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Hurricane
351 Posts |
 Posted - 01/09/2015 : 12:57:31
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| How do you guys think Ted Williams and Babe Ruth would do if you brought them back in a time machine in their prime? Would Ted or Babe change their swing? Thanks |
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ItsGodGiven
70 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2015 : 22:18:12
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| I'm not sure about Ruth. In all the videos I've watched of him his swing reminds me of a slow pitch softball swing. He was a big guy. Not to mention the pitchers in his era were semi-pro and had full time day jobs. They would work at the mill all day and then pitch 9 innings that night. They didn't have middle relievers or closers. By the 7th inning the guy was probably throwing BP. Offensive numbers were crazy in the 20's. I think Ruth would be good, but I'm not sure his lifestyle would fit today's game. Ted Williams is the man. He worked his butt off. He would still be the man in 2015. |
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nastycurve
244 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2015 : 10:34:21
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| I think the would still be pretty good. Would be interesting to see somebody try to get Babe Ruth to do some speed and agility training. |
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offspeed4
169 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2015 : 10:47:39
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| They both did very well during the era in which they played. The Babe dominated his era more than anyone in any era. I think both would have success in today's game. Yes, The Babe might have to make a few more adjustments, but I'm sure he would do quite well. |
Edited by - offspeed4 on 01/13/2015 10:48:23 |
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bballman
1432 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2015 : 11:28:21
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It's hard to say for sure. Since the game of baseball really hasn't changed in all the years it's been around, you are really comparing yesterday's pitching to today's pitching. Since there weren't any radar guns back then, it's hard to compare. I would guess that there are more guys that throw 95+ now, but I can't help but think the guys back then threw pretty hard too. The classic Bob Feller throwing against a motorcycle is the only measurement I know of. It is said that Feller was over 100 mph. It wasn't exact, but I don't doubt that he threw pretty darned hard.
Here's the other thing. ItsGodGiven mentioned about starting pitchers going all 9 innings and throwing BP by the end of the game. I think the guys who pitched back then were literally freaks of nature. Back then, if you got hurt or started to get ineffective, you were just out of baseball. So the only guys that remained were the ones who could pitch extremely effectively and not be hurt. It was like having a bunch of Nolan Ryans or Randy Johnsons on the roster.
There may be other viewpoints out there, but I think both would have done extremely well. Ted Williams's swing was classic and I think would translate into any generation. Babe Ruth, despite his size, was a tremendous athlete. Remember, he was a top notch pitcher before moving to the field full time. When he did move to the field, he was an outfielder, not a 1st baseman. I'm sure he could move - think Pablo Sandoval. I think whatever adjustments he may have needed to make to his swing, he could have made.
We are talking about 2 of the best players to have ever played the game. I think their skills would have translated to today's game. |
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IBABASEBALL
45 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2015 : 12:12:11
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A lot of the guys back then used to tip their bats forward to allow or un-weight those heavy bats. I imagine Ruth would drop bat weight today and make some adjustments like offspeed said.
A friend of mine played with Mike Piazza in AAA and said he used a 36-36 sometimes. I pulled this off the internet so not positive on these lengths and weights.
Harry Heilmann used a 36 ounce bat.
Hornsby used a 38-40 oz. bat.
Ruth’s bats ranged from 40 to 54 ozs.
Manush’s bats ranged between 34 to 40 ozs. 34 to 36 inches in length.
Ted Williams used a 35-inch, 32-34 oz. bat in 1941.
Musial used a 34 ½ inch, 33 oz. bat in the 1940s.
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Ted Williams and the Babe Today
