*Babe Ruth Thread*

[carsdaddy]

Job well done. No one is trying to denigrate baseball from that era , but fact is the game was still evolving. I believe catchers started the full squat in the late 40's.

These are various photos that I've found , and I have a lot more, the one of Ruth hitting in Forbes Field was taken in 1935.

[carsdaddy]

Mickey Cochrane - Roger Bresnahan - Ray Schalk others


Unknown.jpg brj-2010-summer-060.jpg hh.jpg Unknown-3.jpg 1920_Ray_Schalk.jpg

Those are not game photo's

[GoslinFan]

I agree the called shot was silly Hollywood nonsense. I was wondering if the actual footage was discovered before 1991? Wikipedia says the film footage first came to light in the early 1970's but the film footage was unknown to a wider audience until the late 1980's. The filmmaker may not have been aware of the film footage. Wiikpedia also said that a second film footage shot by a different person was discovered in 1999.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_R...ed_16-mm_films

I know right but how cool would that have been. To mix in real pictures or even video of him pitching and hitting. I think of that sandlot style photo where Babe towers over his peers and is clearly muscular as a youth...and then you see a pudgy kid at St Marys in the movie. Maybe Shoeless can post photo.

I'm thinking of a documentary in terms of random content mixed in with photos, videos, and first hand stories but one that also tells the entire career as a movie. Maybe too much to ask. This wans't bad at all especially Lang playing Ruth was darn near spot on imo..although the voice (and the stance) could have used some work.

[GoslinFan]

At 1:04:56 seconds in notice how high the catcher set up , this is one reason you can't compare players from different era's, the circumstance's were not the same.

Yes the zone was higher and runners were more aggressive so it was beneficial to start higher in the crouch. Better position to throw from, quicker release. The could still get down fast on a low ball as gravity is your friend.

[GoslinFan]

^^^^^^^When did catchers start doing a full squat? From pretty much all the Dead Ball era film I've seen the catchers only did a partial squat. Every catcher in this film clip is only doing a partial squat.

When the zone started being called lower and lower it impacted how catchers handled the position and they needed better equipment further along. Protection down south became as important as a chest guard or a facemask.

I also wonder if the slide-step introduction has any correlation, as pitchers realized their catchers took more time to get rid of the ball, did they compensate with the slide step.

[GoslinFan]

These are various photos that I've found , and I have a lot more, the one of Ruth hitting in Forbes Field was taken in 1935.

Wow what a shot. And the ump isn't crouching at all. Maybe that's why they liked the high zone. Weak thigh muscles.

[carsdaddy]

Yes the zone was higher and runners were more aggressive so it was beneficial to start higher in the crouch. Better position to throw from, quicker release. The could still get down fast on a low ball as gravity is your friend.

Baseball featured a running game in the late 70's and 80's, but the catcher wasn't standing up. That is a clear advantage for a hitter, which help's to explain why batting avg's form that era are the highest in MLB history.
https://youtu.be/FvgDF7eHuvY https://youtu.be/Os4hh_V8dnQ

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Wow what a shot. And the ump isn't crouching at all. Maybe that's why they liked the high zone. Weak thigh muscles.

And look how far back the umpire is as well! That's crazy. I guess we are all used to modern umpires hovering right over the catcher's shoulders.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Baseball featured a running game in the late 70's and 80's, but the catcher wasn't standing up. That is a clear advantage for a hitter, which help's to explain why batting avg's form that era are the highest in MLB history.
https://youtu.be/FvgDF7eHuvY https://youtu.be/Os4hh_V8dnQ

I don't agree with that. What about the verticle of the strike zone, smaller than ever today.
Even in the 1950s the rule book strike zone was from the batter's armpits to the top of the knees.

Today batters complain on high strike calls no where near the armpits.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I don't agree with that. What about the verticle of the strike zone, smaller than ever today.
Even in the 1950s the rule book strike zone was from the batter's armpits to the top of the knees.

Today batters complain on high strike calls no where near the armpits.

Also it's so obvious in todays game how effective the high hard one is especially with two strikes on the batter.
Even the big strong guys have trouble "getting on top of the high hard one" difficult to drive that pitch. Bat speed slows down up there.
That was a bigger problem for batters years ago with high strike call.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Some of us are supposing the batter had an advantage with umps standing back further.
How do we know that, no way to tell although I'm sure some will now tell us they know that..................when they don't.

[GoslinFan]

Baseball featured a running game in the late 70's and 80's, but the catcher wasn't standing up. That is a clear advantage for a hitter, which help's to explain why batting avg's form that era are the highest in MLB history.
https://youtu.be/FvgDF7eHuvY https://youtu.be/Os4hh_V8dnQ

Well you are conflating two things. Running was high in the 70s and 80s but the zone had changed by then. Catchers could not long crouch high consistently. Batting averages may have been higher due to more of a contact approach from more hitters throughout the lineup.

Just because the catcher was in a standing crouch doesn't mean low pitches weren't thrown. Easier to go down then up thanks to gravity.

[carsdaddy]

Well you are conflating two things. Running was high in the 70s and 80s but the zone had changed by then. Catchers could not long crouch high consistently. Batting averages may have been higher due to more of a contact approach from more hitters throughout the lineup.

Just because the catcher was in a standing crouch doesn't mean low pitches weren't thrown. Easier to go down then up thanks to gravity.

A pitcher throw's to his target and looking the at pictures we can see they are not setting a target above the strike zone, they are setting a target in the strike zone , that's a clear advantage for the hitter. As the game evolved they realized that it is more difficult to hit if you keep the ball down. If it makes no difference than why are catchers not still catching from a standing position?

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Have seen some videos from way back .
The ump standing but as the pitch was delivered in many videos the "ump would lean, crouch a bit and move closer to the catcher".
Did they all do it, I can't say. But I would not put too much in some still photos showing the with the ump standing straight up and a distance from the catcher.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Can you imagine, of course speaking in jest................if the strike zone went back to anywhere even close to the armpits................it was there at one time.
Overall vertical and horizontal the strike zone in smaller now than ever.