I just took some idiot fan to school

[Oeditpus Rex]

Where do these people come from? :eyes:

His post:

Hitting today is harder than before .If Josh Gibson was to play today he would not hit what you read. plus today's pitching is more difficult to hit.
Josh Gibson was a superstar at his time and era in the negro league. Pitchers back then did not pitch like pitchers today changing speed ,splitter,slider,changeup,etc....It go on on.

Mine:

Dude, the spitball was banned in 1920, so it was around long before then (and long after). The first guy to throw a curve ball is reputed to be Candy Cummings in the 1870s. The slider was around in the '40s and perhaps earlier (it was then called a "nickel curve") and Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants threw the screwball into the Hall of Fame in the '30s.

Plus, up until about 50 years ago, umpires didn't throw out a ball just because it had a spot on it, and fans were offered tickets and other incentives to throw back foul balls. As a result, the same ball often stayed in a game for several innings and got mushy. Plus, smart pitchers knew how to take advantage of every flaw in a ball to throw all kinds of junk.

Let's remember, too, that there were no batting helmets then — much less face guards, arm guards, shin guards, etc. Plus, throwing high and tight didn't draw an automatic warning as it does today, so hitters didn't dig in.

Hitting was much more difficult in the old days.

[GOPFighter]

1. Good reply!

Imagine how much better Josh Gibson could have been if he could have flown from city to city, stayed in 5-star hotels and had a weight and workout room available, along with a team trainer.

There's really no way of knowing how past stars would perform against the players of today. Too many variables have changed.

[Oeditpus Rex]

3. Yeah... but it sure is fun to compare

based on what we know.

I just hate it when people compare based on what they don't know. :eyes:

[StaggerLee]

2. That is the main reason I love this game

Because there are so many variables involved.

It's perfect in it's imperfection.

[KitchenWitch]

4. hear hear!