Five Products of the Times: Part I

As a bit of a disclaimer to this blog, in my own opinion it is generally unfair to compare athletes of two separate eras.  That being said, it is still interesting to at least think about, which is why I came up with this two part discussion of what I call "products of the times", which will focus on five players from two different eras of baseball.  What I have here are five players from the game's early stages that were directly affected by the era during which they played, and whom I feel would have much different careers and legacies if they played in the 21st century.  Let's take a closer look at those names:

5. Honus Wagner 

(National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

He’s often referred to as the smartest baseball player of all time.  Wagner played nearly every position at some point in his career, and dominated the baseball world during the early part of the twentieth century.  So what would things look like today?  Well, to be honest, I think his career would be even better because of the supporting casts he would have around him.  In today’s game there is such a premium on defense because so many pitchers rely on a solid core behind them, and Wagner’s ability to command the field at shortstop would only benefit whichever team he would play with.  Wagner had the ability as a hitter to adjust to many styles of pitching as well, and with so many different relievers and specialists I imagine it would play right into his strength.  Of course, the other major component of Wagner’s career was his image on the famous T206 baseball card, which became valuable after he requested not to be associated with tobacco advertisements on the back.  His brand is defined so heavily by this card that he would not be as prominent today, simply because we do not see baseball cards with tobacco advertisements on the back anymore.

4. Joe DiMaggio

(joedimaggio.com)

Joe DiMaggio would never achieve his famous hit streak in today’s league.  It just wouldn’t happen, plain and simple.  The long-time Yankee was one of the best center fielders of all time, but with so many specialist pitchers and ways for teams to get certain players out, DiMaggio’s greatest achievement would have fallen short some twenty games or so.  If you don’t believe me just look at the numbers.  Pete Rose, arguably the greatest contact hitter of all time, stopped “short” at forty-four games, while Jimmy Rollins came the closest of any 21st century player with thirty-eight games.  Thirty-eight is A LOT, and he still came up eighteen games short.  DiMaggio’s career-defining accomplishment would essentially not exist if he played in the 21st century.  Historian John Thorn also claims that DiMaggio’s style of hitting would make him much more vulnerable against today’s pitchers who throw much harder on average than those from the early 20th century.

3. Ty Cobb

(mlb.com)

Aside from Pete Rose, Ty Cobb may arguably be the best contact hitter that baseball has ever seen.  His personality on the other hand, as many believe, may have been one of the worst.  Ty Cobb is revered as a player, but fans will tell you that he was one of the nastiest individuals to ever set foot on a baseball diamond.  While much of the Ty Cobb legacy isn't true, the public still developed a perception of him that has stuck with his name for decades.  If Ty Cobb had played in the 21st century, in the age of social media, his legacy may have been severely tarnished due to how quickly stories can become viral.  Additionally, the average fan today will often times connect a player’s on-field career and off-field career, which would not necessarily bode well for Cobb.

2. Cy Young

(NNDB)

511 career wins.  It’s insane to even think about, let alone accomplish such an astounding feat the way Cy Young did.  It’s certainly the reason why we annually recognize the best pitcher from each league with an award in his name.  What if he pitched against today’s lineups though? Without question, he would not nearly have as many wins as he collected during his famous career.  Young played at a time when balls were often reused, not replaced every single time one went out of play.  Over the course of the game the ball would become altered and therefore much harder to hit.  Young also pitched complete games most of the time, and with today’s heavy use of bullpens and much deeper lineups, Young would not have the same numbers as he did for twenty-two years.

1. Babe Ruth

(National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

Babe Ruth is perhaps the most influential player in Major League Baseball history, both on and off the field.  Now, in my honest opinion, it would be unfair to say that Ruth would have been better or worse on the field in today’s league because we really don’t know.  Pitchers throw harder now but the ball also travels farther.  Ruth would also likely use a lighter bat than his famous 42-ounce lumber.  But what really set Ruth apart from other athletes in his day was his ability to influence the media.  Newspapers and radio built him up to be a hero, so many of his antics off the field were often times kept from the public.  Just as in Ty Cobb’s case, social media would affect Babe Ruth in a massive way because news could be spread much more rapidly and with much less of a filter than during Ruth’s time.  A great deal of what we perceive about Babe Ruth was because of the writers, and if he played today we may not hold him in the same light.