Old Time Hitters

I remember watching that Ken Burns documentary on the early days of baseball. They showed Babe Ruth truly winding up to swing, and taking maybe 3 dance steps towards the pitch. The catcher was not in a crouch, but was standing up, asking for the pitch at shoulder level.

While they had Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson way back then, the average pitcher was there simply to throw it in there and let the fielders do the work. Until after the turn of the century, they often used only one ball all game, so it could have been like a hacky sack by the end -- not something you could throw or hit hard. There was more emphasis on curves and scuffed balls than there was on velocity.

Batters used those heavy hickory sticks, and didn't have to worry about the ball getting blown by them too much. No wonder pitchers threw every fourth day, or more often!

There are 4 major differences between todays players and the players of the early 20th century.

1.) Their status in society. I have video of the Chicago Cubs going to Wrigley field in 1910. They were walking down the street with their bat over their shoulder and their spikes and glove hanging off the bat. They would actually get insulted by average people as they walked to the stadium. Things like, "get a real job", "you're a no good alcoholic", "you're a bum" and "stay away from my daughter" were common insults hurled their way. The average working man looked down on ballplayers and discouraged their own sons from a career in sports. I don't think I need to go into how players are idolized today, do I?

2.) Players got to the Majors with a lot less polish than todays players. Most rookies had never been more than a few miles from their hometown when they would head to a big city like New York or Chicago for their Major League debut. Kids would only play in local leagues or on local Minor League teams when word would get to a scout about a prospect. Kids had no TV or video tapes or even "How To" books back then. Most rookies had never even seen a Major League player except for pictures in the newspaper. Nowadays, most kids are doing things at 12 years old that the rookie of yesteryear still had to learn.

3.) Players from long ago had to deal with much more hardship than todays players. A lot more. They played through July and August without a drop of air conditioning. It would be so hot in their hotel rooms that they would soak the bedsheet in cold water and wrap it around themselves. But it would get dry after a couple of hours and they would have to soak it again. They would ride for 16 or 20 hours on trains where the average temperature would be over 100 degrees. They played through injuries all the time and rarely had proper medical facilities available to them. They played with lousy equipment and poorly manicured fields. There were no agents and players negotiated their own contracts, which were usually for very little money. Todays players have the best of everything and will get the slightest twinge or bump checked out while they take some time off.

4.) The overall talent of players today. The stars back then were just as good and just as big as the players are today. Guys like Ruth, Gherig, Greenberg, Foxx, Dickey, DiMaggio, Williams, Klein, Sisler and many others were big guys with power. But teams back then ran out of talent much faster than teams do today. With every player being so good, it is much tougher for the stars of today to shine as brightly as the stars of yesteryear were able to. The loss of the .400 hitter and 30 game winner are both signs that the difference in ability between the best player and the worst player continues to narrow.

There is a tendency among people today to dismiss the players of yesteryear as not all that good. I have heard more than once that same comment about how Ruth was taking a couple of steps into the pitch on that one video. Comments like "How fast could they have been throwing back then" and "No wonder Ruth hit so many homers" are two disparaging remarks aimed at discrediting old time players. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The game of baseball was younger back then and not as refined or specialized. There was not as much money in it and it was not big business. But is was still the best players in the world. And it wasn't watered down either. The American League had 8 teams. There were only 8 starting 1st basemen in the league. They were more than players, they were survivors.

Anybody who wants to brush off the old time players as not very good better be prepared to do the same with the stars they watch and drool over today. In 100 years, fans will be shrugging off the records of stars today and saying the same thing about guys like Bonds and Clemens that people are now saying about Ruth.

Who was the last pitcher to use a windmill windup? I was surprised to see a video of Satchel Page throwing that way around 1950.

--
Everyone in the Missouri copied Stan Musial's low crouch batting style years ago.

As an aside my grandfather played semi-pro ball in early 1900's and couldn't visit our grandmother until got real job in mill.He went on to become paymaster (important position)and was in state politics for 24 years...

A friend of mine has an old bat authenticated back to Tris Speaker. It's almost as thick at the handle as the barrel. I gotta respect anybody that could hit a baseball with a log like that - running start or not.

Like everything else...Players and pitchers are much bigger, stronger and better than players from 75-100 years ago. There were no Latino or black players at that time, either.

Likely that the velocity of those "old timers" topped out at 84-86.

Like a very good high school pitcher today.

Grown men can hit 84-86 very easily.

Dear old Dad...You missed the most important number...

5...

No blacks or Latinos in the early 1900's

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
I remember watching that Ken Burns documentary on the early days of baseball. They showed Babe Ruth truly winding up to swing, and taking maybe 3 dance steps towards the pitch. The catcher was not in a crouch, but was standing up, asking for the pitch at shoulder level.

While they had Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson way back then, the average pitcher was there simply to throw it in there and let the fielders do the work. Until after the turn of the century, they often used only one ball all game, so it could have been like a hacky sack by the end -- not something you could throw or hit hard. There was more emphasis on curves and scuffed balls than there was on velocity.

Batters used those heavy hickory sticks, and didn't have to worry about the ball getting blown by them too much. No wonder pitchers threw every fourth day, or more often!

You think the Train was a slow pitcher? Wow.

And if you watch enough Ruth clips, you will see that the three steps was a rareity. Actually, Ruth's mechanics were very solid even in today's terms. He did take a long stride, which some today do not advocate. But his hip rotation was outstanding.

And remember, Ruth was bashing all those homers with those beat up, softened balls you referenced.

Let's not rewrite history; there have been Latin players in professional and major league baseball since the beginning of the 20th Century. Actually, some black players would claim hispanic background in order to play.

Old Time vs Modern players is always a good discussion, probably because it's one without an answer.

Athletes of any era have the same training, nutrional, medical opportunities; some excel, some don't. Any guess on the speed of a Johnson or Mathewson pitch is just that --- a guess. No radar guns, little in the way of film, lots of memories. Film quality and timing are of minimal use, as the difference in calculating an 86 mph ball and a 95 mph one is too close.

Maybe some day MLB will have a real Throwback Month: teams wear woolen unis in July (and don't clean them after every game --- that's where the 'away grey' started), travel by train, play doubleheaders, make one ball last a full game, play hurt, no true trainers, pitchers pitch complete games, etc. Then we might see at least how today's bigger-stronger athletes fare in Old Time conditions.

Good idea Orlando but methinks that Throwback Month would meet a little resistance from the player's union....

Resistance? The Player's Union would be contacting Amnesty International about the cruel and unusual punishment!