Rogers Hornsby. "The Rajah." Is he the greatest right-handed hitter of all time?

[@barrywright3670]

YES HE IS THE GREATEST RIGHT HAND HITTER OF A TIME

[@ron88303]

Of a time; yes. Of that time.

[@Gifted163]

Rogers Hornsby the best second baseman and best hitter as well. When I played Pony League baseball as a teenager, I went to our large public library one Saturday. I read everything I could on Rogers Hornsby, Ty Cobb and Ted Williams. The best hitters ever according to me. What did I learn from these three stars? "Wait for a good pitch to hit." Being young and overly eager to smash the baseball when at bat, I cooled down and applied what the greats taught me. My batting average truly was .767, and batted third every game. Those baseball greats were my mentors. Baseball is a great sport.

[@soyouthinkyouknowbaseball]

Yes, you won't go wrong with Cobb, Hornsby, and Williams when it comes to hitting baseballs. Joe Jackson, too but nowadays many people dismiss him because of the scandal.

[@skippeel4219]

By statistics, Hornsby is the greatest right-handed batter of all time. Many baseball fans are unaware of his records. I am only because my father, Homer Peel (St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and NY Giants (1933 World Series champions) replaced Hornsby as the manager of the Oklahoma City Indians of the Texas League in 1941.

[@AltonW521]

.401 batting average, 152 RBI’s, 42 home runs. His 1922 season is very impressive.⚾️

[@georgebunch8691]

Yes. Rogers Hornsby was the greatest right handed hitter of all time -- the numbers prove it. . Ty Cobb won the triple crown In the American league before Rogers Hornsby.... Rogers Hornsby is the 1st player to lead the major leagues with the Triple crown.

[@Grizzlied555]

It still is second only to Ty Cobb's. Hornsby is the greates second baseman and right hand hitter ever.

[@kmac1766]

His whole damn life was baseball. And, yes The Raja was the best.

[@wardberger3777]

as Mr. Veek said, "Veek as in wreak."

[@roberthudson1959]

Bill, Jr. titled one of his books "Veeck As In Wreck." The bigger issue is that there is nothing unusual about moving Hornsby from shortstop to second base. With the exception of catcher, it is safe to assume that every MLB player who throws righthanded played shortstop at some point in their career.

[@gregb6469]

When discussing great right-handed hitters we must not forget DiMaggio.

[@pawleys45]

Jimmy Foxx would be after Hornsby then Joe D. His career too short.

[@Michael-xk3sp]

He is just about the first modern player: Great average and great power, esp. in NL at the time.

[@deepcosmiclove]

Bob Feller faced Hornsby a few times in 1937. He said he was one of the toughest hitters he ever faced.

[@soyouthinkyouknowbaseball]

Hornsby was on another level as a hitter. Probably the greatest right handed hitter of all time.

[@kineahora8736]

Yes

[@trwent]

The 46.3% was Hornsby's WINNING percentage as a manager, not his losing percentage. His losing percentage was 100% - 46.3% = 53.7%. A little 3rd grade math there.

[@TimSimpson-c5n]

He averaged.400 over a 5 year period, including .424 one year. Amazing

[@SvenAnarki]

I f it weren't for the AI voice...

[@TimSimpson-c5n]

Yes indeed ,358 lifetime Ave. Averaged .400 over a 5 year period

[@Michael-xk3sp]

I think that only Aaron and Mays are comparable.

[@aresee8208]

The name's "Veeck, as in wreck."

[@mabt4223]

can you name anyone who's better? didnt think so.😊

[@ron88303]

Were the hitters of yesteryear really that much better than those of the modern age? If so, why? Hitting is about seeing the ball, hitting the ball, and getting on base safely. Did the old players just have better hand-eye coordination? Did day-games only help the batters. Were pitching mound and strike zone changes a factor? What about a pitcher's arsenal of pitches? What about the lack of relief pitching? What about the quality of fielding equipment and baseball bats? Fielding equipment has evolved significantly over time, and should make it tougher on hitters. Did the old-timers juice their bats? What about paying field conditions. Most playing fields today are immaculate, and I doubt if they were that well-kept in the old days, which would have made it tougher on fielders. What about segregation? Would the inclusion of a few great black pitchers have made it tougher on hitters? I think some or all of the above could have had impact on the hitter stats of yesteryear. To what extent; I don't know, but I generally discount some of the old-time records due to these considerations. And that's not to diminish the abilities or accomplishments of players like Hornsby, Ruth, Ott, Cobb, etc., who certainly were the elite players of their time. But of all time? Maybe, but I'm not so sure.

[@TimSimpson-c5n]

He had a high of .424 and a .507 obp.

[@mirrorblue100]

When did the Cardinals begin the "two birds on a bat" uniform logo?

[@berean77]

If you're going to do these old-time baseball videos, you are going to come across the name of Bill Veeck from time to time. You should know that it's pronounced like VEK, not VEEK.

[@Diggerdog2nd]

Oh & Ty Cobb was the first to win the triple crown in 1909.In the modern era anyways I'm pretty sure. Hornsby would have been second.

[@soyouthinkyouknowbaseball]

Yes, that is correct. Thanks for pointing this out. I caught this error when editing but somehow forgot to correct it.

[@bigredracingdog466]

I'll take Hank Aaron. He had a much longer career as an effective hitter and hit for more power, more total bases, more runs, more RBI, and his lifetime average was a respectable .305 compared to Hornsby's .358. Aaron had almost 500 more extra-base hits than Hornsby and almost 2,000 more total bases. Hornsby had an amazing 4-year stretch, but Aaron had by far the greater career.

[@chrisverby3047]

I agree with you. Aaron or Jimmy Foxx.

[@Diggerdog2nd]

Aaron is in my top favorite players. Love the guy but he did play way more like you said. It took around 4000 more at bats then Ruth to get only 41 more home runs than Ruth. Also his other records were a result of having more at bats than anybody but Pete Rose I think. Hornsby went into mainly managing & playing only sometimes. If he didn't do that he would have played more into the 1930's. Again Hank was awesome & consistent but you gotta take that longevity into account with the records.

[@bigredracingdog466]

@@Diggerdog2nd The topic is the greatest right-handed hitter of all time, so Ruth isn't relevant. Hornsby had problems with his legs and feet from his early 30s on. He also alienated himself from his teams and owners which caused him to bounce from team to team.

[@ggeorge4144]

How many more years did he play? Babe Ruth hit most of his home runs in a 12 year span as he played as a pitcher in the dead ball era. Aaron played for 24 years, was never in the military, Like Williams and DiMaggio, you are comparing apples to oranges. Take Aaron's best 15 years and compare that to Williams, Ruth, or Hornsby.

[@bigredracingdog466]

@@ggeorge4144 I wasn't comparing him to Ruth, Williams, or DiMaggio. And longevity counts for something, especially if you play at a high level for most of those years. As for their 15 best years, Hornsby's stats really trail off when you get past 10 years. Aaron's 15th-best year in hits was 168. Hornsby's was 117. Aaron's 15th-best year in doubles was 26. Hornsby's was 15. Aaron's 15th-best year in HRs was 32. Hornsby's was 5. Aaron's 15th-best year in RBIs was 115. Hornsby's was 60. Aaron's 15th-best year in Runs was 100. Hornsby's was 51. Aaron's 15th-best year in total bases was 302. Hornsby's was 173.

[@davidchaffin9048]

Ty Cobb won the triple crown in 1909. Although RBI didn't become an official stat until 1920, so perhaps that is why this video says Hornsby was the first. But I don't agree.

[@Vinnie777Terra]

Good catch. Ty Cobb DET .377, 9 HR, 107 RBI Along with: 1912 NL Heinie Zimmerman CHC .372, 14 HR, 104 RBI 1901 AL Nap Lajoie PHA .426, 14 HR, 125 RBI 1887 AA Tip O'Neill STL .435, 14 HR, 123 RBI 1878 NL Paul Hines PRO .358, 4 HR, 50 RBI

[@soyouthinkyouknowbaseball]

Yes, I forgot about both Cobb and Lajoie. Caught this during editing, but somehow forgot to change it. Thanks for pointing this out.

[@Vinnie777Terra]

@@soyouthinkyouknowbaseball I don't know if this means anything or not but just for the fun of it I try to compare players from different eras but I try to take into account how players from different eras might stack up had they played in different times. Take two players, let's say Hornsby and player X. Both right handed, both 2nd basemen, both with power and both not liked in the clubhouse. Then I take what I call contact average: AB's - strikeouts to get the average. Hornsby,: per 162 games 586 AB's, 210 hits, 49 K's Strikeout percentage 8%. Contact average 537 AB's, 210 hits .391 Player B 599 AB's, 173 hits, 107 K's Strikeout percentage 18% Contact average 492 AB's 173 hits .351 Now I'm going to have them trade places with each keeping their contact average but because of the different eras, I'll switch the strikeout percentage between them. Hornsby: now has 105 strikeouts and makes contact 481 AB's 188 hits plus the 105 K's he now has and average of .321 586 AB 188 hits Player B: now has 48 strikeouts with contact 551 times for 193 hits in 599 AB's or an average of .322. Different eras but almost the same guy if this method has even the slightest chance of being close? Who was player B? The unforgettable Jeff Kent.

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

He had a 5 year stretch where he AVERAGED over .400. He was boring and miserable, however, that's why he doesn't get the acclaim he deserves.

[@wvu05]

Did I cry? No!

[@DavidSharpe-c5d]

Maybe yes, however, a "toxic" teammate.

[@nobletownship4977]

“Veeck” as in “wreck”.

[@wmg5852]

Because he batted right-handed, Hornsby is the greatest hitter of all time. Period. (Ruth, Cobb, Gehrig, Williams- all lefties.) And anyway, his 10-year stretch for the entirety of the 1920's is unparalleled.

[@wvu05]

You can't let lefties get this _one_ thing?

[@daveholtz2528]

@@wvu05 LOL

[@joethaler7921]

Bullshit.

[@wmg5852]

1920-1929 (10 years) 5451AB - 2085H BA -.3825. 1921-1925 (5 years) 2679AB - 1078H BA- .4024

[@wvu05]

@@wmg5852 Nobody is saying he's anything other than an all-time great. We are pointing out how ridiculous the idea is that any great hitter who was a lefty is automatically disqualified because of which side of the plate they stand on.

[@TheBatugan77]

Ty Cobb won the triple crown. Before Hornsby.

[@robertlosasso4222]

Hornsby and Ted Williams are the only ones to win the Triple Crown twice . Rogers Hornsby did it in 1922 and 1925 . Williams accomplished it in 1942 and 1947 . No doubt being a great hitter Ty Cobb must have accomplished it at least once in his career .

[@wvu05]

​@@robertlosasso4222 He did in 1909. Fun fact: all nine of his home runs that year were inside the park.

[@timnolan1860]

He was not the first player to win the triple crown, check the stats

[@bradpotter3197]

During his era he was, but not all time

[@garygray6876]

It's 'always' during an era. There's no such thing as 'all time.' That holds for everyone

[@jakebrake3000]

There is absolutely no way you can say any player who played in any segregated league was the GOAT in any regard. Hank Aaron is the greatest right handed hitter ever.

[@nbhoser]

No one from that time period can be called "The Greatest" anything as they did not have to face Black players. Think Hornsby could have hit Satchel Paige?

[@bigredracingdog466]

And Hispanic players.

[@ron88303]

@@bigredracingdog466 And Japanese players.

[@ron88303]

Since, integration, the best pitchers have generally been white. Obviously there were great black and latino pitchers, but by and large they have been white. No reason to think any different before integration, so Hornsby probably could have hit Satchel Paige, even with him being a great black pitcher.

[@Loydstardeli2017]

Roger hornby could have hit any pitcher modern day,,, paul skenes,ahohei ohtanu, young lefty randy johnson etc etc roger hornby would have them roger hornby batting practice pitcher

[@Loydstardeli2017]

Roger hornby would have hit satchel paige like a batting practice pitcher

[@berean77]

"Incredibly, he began his career as a shortstop" (0:54) What's so incredible about that? Many future major leaguers start out as shortstops at the lower levels, because they are typically the best athlete on the team. Mickey Mantle is an example of this. Nothing incredible about it.

[@soyouthinkyouknowbaseball]

That is correct. In Hornsby's case it's just that people consider him probably the greatest second baseman ever that it's difficult to think of him playing any other position.

[@joethaler7921]

Please get a Human narrator.

[@JohnBaranich-wv6ot]

Overrated