/pretty much no worries of getting into trouble. Balls would often turn dark brown from being used all game making them very difficult to see. Brushing back a hitter was far easier b/c you weren't as easily tossed for throwing at a batter on purpose. Batters didn't have helmets or protective gear that allows them to stand in there and take a shot w/o fear like they do now. The mounds weren't even a consistently regulated height. They could be changed according to the pitcher's preference and could be high as 15 inches, in some cases were completely flat, or even had inward depression (today is a strict 10 inches). Pitchers didn't throw in the 90s b/c they really didn't have to.
People saying you couldn't drop the greats into the modern era should recognize that same applies to today's greats getting dropped into the past.
This post was edited on 8/15/16 at 4:15 pm
Posted on 8/15/16 at 4:14 pm to lsufball19
quote:Even if you're just close, that basically means just about the entire league's hardest pitches were under 90, but if we dropped Ruth into today's game, we're supposed to believe he'd fare just fine? That makes no sense to me.
they were. there is actually a documentary on netflix called Fastball that goes through the history of different best fastball pitchers of their time. Walter Johnson is specifically documented. Johnson was actually the first pitcher to ever have his pitch speed measured "In 1917, a Bridgeport, Connecticut munitions laboratory recorded Johnson's fastball at 134 feet per second, which is equal to 91.36 miles per hour (147.03 km/h), a velocity which was virtually unique in Johnson's day," While that number is probably not exact, one would at least surmise that pitchers of his day, on average, were considerably slower than today. If Johnson was the fastest throwing pitcher, clocking in at 91 MPH, imagine what an average pitcher was throwing
The pitching is world's better, like nothing he would have ever seen.
It's page 2, and I feel the need to add my disclaimer again, that I have Ruth as the GOAT, because I judge it by dominance of your contemporaries. But you can't drop any player from the '20s into today's game and expect them to have any kind of chance IMO.
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