Often I read what posters have to say about how the players of today aren’t as tough or as good as those players years ago. The opinions range from the lack of hitting to the lack of pitching and everything in between.
It is brought up when discussing everything from pitch counts and abuse, to hitters no longer hitting for average or doing the little things like ‘slap’ hit. It has been said that kids these days don’t throw enough, don’t play in the yard, they are coddled and spoiled, they’re not tough enough, etc. It’s been said in threads about coaches sometimes abusing good pitchers in order to win games and championships. It’s been said the game is becoming too technical and we should keep things simple. It’s been said that good players get overlooked in favor of those who fit the MLB mold.
It goes on and on about how the players from the good old days were tougher and better than today’s player. That the game has changed for the worse and we long for the return of the good old days.
Maybe we really do need to compare today’s game to the old days in every possible way.
I will start by saying I remember my grand father complaining constantly when I was a young boy about how bad the players were compared to way back when he played. Oddly enough those he was complaining about were my heros and the same players many of us now think are so much better and tougher than the players today.
My grand father would cuss about every little mistake players made during the Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Warren Spahn, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Micky Mantle, era. He would constantly bring up Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, etc. and tell me these players today are spoiled, they stink and don’t play the game like they used to. They can’t do the simple things!... Then we would argue like crazy… Sound familiar?
Makes you wonder if some of these young kids today will grow old and compare the players 40-50 years from now to those they grew up watching.
My bet is some in fact will be saying the same things we say… Things like these kids are coddled, not tough enough, can’t do the little things, don’t throw enough, don’t play enough, coaches are bad, I remember how we used to do it, etc. etc.
I don’t want to pick on anyone, but do realize everyone has a different point of view on this subject. For example, in another thread it was said the game is now populated with .250 hitters. Well… that is a very true statement. However it was made in a topic relating to players of today vrs. the players of years ago. I think the game has always been populated with .250 hitters (at least in my life time)
Guess my take is… Maybe kids don’t play as many pick up games or play catch like they used to. However, now days the better players are playing over 100 “real” games a year against the best possible competition and working out much more than I did when young.
The better players aren’t in the yard playing catch with their neighbors because they’re practicing or playing with their team for hours every day. The better players today will end up with a thousand more “real” at bats than I did as a young player. Many will receive much better coaching and instruction than I did. The big question might be… Will they have more fun than I did?
To me the bottom line is this. Complaining about today’s players and the game itself seems to be one of the old traditions of baseball. I think it has gone on for ever and will continue into the future.
As my grandpa used to say “The games going to hell”! He would be turning over in his grave if he knew about the game now!
Maybe the game changes like everything else, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s changing for the worse. The history of the game includes high and low points from the beginning until now and surely things will continue to change in the future.
What do you think?
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