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755: Playing the Game of What If [J. Mark English]
2007-08-03 02:52:00 WHAT IF Babe Ruth had not pitched in his first six seasons of his career. Between 1914 and 1919, Ruth averaged 185 at bats per season. In those seasons he averaged just over 8 home runs a season. Then from 1920 (the year after being traded to the Yankees) through 1934, he averaged well over 400 at bats per season. He didn't get that high a number of at bats in the first six season since he was busy being a dominant left handed pitcher. But suppose he had played the outfield instead of pitching, and had hit for his average home run total between 1920-1934. What might his grand total of HR's at the end of his career looked like instead of the famed 714 number? He averaged about 44 home runs a season between 1920 and 1934. Take that number and multiply it by six, and you get 264 home runs (six coming from his seasons as a pitcher). Then take his career total of 714 HR's and subtract his original 49 HR's from his career in Boston and you get 665. Now add 665 to the assumed...
By: American Legends
"Ruthian" is a Pseudo-Adjective for a Reason
2007-07-31 21:11:00 Dave Perkins of the Toronto Star has an interesting opinion on the relative merits of some legendary sluggers:Bonds, who comes across as an unpleasant individual both near (in limited dealings) and far, has built up no...deposits of goodwill. His story is one of statistical accomplishment only and that Everest of numbers contains the great unknowable element ? how many of them are legit and how many are not?So it's difficult to view the numerical ladder as the absolute indicator of historical ranking. To me, the greatest home run hitters of them all are Ruth and Josh Gibson, in either order.Because we don't know how many of Bonds' homers were steroid-assisted, you're prepared to abandon statistics altogether? You're just going to flip a coin, come up with either Babe Ruth and Josh Gibson, and call it a day? Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs in the major leagues. Josh Gibson, according to his Hall of Fame placque, hit "almost 800" in the Negro Leagues. Why isn't the number more preci...
New exhibit honors Negro League star Josh Gibson (AP)
2007-06-07 01:36:00 Ray King was eager to attend a ceremony unveiling a new Negro Leagues exhibit. He wishes other players felt the same way. “I think a lot of the younger players don’t realize exactly what these guys went through,” the Washington Nationals reliever said. Representatives from the Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates helped launch an exhibit honoring ...
By: MLB News Blog
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