Saturday, December 26, 2015

This Day In New York Yankees History 12/26: George Herman Ruth


On this day in 1919, although not official until January, the Yankees purchased pitcher in outfielder Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox. Ruth would end up costing the Yankees $100,000 with a $300,000 loan with Fenway Park as collateral. Too bad they didn't default on that huh?

7 comments:

  1. In answer to those that don't pick Babe #1 in the top 50 Yankees poll....
    "The Babe" had to have been one hell of a player...and sorry to say to all the players of this day and age, nobody could have matched him using the same dates he played. He has 9 career offensive records as #1. I would call him one of the greatest players ever to play the game if not the #1. There are many players that have numbers close to his or better in some categories but as the numbers point out, overall he was the best even with only 13 years as a full time position player.
    Most fans of today see pictures of him as a fat ballplayer that could only hit the ball and not very good on defense. I remember seeing pictures of him at the top of his game. He was a good athlete and faster than one would think from his last few years. Fans forget he was a very good pitcher also.
    Even though I never saw him play, I remember seeing his life story and many pictures of him back in 1948(?) when he died...at the movies. The big bats heavy wool uniforms train rides and double headers along with almost NO control over the medical or players the condition. Have any of you ever seen the gloves they used back then.
    Anyone NOT picking him as #1 has to be in a dream world.

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    1. I have seen plenty of people not pick Ruth #1 overall. Why? Because they weren't throwing much other than fastballs back in Ruth's day. Sure they had spit balls but you didn't have the sliders and cutters and curve's and change up's and such that you have today. I venture to say if you put Ruth into today's game with specialists in the bullpen, 100 MPH throwing pitchers and fresh pitchers every inning or so from the 6th inning on he would be merely average to above average. One thing for certain is he wouldn't be Barry Bonds in his prime, the best hitter in my opinion.

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    2. That is why I wrote it as thus; "The Babe" had to have been one hell of a player...and sorry to say to all the players of this day and age, nobody could have matched him using the same dates he played.

      The last few words were the disclaimer, because every time it is brought up everyone has to bring up the pitching nowadays. But look at players such as Bonds he was using a drug (not proven) but he was one heck of a hitter but not until later did he really get going (He, Sosa and McGrier) and even with all the changes in the strike zone, pitching mound, training, fields and padding they have today, nobody has his type of records. And they did throw curveballs back then. As for the Bull Pen, the BP has evolved over the last few years to what it is today. Besides that those records were made in only 13 years of being a regular position player...that is what really catches my eye, that and his career .342 BA and 714 HRs. Who in any time of baseball ever hit those numbers or even could.

      Yes, it was a much different game then as to what it is today, much cleaner and everyone knew the way the game should be played because they had a year to year contracts and had to work in the offseason. And none of these sissy rules they have today.

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    3. I get the 13 years thing and I get the fact that no one is touching his records but the fact remains, it is very much a different game. Whether that would result in a different record book remains to be seen.

      I have a feeling that if you threw a 90 MPH straight fastball to someone like Bryce Harper four or five at bats a night and he may hit 100 home runs a season.

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    4. We may never agree but if this were true, there would be more players with big time power numbers don't you think?
      One must not overlook the many changes in the game today, most of which were made to favor the hitters.

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    5. We may never, who knows. I've only been watching baseball daily since 1994 so you have admittedly seen a lot more than I have. I didn't see the game before the mound was lowered, before you saw five different pitchers a night and before every pitcher in the game could throw 95 MPH plus. I can only go on what I've read and what others have seen.

      Pitchers predominantly threw fastballs in the "dead ball era" and they weren't throwing 100 MPH. They weren't throwing 100 pitches and leaving for a fresh arm every inning and they weren't facing sliders, slurves, curves, splitters, two seamers, four seamers, cutters, etc. etc. etc.

      Sure they weren't hanging over the plate with chain mail armor either, the strike zone was smaller (especially low), the ball was heavier if memory serves and the stadiums were larger.

      If Ruth was playing today he would never hit 60 home runs in a season. He would never see a strike, see Barry Bonds on (alleged) steroids. Ruth didn't have to travel to New York on Monday, California on Tuesday, Colorado on Wednesday and Toronto on Thursday either (obvious exaggeration to drive home a point).

      So hard, nearly impossible, to compare Ruth to today's era but seeing the pitchers then and the pitchers now they don't compare either.

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    6. You and I will never agree on this point and we both know it!
      I know that the times and game have changed and comparing one era to another is just a game we fans have.
      The game and the innings pitched back then are amazing. How many pitchers today could have pitched back then, sometimes 12+ innings. Hell, today's pitchers get babied so much and have better Doctors etc., a star pitcher in this day and age goes 6+ innings.
      The real dead ball ended about the time the Babe came to the majors. The Babe threw a curve ball and a good hard fastball. Dizzy dean did also, most of the pitchers you mentioned are before the end of the dead ball...of course, the 1924+ years would be considered a dead ball era by today's standards. Christy Mathewson was one of the hardest throwers at that time and he had a screwball along with Carl Hubbell, Red Ruffin, Dizzy Dean. Cristy Mathewson had 4pitches and one hell of a fastball...plus they all threw the mudder, spitter and the scuffball. The strike zone was from the letters to the knees back then, now it is from the belt to the knees or just above the belt.
      Today the players never (if ever) play double headers, and are in one place for 3 or 4 games (mostly). The old timers about 1960 and before traveled by train and buses. playing two games and moving on to the next town...by bus...most teams were in the north-east at the time.
      The best hitter I have every seen has to be Ted Williams, followed by Stan "The Man" Musial(spelling?).

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)