10
2011
What Happened To The Old Ballgame
An article by 
Baseball has become an utter shell of what it once was, and that thought eats away at me every day. If Legends such as Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Cy Young, Satchel Paige and Walter Johnson were playing today, the present stars would be footnotes, bench players or even in the minor leagues. Today all the players care about is who will pay them more, not simply to play the game. The days of men in baseball are gone, all that remains are boys.
Today, most players are only concerned with their wallets. Their team, winning games, their fans, and even their reputation all take a backseat to the big dollars. Baseball was at its best when the players played during the summer, and then went to the coal mines, the steel mills or built the Brooklyn Bridge in the winter to make ends meet. Today, they get private jets, personal masseuses, and countless other luxuries that the players of old could not even dream of. The ballplayers of yesteryear were stars on the field, but once they left their respective clubhouses, they became the average Joe.
The fences of modern baseball are puny compared to those of old. If Babe Ruth played in such dimensions, he would have outdone not only himself and Roger Maris, but the phony numbers of Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. It would not be out of the question to have seen Ruth hit 800 home runs, 900, or maybe even upwards of 1,000 career home runs if he were to play in today’s game. Not only the dimensions, not only that back then pitchers had higher mounds, but Ruth played before steroids, before ballplayers made hand over fist, and back when 30 home runs was reached by only 4 or 5 batters per season. Ruth’s 60 home runs then would be like hitting 80 home runs today.
Then of course there is the steroid era. Players looking to boost their fame, numbers and most importantly their wallet, decided to take HGH and illegal anabolic steroids to name a few. Bums like A-Fraud, McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, Palmeiro, Giambi, Clemens, Manny Ramirez and countless others chose to completely corrupt nearly two decades of baseball by selfishly choosing to falsely captivate millions by putting up numbers not by hours of hard work in the gym, cage or in the field, but a few minutes in the bathroom with a syringe and a pill or two. These cheaters made us believe we were witnessing one of the greatest eras in the games grand history, but now it’s clear that it was in fact one of the darkest eras of the game. In my opinion this was exponentially worse than the 1919 Black Sox when they threw the World Series. Those guys could barely afford to feed their families. The owners were penny pinching, frequently cheated them, denied them their bonuses, while the owners made money hand over fist. It doesn’t excuse what they did, but what we witnessed in the 1990′s and early 2000′s was much worse.
The only steroid user I can whole heartedly forgive is Jay Gibbons. He was released by the Orioles after appearing in the Mitchell Report, after facing hard times, started clean from the ground up several years later, going through the minors and eventually made it back to the majors in 2010 for the Dodgers. He payed his price; players like Alex Rodriguez, or as I refer to him, A-Fraud, were never truly condemned for their actions. A-Fraud doesn’t care that he did it, like many others, he is only sorry that he got caught. He is the highest payed ballplayer in MLB history, do you really think he regrets taking a few PR hits? ESPN still covered his chase to 600 homers, still praised him, and yet his numbers are TAINTED. If I were to cover that, I would mention the fact that he took steroids before saying anything positive about him. These players needed to juice in order to and cheat for YEARS to become as good as Ruth, Gherig, Mays and Musial.
Players today have also become very frail in comparison to those of 25, 50 100 years ago. Players complain about it being too hot, or too cold or some other stupid complaint. THERE IS NO CRYING IN BASEBALL. Where are the guys like Kirk Gibson?, who was willing to step up to the plate, barely able to stand, and manage to hit a walk-off home run. Yes, there have been recent occurrences such as Curt Shilling’s “Bloody Sock Game”, but that stamina of old, that toughness, has been in short supply in this age of well conditioned atheticism. This is most recently apparent by Jason Heyward, who said he won’t return until he is “100%”. Chipper Jones was right, there are plenty of guys playing through injury, you get out there and play, especially a young kid like Heyward. Your team needs you, shut up, put your head down and play.
Also, where are the incredible shows put on by players like Satchel Paige and Babe Ruth?
Where are the moments like Babe Ruth’s called his shot, or when Satchel Paige called his entire infield and outfield in, and with them kneeling around the mound for an inning and he struck out the side on nine pitches?
The last instances I can recall are Derek Jeter’s Mr. November home run, Pujols’ home run knocking out the “I” in the ”Big Mac” sign or Jack Morris’ 10-inning shutout, but like I have stated several ways here, it is nothing like what it used to be.
Finally, pitch counts are an atrocity. If your pitcher is dealing, there is absolutely no reason to take him out because they are over 100 pitches. Take them out when you need a pinch hitter or when they are not making successful pitches, not because your bench coach can’t count higher than 100.
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Nolan Ryan had it right when he stated that his pitchers will not be limited by pitch counts. I could not believe that Yankees skipper Joe Girardi considered taking CC Sabathia out last season when he had a no-hitter going into the 8th inning because his pitch count was high. I know it is for the purpose of preserving arms, but way back when, pitchers were expected to go 8 or 9 innings regularly. A complete game was as common as a quality start nowadays, not to mention they pitched every third or fourth day, not every fifth.
It drives me crazy when players like Carl Pavano or Adrian Beltre only produce in their contract years. In the real baseball, players took a sense of pride in their performance, the money was just extra, they played because of their love of the game. I have only been around to witness the steroids era and the post-steroids era, but from what I have been told and what I have read, today’s game is an absolute shell of what baseball used to be. These players can not hold a candle to Ruth, Snider, Robinson, Musial or any of the old greats. These men oftentimes sacrificed so much to be able to play baseball, and yet today players have just about everything handed to them and they still complain. I understand that there are several exceptions and that times change, but for the most part, today’s game is nothing compared to once upon a time when baseball was so simple, poetic, grand and heroic.
What used to be a sport for grown men that boys emulated, has now become a boy’s game where grown men are babied and pampered.
About the Author: Clayton Collier
Clayton, a Long Island native and die-hard Mets fan, started writing online about three years ago. He is currently a Journalism major with a minor in Broadcasting at Seton Hall University. Although very disappointed with the current state of the team, Clayton remains hopeful that the young prospects in the farm system will bring the Mets back to a respected franchise in baseball once again. Besides writing for MMO, Clayton is also a staff member at 89.5 WSOU, Seton Hall's modern active rock radio station. You can contact Clayton by following him on Twitter: @Clayton_Collier or E-mailing him at MaybeNextYearMets@yahoo.com
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 24 | 18 | .571 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 20 | .535 | 1.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 23 | .465 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 16 | 24 | .400 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 32 | .256 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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Wow very good article. It was good reading this; At least there are many who appreciate the game when it was a game and not a business.
while i agree with you on many things, i don’t think that nowadays ruth will be hitting 80 homeruns, nor anybody for that matter, scouting has gotten way better than before and also, back then it was mostly fastball pitchers who didn’t throw very hard, and the ones who did or threw other kinds of pitching benefitted from that and won many games, the pressure the players feel now is inmense compare to the ones in the past, in NY ruth will be under scrutiny EVERYDAY, dimaggio hitting streak will be on ALL networks at ALL times, i mean, nowadays, you cant even get out of your house w/o having a reporter outside, with all the media outlets that are right now is also very difficult for this players to play, they feel the pressure even more and most of them feel the need to perform at a highest level. the game was easy back then because you went out and play, now, is consider a business, not only from the owners part of it, but players as well. to say ruth or dimaggio or ted williams will be the hitters they were back then is a stretch, is different era, we should be glad they were good for their era, while i think we should embrace the good players we have in our era, while some take steroids, others do it the right way, while getting pay of course, because, remember, baseball is a business
Alex I would not say that is true. Ruth faced many of the greatest pitchers of all time. Many of them won 30 games and had Eras south of 2 regularly.
A guy hitting 60 home runs now is still huge, but it isn’t an ungodly thought nowadays. My point was 60 was thought as an impossible, unreachable number. A number like that today would be 80 or 90.
But Clayton that’s because during Ruth’s era there weren’t as many good hitters in the league. You can’t compare eras, its way too far fetched.
You’re talking about Walter Johnson, Red Faber, Lefty Grove… but you’re also talking about the size of the ballparks back then, yet giving them credit for their work and then using the parks against a player like Ruth. Can’t have it both ways.
Nobody’s going to deny Walter Johnson and Lefty Grove among baseball’s greatest ever, but you’re also not seeing them pitch against a lineup like the Red Sox’s lineup today for example.
When Walter Johnson was past his prime he faced the 1923 Yankees four times. twice he got rocked. But he also went 7.1 innings and 3 runs. the other was a shutout.
He faced one of the greatest lineups in history. the 1920s-1930s Yankees lineup and had success
And what about the other teams Clayton? Look, don’t let me come off as a guy who thinks Walter Johnson isn’t an all time great, he is… but you also can’t tell me the collective hitters of the 1920′s compared to that of the late 2000s.
Just as much as you can’t tell me how Ruth would have faired against guys like Halladay, Oswalt, Carpenter, Lincecum, Kershaw, Jurrjens, Greinke, Gallardo, Johnson, Cain, Ubaldo, etc
Jessep, the lineups of the Yankees back then are well known to be considered one of the, if not the best lineups in baseball history. Murderer’s row? think Halladay could face that and get off cleanly? No one could. And that lineup is exponentially better than the Redsox today, or the Yankees of the early 2000′s
I think you’re missing the point.
The game was different back then. Pitchers didn’t throw as hard, hitters weren’t as finely tuned in athletiscm.
There’s no possible way you can make this argument. The game was different. Are you telling me I can’t find hitters more dangerous than Lazzeri, Koenig, Dugan, Meusel, Combs? They were far better than their compeition… that doesn’t mean they are far better than the talent today.
It’s harder to be successful NOW than it was in the mid 1920′s because the talent on the mound and at the plate is much better. You’re talking about the upper echelon of players.
Was Ruth better than Pujols and Gehrig better than ARod? Sure… but how many players can you name who play today who are better than the mid level guys of the 1920s?
Name me 20 great pitchers in 1927. Walter Johnson and Lefty Grove were amazing… so you can cancel out guys like King Felix and Roy Halladay if you’d like… but who’s gonna step in against Johnson, Wainwright, Price, Oswalt, Ubaldo, Kershaw, Cahill, Johan, Weaver, Cain, Lee, Sabathia, Carpenter, Lester, Gio, Verlander, Lincecum, Jurrjens?
Do you see what I’m saying. You’re comparing Ruth to today but Ruth faced a collective whole of easier pitchers than the talent we see today.
Jessep, you’re forgetting an important fact. Back then there were 16 teams, not 30. Half the players in the MLB today would be in the minors back then. And if you had the attitude of today’s players where a hang nail keeps them out of the lineup, they would’ve lost their jobs. Back then you played hurt because the minors were filled with guys talented enough to play MLB ball but with only 16 teams, their weren’t many roster spots available.
And don’t get me started on which era knew how to play the game the right way. The modern ballplayer doesn’t move the runner, doesn’t bunt and most of them don’t hit to contact. They swing for the fences because they feel their paycheck will be higher with more HRs. The basic fundamentals are a lost art to most of the players today, and the game has suffered severely because of it.
And if you’re a pitcher, don’t you dare even come close to throwing near one of today’s prima donnas. Don Drysdale must be rolling over in his grave, the way modern ballplayers scream and charge the mound every time a ball comes withing 2 feet of them. And today’s players wear armor around their arms and legs! The stars of yesteryear would have laughed them off the field.
Are today’s players more athletic? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean they are BETTER ballplayers. And they certainly don’t know how to play the game as well as their predecesors. Back then, players cared about winning and the team. Today, they care about their image and their wallet. There’s really no comparison which was a better game to watch. Today’s game is a shell of what it used to be, which is a crying shame.
Outstanding post Carl and if I may add one more point to what you said is that the lack of hustle in the game today is an embarrassment and it filters all the way down to the youth league levels who emulate these guys.
You get guys that practically jog to 1B on any groudball hit. What happened to making the infield rush their throws? Now if i’m an infielder and I know who’s up and I know they don’t hustle i would be more relaxed and take my time throwing the guy out. The lack of hustle in today’s game is an absolute disgrace and doesn’t make me want to hustle to go buy a ticket either
Ah, when the “Boys of Summer” were men…times gone by, unfortunately. To me the last real baseball season was 1973, the Mets going to the Series with the worst record in history. Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose having it out. Not only real men but, real people…Ed Kranepool, Felix Millan and Jerry Grote…they weren´t great, but their uniforms were dirty and no excuses were made. The late Tug McGraw had us believing. No pitch counts for Seaver, Koosman and Matlack. All around baseball you had these sort of “all out” players. Campanaris stealing a base…LOu Brock. Nolan Ryan. Lot´s of grit. Nowdays, ball players want to me be David Beckham look-alikes. More worried about going out with Madonna or, some Hollywood starlet than how to hit the curvebal. “Metrosexuals” more concerned with their Armani suits, than learning how to steal a base. Bearded, foul-mouthed, tobacco chewing, brawling ball players, just like their fans…middle working-class guys, after a hard day´s work, coming home to relax and an iced-cool brew. No Dom Perignon, mo Moet et Chandon. Then came Catfish, McNally and Messersmith and that was that. Like Bugs Bunny would sing: “Memories, memories”.
Exactly Luis. Could not have said it much better myself.
It is a real pity, there are still some of those guys, like R.A. Dickey, who remember on a constant basis how lucky they are to be in the majors. He is there signing baseballs every time he isn’t starting. He rides his bike to the park in Port St. Lucie, he is a writer on the side and a great, humble man on top of it all. He is an old baseball soul.
100% agree Luis, wow, 1973 the good old days.
Clayton, there’s a book you should read. It’s called “The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs: Recrowning Baseball’s Greatest Slugger”
http://www.amazon.com/Year-Babe-Ruth-Home-Runs/dp/0786719060
Wikipedia has as good a summary as I could give you:
The title refers to the author’s conclusion that in modern ballparks under modern rules, Ruth would have hit 104 home runs in 1921. The book is in three major sections. The first section is called Part 1: The Career. The second section is Part Two: The Analysis. The third section is Part Three: The Facts. The career section is devoted to year by year recaps of Babe Ruth’s career. It starts in 1914 and runs through Ruth’s final season in 1935. Each chapter features personal highlights and picks out the longest home runs Ruth hit. The Analysis section presents arguments about the comparative difficulty of playing in Ruth’s era versus playing with modern stadiums and traveling conditions. It also includes a detailed recapping of his so called “hidden career”. This is his time playing exhibition games. Lastly, the section illustrates his pure power. The third section features charts, graphs and other detailed statistical information that backs up the data from the previous sections. Included in this section is a listing of every home run Ruth ever hit, aerial photographs of the stadiums where these home runs were hit, and final home run projections.”
It illustrates a lot of what you’re talking about in your article, ballpark dimensions, the lack of modern medicine and training techniques, etc. It’s a tremendous analysis, and even if you don’t care for the author’s analysis and conclusions, the year-to-year recaps that are somewhat biographical are amazing. How many barnstorming games he played in between scheduled Yankee games, and other such things.
It’s probably pretty cheap now, or maybe even at your local library, because it’s not a new book anymore. It was published in 2007.
Oh that is a book I would love to read. The old baseball readings are fascinating to me. I am reading Willie Mays’ biography rght now, then I have Bottom of the 9th. So that will be my next book!
Thanks for recommending that to me. I’ll definately read that.
If you’re reading Mays’ bio, you have to give equal time to the Mick. I read the new one a couple of months ago and it was tremendous.
What is Mantle’s new one called? I have been wanting to read about him. The liver contoversy and what not.
I am reading Mays’ new one “the life, the legend”
The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America’s Childhood
This goes much deeper than just the liver controversy.
Oh wow. Two books to add to my list Haha. Thanks alot Xtreemlcon!
You’re welcome.
Clayton, I think you wrote a nice article… but I also think you wrote a very utopian esque piece here. I mean, life changes with time.
This reminds me of that commercial where everybody is in the office talking about how soft the new people are because they use Bizhub I think it was, and then the guy walks by “he who speaks of floppy disks” and he says “you’re all soft!”
First and foremost, if you’d like to blame people for the way players get paid today etc., I find it unfair that you in no way blame us, the fans. We helped create the monster.
I think your comparison of Ruth to today is a little silly. You have no idea how hard pitchers back then were really throwing. Bruce Sutter and Mariano Rivera practically brought new pitches to the forfront… Ruth wasn’t hitting against the pitchers we see today. We have no idea what Ruth would have done.
The first time I thought about commenting here though was when I read your Jay Gibbons comments. If Gibbons was as good as ARod, he wouldn’t have had to go to the minors etc. Its not as though Gibbons was on ARod’s level and he for some reason lost everything and ARod lost nothing.
ARod arguably took the biggest PR hit of any steroid user, and has been able to show that without steroids, he’s still an excellent ball player. You say you would mention that he used steroids before mentioning his 600 HR. Why? Everybody knows what he did in the past. It’s up to YOU to decide how much you value that in terms of evaluating his career. It’s not up to the media to remind you and make the decision for you.
One thng I can say for certain is that if players back when you describe were able to make a living off of just playing baseball; they would have done so in a heartbeat. They wouldn’t have turned it down to go work on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Well of course they would choose baseball. But my point was is that they could have found a better job if money was the reasoning. But they did not, because of true love of the game. Money took a back seat. My point was is that they were average Joes after the playing season. They were so much like everyone else they took on jobs building the Brooklyn Bridge to make ends meet.
As for A-fraud, how do you know he still isn’t on steroids after that run-in with his cousin last week? I doubt that he is off the stuff. Nor did he take enough of a PR hit, because people still cheer for him at ballgames, he still sells out for steiner signings, his stuff still flies off the shelves. He is making money hand over fist despite his steroids admisson.
And Gibbons was released not because of poor performance but because of his steroid usage surfacing. He was toxic and no team wanted him. After a few seasons, much like what happened to Josh Hamilton, he got a job with a ball club, gave him a chance to prove himself again, and made it to the majors. Granted Hamilton was more talented, but still a huge achievement by Gibbons that can be well respected.
I’ll just let the brooklyn bridge stuff go. It’s frankly just a silly debate. Life changes… this isn’t 1940 anymore.
“As for A-fraud, how do you know he still isn’t on steroids after that run-in with his cousin last week?”
— Because I have to believe that he is not the dumbest man in the world nor is Bud Selig. I am sure that players implicated in steroids in the past are tested. I think if you don’t believe they are, then why are you even watching baseball anymore? You said you doubt he is off the stuff, then seriously Clayton just give up on the sport… if you or anybody can sit there and point fingers at players today; I just don’t see the point.
He took the biggest PR hit, I really can’t see how you can think otherwise. What player who is still playing took a bigger PR blast? The problem is, he has continued to be successful. He’s not like Manny who got caught and then couldn’t bounce back to prove he didn’t need it.
Jay Gibbons was hitting .230 in 2007 when he got sent packing, and he went from a 26-28 yr old with 20+ HR to a guy who brought nothing to the table anymore. Look, the way it went down sucked for him. He’s a nice guy I’m sure, but to feel bad for him but to point fingers at others is unfair.
How do you know he’s off steroids now? This is the problem I have with steroids is that people seem to only care about who does it. You look at ARod differently than Gibbons, when the truth is… they both took it. But ARod has proven over time after his admission that he can still hack it. Gibbons couldn’t, but now Gibbons is back. Wouldn’t logic dictate that Gibbons would be more likely to use them again than ARod?
I don’t think either are, but a guy who is suddenly “good” after 3-4 years off is more likely to use something than a guy who has barely skipped a beat during the drug testing era.
No because I am saying Gibbons payed for it, he lost everything because of it and turned it around doing it cleanly.
A-Fraud now has a few more enemies than before but he is making cash from every direction. He gained 100 pounds after taking them. we don’t know when exactly he took it. He says 01 02 03 but are we really going to rely on his word? Who knows when he was juicing.
I do not think the post-steroids deterioration to the body have taken effect yet. Given a few seasons it will likely rear its ugly head.
Gibbons lost everything because he was outed and was hitting .230. You’re also failing to mention that the Brewers and the Marlins signed him as a free agent in 2008 and 2009. He didn’t make the teams. He was given a chance. It’s not like he wasn’t given an MLB chance for 4 years.
“I do not think the post-steroids deterioration to the body have taken effect yet. Given a few seasons it will likely rear its ugly head.”
Do you understand how steroids work? Because this makes me think you may need a refresher course. If ARod has been off of steroids for 2-3 years lets say… his body would have reacted by now. It’s a cycle for a reason, when you break the cycle… things change. You don’t still have it in your body
A-Roid (as I like to call him) did NOT take a major hit to his reputation. Was he suspended? No. Did he lose his MVP award even though he freely admits taking PEDs the year he won it in Texas? No. Is he still playing? Yes. Is he still the highest paid player in the game? Yes. How can you say he took a bigger hit than McGwire, for instance, when just McGwire’s testimony cost him the Hall of Fame? And how about Sosa, and Bonds and Clemens? You don’t think their reputations have tanked much worse than A-Roid’s? If not, you don’t have your finger on the pulse of baseball.
As for taking steroids and being tested, you feel A-Roid is clean because he’s under scrutiny and tested regularly. May I mention Lance Armstrong or any of a string of 100 meter runners who all took steroids and were never caught because the chemistry is way ahead of the testing? Are you really that naive to believe there aren’t players out there right now taking PEDs that avoid the current testing methods? I am not saying A-Roid is taking PEDs, but I am certainly not SURE he’s not taking them. His reputation took a hit to be sure, but not nearly to the extent that you posit.
Clayton–Really a great article. I agree with pretty much everything you said.
But one other point. Not that I would ever take away from the accomplishments of the games greats (such as Ruth, Gehrig, Teddy Ballgame, etc…) one other thing has to be taken into account. And this is something you also kind of touched on.
There never used to be pitch counts–and so the guys of the Walter Johnson era would simply stay out there and keep pitching, keep throwing until long after their effectiveness was done. Nowadays a guy is hooked as soon as he walks a guy come the 6th inning and is at 90 pitched–Welcome to the era of LH specialists, set-up men, etc…
But I really enjoyed this posting.
The game has changed and the game IS a business. But I’ll still take Baseball any day of the week.
Thank you Tie Dyed. Love to hear that you liked it.
But yes, pitching has become much less of an art than what it used to be. Stamina of that level is a thing of the past.
Ya, I remember fondly before money affected baseball…except for when Comiskey nickeled and dimed his team so bad, the elected to throw the World Series.
Or when the O’Malleys headed West for a better stadium deal.
Or when Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees to cover the Red Sox owner’s failed investments.
Or when pretty much anything happened is baseball. Remember, players were property of their teams. They didn’t even qualify as employees. Owners put on games to make money. Not out of the kindness of their hearts.
Clayton, money has always had major influence over baseball. The only differences now now there is more money flowing in from more avenues and the players are getting a better cut of it.
Also, anabolic steroids were first synthesized in the 1930s. There are records of ball players injecting themselves with monkey testosterone back in the Civil War. We even know Babe Ruth used sheep testosterone. We all know guys were popping pills every color of the rainbow just so they could play the next day with no pain. Are you really going to tell me no one was doing steroids until Jose Conseco?
We should remember and be in awe of the accomplishments of the great players of the past. But we should also be aware that they were human and there were many flaws in them and the game. You don’t need to slam today’s players to respect yesterday’s. After all, today’s white players don’t benefit from systemic segregation.
Good article and many comments about “todays” ballplayers are true….
There are two big reasons for the difference in the game now and the game of the 1950′s and 1960′s. First, there is expansion. Before 1961 there were 16 teams. By opening day of 1962 there were 20. By 1969 there were 24 teams. Six more teams have been added, two at a time and so now there are 30 clubs. Nearly twice the amount of teams and almost double the amount of players….THAT IS A TOTAL THINNING OUT OF TALENT AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
MONEY is the other reason…TEAMS NO LONGER HOLD THE UPPER HAND IN SALARY NEGOTIATIONS.
WHILE IT IS NICE FOR THE PLAYERS TO BE PAID WELL…..NOW A MEDIOCRE PLAYER HAS BECOME A MILLION DOLLAR PLAYER IN THIS MARKET….
YOU WANT A BETTER QUALITY OF PERFORMANCE? STOP PAYING RIDICULOUS PRICES TO GO TO THE BALLPARK AND STOP PAYING BIG BUCKS TO WATCH ON TV…..BUT THAT AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN!
That is an excellent point Alan. Back then theyre were enough stars to go around. Now with 30 clubs the demand is so high that the player is in the driver’s seat.
There is also international scouting now and development, so the pool of players has also increased. Teams have about 1 billion people to find a star from.
Not only that, but teams have systems meant specifically to get this young talent at an earlier age so they can mold it. Teams can do everything now but breed players.
You’ve got the rose colored glasses on here for The Good Old Days, which never actually existed.
Keep one other thing in mind, Babe Ruth played ball when the game was segregated, and we all know his numbers and know how great he was, but will we ever truly know if he faced the best of the best?
You could make the same argument for the players of the 1960s because they didn’t play against international talent. There isn’t a player in history that has faced the best of the best because there are always players in other countries and even our own country that go undiscovered.
Babe Ruth may not have played against the best of the best, but he completely dominated his competition. He hit more HRs than entire teams, lead his lead in ERA and wins as a pitcher has the the 10th highest batting average of all time and would have made the Hall of Fame as a pitcher had he not become the greatest hitter of all time. He would dominate in ANY era.
twice as many teams, but well over 2x the talent pool to pull from (international, every race, etc.)
Outstanding job with this Clayton. I enjoyed reading this and you hit on all the things that is wrong with the game today. Your respect score just went up a few notches in our shout box!
Haha Thank you Maniac. I love hearing when people enjoyed my article. It makes my day.
I wish I could have seen these good old days of baseball. One of my teachers told me about his first baseball game, he told me that he had never seen such green grass before, given that at the time TV was still black&white. But anyway, he told me he saw Mickey Mantle play and I was extremely jealous Haha.
There are just so few of those types of players left. The old fashion, nose to the grind type-players are few and far between. Guys like Derek Jeter and Roy Halladay are the closest thing we have to those players of old.
Not to take anything away from the all time greats, you’re completely backwards. If Ruth and Johnson and Cy Young all played today, they’d be the footnotes, the bench player. The fact is, the athleticism the players have today is such an advantage, those guys wouldn’t have been able to compete. They didn’t weight train as the players do today, didn’t condition themselves nearly as well, etc., etc. It’s kind of silly to make that comparison anyway. The only real way to compare players cross-era is to first compare them to the competition they actually faced and based on those results, compare the differences.
And also, hate to burst the bubble, but guys cheated back then too. Greenies were widely available and accepted in every clubhouse in the 60s and 70s. You’d also be crazy if you think players of old wouldn’t have taken steroids if they had the opportunity. The steroid era is more a product of the MLB offices, media and fans than it is the players. People were enamored with the longball, so everyone turned a blind eye. When records came into jeopardy, that’s when the sanctity of baseball had been tarnished. The truth of the matter is that steroids weren’t banned by baseball when most of these players used them. They were against the rules only in the way that they were illegal drugs being used by players much like the cocaine epidemic in the eighties or alcohol in the twenties. Just because steroids happened to help these players get stronger or faster doesn’t make it a worse offense.
Also, I love the sweeping generalities of the old baseball players as men who cared only for winning and high character and today’s as boys who care only for money. Babe Ruth was a drinker and womanizer, the 1919 White Sox threw the World Series for money (but that doesn’t count because they didn’t make as much then? Obviously those guys cared more about money than winning, not that I blame them, just stating a fact) , Ty Cobb was a racist as were many players in the early part of the last century, Joe DiMaggio beat women and tried to complain his way out of the army and on and on. It’s easy to laud players through an incomplete historical lens, but who are you to say Beltran doesn’t play as hard as anyone else whoever played? He was in an horrific collision and came back 5 days later to finish out his worst season as a major leaguer. He also played meaningless game on a cartilage-less knee in September 2009, does that not warrant your praise?
And finally, I find it amusing how Rodriguez’s homers are “tainted” when he used a substance that many other players, including pitchers he faced, used but Mays, who used “red juice,” and Ruth and Gehrig, and to some extent Musial, who didn’t have to face some of the best available talent, i.e. players in the negro leagues, aren’t.
But whatevs, I’m not gonna change your mind on anything. I just loathe when people reminisce the good old days when men were men and women were in the kitchen and separate but equal was teh awesome.