Speed, power, spitballs, and the greatness of 1920s baseball (Part I)

[@Dench999or911]

One thing I’ve grown to love about this sport is its respect for the game’s history. I’m British and here in the UK, references to football history prior to the 1990s is essentially non-existent in the mainstream media. Yet when I tune into a baseball broadcast, the commentators will reminisce about bygone eras. I know I appreciate it at least👏

[@thebaseballprofessor]

I haven't watched much cricket. Do commentators refer to 19th century players?

[@Dench999or911]

@@thebaseballprofessor Could not tell you as I do not watch cricket! It’s possible as the pace of the game is slower and allows for more discourse. Funnily enough, the Olympics is probably the one sport event over here that broadcasters frequently talk about history. One of the main reasons for football history being negated is the advent of Sky Sports. The unofficial motto of the broadcaster is “here and now”. They have ruled British sports since the 1990s and as they have limited rights to archival footage, they have seemingly decided to forget about it entirely. The phrase “football existed before 1992” is a reference to the pre-premier league era of English football. Another reason is possibly that the sport has changed so drastically, unlike baseball where statistics can be compared fairly reasonably. I still don’t think this is a good excuse to ignore history. I will add that international football tournaments like the World Cup and Euros do talk about history more. Sky do not have broadcast rights, they belong to the BBC and ITV

[@anonymousYTviewer69]

@@thebaseballprofessor shoeless joe tried telling that turd comiskey about the fix but was igmored. comiskey should have been [punished in some way. instead he gets a stadium named for him like a hero. thats F'd up!!!!!

[@thebaseballprofessor]

@@Dench999or911 It's true enough that the pace of baseball or cricket permits broadcasters to tell stories and remind views of the past while football is so dyanmic and moves faster. That said, I figured English broadcasters would discuss the game's history during pregame shows, especially since the world's first professional leagues developed in Britain. Amazing how much power media has to shape what is and isn't discussed.

[@deepcosmiclove]

That's because a good ballplayer in 1920 would be a good ballplayer in 2020. This is unlike other sports. Size & weight offer no inherent advantage in baseball.

[@iracordem]

my dad, born in 1912, had senators season tickets at 12yo. he saw the ‘24 & ‘25 series’ in person, saw all the great AL stars of the era.. as a fan and history geek, i loved his stories. he considered cobb the greatest competitor, mentioned many iron-armed pitchers, but one name did he use only in reverent tone…WALTER JOHNSON

[@big8dog887]

You briefly touched upon this, but it should be noted that this was the golden age of sports writing. (At least from a literary perspective, not necessarily hard journalism.) Since there was no television and very little radio, the newspaper writers had to give very vivid accounts of games to make them interesting. Guys like Ring Lardner, Grantland Rice, and Damon Runyon could take a simple game and turn it into an epic tale with larger-than-life heroes that people would read about, then clamor to go to the ballpark to see.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Thanks for the comment. I just read a few stories by Ring Lardner and Grantland Rice on newspapers.com. They're great.

[@lovedavantlamour301]

They also had the power to ruin players careers with a certain level of impunity , like Fred Merkle or shoeless Joe Jackson . Ted Williams may have been the first guy to stage an all out war against the writers and he held his ground throughout his entire career in uniform , even choosing to bring back his famous 15 minute ban on any media entering the clubhouse immediately after games as manager of the Senators , to the consternation of Washington paper writers who complained to Bob Short the same way the Boston press corps wailed to Tom Yawkey . In retrospect it seems silly that any group of people would feel that entitled over something so trivial

[@CrabbyOldLady]

@@lovedavantlamour301 The writers didn't ruin the career of Joe Jackson. Misplaced loyalty to his crooked teammates ruined Joe Jackson's career.

[@lovedavantlamour301]

@@CrabbyOldLady yea I don’t know about that , who hustles out triples in games they were supposed to be throwing ?

[@lovedavantlamour301]

@@CrabbyOldLady i will say that his easygoing down south naivety cost him dearly , I can’t imagine what it would feel like having that much cash dumped in the floor of my hotel room in the year 1919 , the fear of outright saying no to the kind of person capable of delivering that much money on behalf of someone like Arnold Rothstein would likely be paralyzing even for someone hardened by a lifetime in a big city , let alone someone like Joe who probably went back to the carolinas to work a regular job or perhaps as a clerk at the bar / general store he may have owned by then …

[@jeffg1524]

Fascinating to see the evolution of a sport that's endured so long, which is really the only way to even "have" an evolution, since if a sport dies after only a few decades there's nothing to reminisce about...lol. That's why American football (college, then pro era) is also so interesting to me. If anything that sport has gone through even more changes (in equipment, rules, game strategy, ect).

[@thebaseballprofessor]

I would love to see a video about the evolution of football. It's amazing how different the game was 100 years ago.

[@meisherenow]

My grandfather pitched for the Tigers in the early 20s. He claimed to have punched Ty Cobb when the latter asked him to do something unsportsmanlike. He'd get his old glove out when we played catch, and it really was just a glove, nothing like the giant, webbed Bob Gibson model I had.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Great story. Thanks

[@SADFORIAN]

Great video. That 20 minutes flew by. Thanks also for not including the usual crapping on Ty Cobb whenever he's mentioned that some historians feel obliged to do.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Ty Cobb was wrongly maligned by Al Stump' book and Hollywood's smear film Cobb. He was flawed but not the man Ken Burns' film history made him out to be. I want to do a video on reputations in baseball history. Amazing how the American public felt about Cobb in 1950 compared his reputation in 2000.

[@brandonguzman2757]

@@thebaseballprofessor - great idea, great stuff. I gave up on the "modern" game long ago. We need a channel like this to remind us what we've lost or ruined.

[@sanford943]

​@thebaseballprofessor did you read A Terrible Beauty

[@thebaseballprofessor]

@@sanford943 I did!

[@phixxxer11]

Yeah let's honor bigots like in the old days😂

[@jeromemckenna7102]

Newspapers were still important in the 1960s and 1970s for following baseball. I went to college and and worked in NYC in the early 1970's, the NY Daily News used to print the score of the game on the back page. If you were moving around during the afternoon or evening, you could follow the progress by looking at papers people were reading in the subway.

[@LordJudgement1818]

I will always love deadball baseball but the 20s was popping

[@doppelplusungutmensch1141]

As a baseball fan in Germany, I really love your stories about baseball history! Keep doing them. Thank you!

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it!

[@BqgWyy]

Lol I thought only north and south Americans Koreans and Japanese followed baseball! It's an acquired taste, but a very interesting game once u understand what's going on. The pacing is different from other sports. The tension slowly builds up to one or two critical junctures during the game, which determines the outcome. If you haven't seen the 2004 ALCS series, i recommend it. Yankees vs red Sox. Also, the regular season year 2000 match up between Roger clemens vs Pedro martinez at Yankee stadium. The first pitcher to give up a run will lose the game. And they both go 9 innings of amazing pitching

[@Itriedtobe-wq9lj]

Baseball was, is and always shall be a contest of brains, strength , speed and skill.

[@risboturbide9396]

Well said!

[@Cruise-fx9bm]

So in other words: Athletic talent.

[@TR-yi8up]

My Dad was a pretty decent D1 college pitcher during the late 50’s/early 60’s. I still love following up every humble brag he makes about that time by noting that he pitching during the dead ball era. But the man also pitched against Satchel

[@brendanjobe6895]

My dad was the same: all-SEC/SEC champion Ole Miss Rebel pitcher in the late 1950's. Somehow or another, he also pitched against Satchel and Carl Erskine. He said Satchel could still throw the ball hard at the time.

[@suremanwhatever]

Thank you for your candidness and genuine interest in the history of baseball. What a game it is! Just saw the 3rd base ump get hit by a fair ball while he was holding out his arms to declare said ball as LIVE. Then Manny Machado proceeded to pat him on the back, pick up the ball, and make a terrible throw that Kyle Higashioka somehow managed to wrangle and JUST tag out a streaking Ohtani (who totally blew off his 3rd base coach telling him to STOP). I love baseball. It's the best game ever.

[@BiggestCorvid]

Ive never subbed to a channel faster. Im so happy the algorithm sent me your way.

[@jimc.goodfellas]

I love that time period of baseball...if i could go back in time, I'd want to go back to the 20s to a Yankees game, and even further back to see an Old Hoss Radbourn pitched game

[@phixxxer11]

No u wouldn't. 😂

[@acbower4468]

Just subscribed, great mini documentary!

[@davidswift7776]

Excellent and insightful commentary, thoroughly enjoyed your pragmatic offering! Absolutely kept my attention for every second. Well done indeed. Looking forward to watching the 1924 World Series. Further, I wish I could go back in time and sit in those bleachers during the 20’s ! Thank you !

[@williamford9564]

0:41: The "fan experience" WAS much different back then. This was decades before luxury boxes, artificial turf playing surfaces, expanded playoff fields and big dollar TV contracts , the first and latter of which especially made revenues from paying "every day Joes" much less important

[@nobodyaskedbut]

In 1929 the incomparable Charlie Gehringer led the AL in runs, hits, 2bs, 3bs, & SB as well as leading 2Bmen in As, DPs & TC. He later became & still is the only MIF to ever handle 900 chances in a season 6X & was the 1st MIF to make 100 DPs in a season 6X & the 1st to do it 7X. He is also the only player in MLB history to accomplish each of the following in 5 consecutive seasons: 200 Hits; 100 Runs & 100 RBI; 200 Runs Produced (R+RBI-HR). He is also the only player to ever finish in the top 10 of either league in both offensive AND defensive WAR for 6 consecutive seasons. He was the only one to play every inning of the first 6 MLB all-star games in which he batted .500, didn't strikeout & didn't make an error. Satchel Paige called him, next to Josh Gibson, the best hitter ever faced. Needless to say, Gehringer is the most historically under-valued MLB player of all-time.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

I don't disagree. You probably have to go back to the 19th century in search of someone so under-valued for his lifetime achievements.

[@retiredatforty]

Absolutely outstanding content and delivery. A new favorite of mine. Subscribed!

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Awesome, thank you!

[@DerbyKnowledge93]

well done, I enjoyed it.. oh btw, my favorite baseball movie is It Happens Every Spring 1949, starring Ray Milland..its a good one

[@thebaseballprofessor]

I need to see "It Happens Every Spring".

[@mark-bs1wg]

good summary of play in early part of 20th century , thanks

[@fattyfatfat1988]

Another strike against modern baseball is the cost of going to a game. Paying billionaire owners several hundred dollars to take your family to a game to watch millionaires play takes some of the romanticism out of the whole experience. A beer at Dodger Stadium costs almost $20! Now there's your scandal!

[@thebaseballprofessor]

The business model in cities like NY and LA doesn't seem optimized for long term success. Fewer fans have the wherewithall to treat kids/nieces/nephews to a ballpark experience that creates emotional connections to franchise/stadium. And yes, $20 for one beer is wrong. It's corrupt. It's un-American. The commissioner of baseball should fine the Dodgers ownership group or banish their conccessions person. Congress needs to get involved and hold hearings. This aggression against fans will not stand, man!

[@tommyfu9271]

tickets for most games are extremely cheap. I go to a lot of Yankees games and some Mets games and for 90 percent of games it's very cheap to buy tickets on the secondary market. Most markets are a lot cheaper than NY. Now concession prices are outrageous but if someone can't go 3 hours without eating there's something seriously wrong.

[@jamesanthony5681]

You can always stay home and watch all 162 games of your local team. That's something you couldn't do 40 , 50 years ago in any sport.

[@tommyfu9271]

@@jamesanthony5681 even more than that- you can watch 162 games of ANY team which you couldn't do even 20 years ago.

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@tommyfu9271 True.

[@HoodooMD]

Well presented. Thank you.

[@1rwjwith]

Excellent video…love it!

[@lucymoody4927]

Wonderful documentary!! Bravo!!

[@hollywoodjoe123]

100 years ago in the 1920s - the game of baseball was more in reality of what the game was intended to be - and it flowed smoother - no long period of time between pitches - no meetings at the mound - less pitching changes -MORE stolen bases - MORE bunts - MOREspeed on the bags - period - now a days it is an slow motion compared to 100+ years ago - period !

[@sammyweed4771]

Well spoken

[@adammiller9179]

The pitch clock made a big difference. It's why I started watching again.

[@michaelway7936]

R.I.P to a true hall of famer - Pete Rose 😢

[@humanbeing2420]

Wow - Fantastic work!

[@animelodies-_-]

Brilliant! Thank you

[@somedayzo6]

Excellent video! Truly enjoyed the informative style and enjoyable pace! You earned a new subscriber!

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Thanks for the comment.

[@risboturbide9396]

Thank you for this. 🍻🍻

[@axxellein]

TRES Cool!

[@williamford9564]

Great video and I can't wait for the 1924 World Series presentation.

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

The Judge clip maybe wasn't the best example. Dude broke his toe and missed a huge chunk of the season. Otherwise, he'd be trying for 60 homers for the 3rd straight year right now. There was a concrete pad right behind the wall he ran through and he kicked it really hard. They removed the concrete after that game though, making it safer.

[@RyanBrown-hr7ct]

This is great!

[@LordJudgement1818]

Thanks!

[@spbryant]

Thanks for the video. It would be great to view these old vids at a corrected/adjusted speed.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

I've heard this comment a few times before. I may just try my hand at correcting film speeds.

[@gus473]

⚾ Welcome back, Professor! 😎✌️

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Thanks! 😃

[@gus473]

@@thebaseballprofessor Great episode! Looking forward to the rest of the series!

[@ingloriousday8811]

Fantastic stuff!

[@williamford9564]

6:50: Getting back to the earlier discussion about stolen bases, it seems that those covered with dirt and grime baseballs of the dead ball era could have contributed to making stolen bases easier. Imagine a catcher having to launch those slopped up deadened balls 127 feet, more than twice the distance from home plate to the pitching mound.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Good point about catchers getting a deadened ball from home to second.

[@tommyfu9271]

it was way easier. pitchers were also slower to the plate, didn't throw as hard, catching equipment sucked, it is harder to throw some mud filled balled,catchers also didn't throw as hard or as quickly as they do today.

[@Celtics2025]

@@tommyfu9271look at the arc on those pitches. These guys were likely throwing 60-70 mph tops. After they switched to live balls no wonder why Babe Ruth hit so many homers. He was an elite talent being served up 60 mph meatballs by plumbers and fireman

A great great Video

[@joshdarius5995]

Ken Burns Baseball doc is just the best imho

[@TheMickeymental]

Games at Wrigley field were called for darkness 1987. The field received lights in 1988.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

I did not know that. Thanks

[@TheMickeymental]

@@thebaseballprofessor Went to the first night game in 1988. Rained out in 3.5 innings. Moagana the Kissing Bandit was there and had promised to run on the field to kiss Ryne Samberg. She was a very large chested woman who was an entertainer by trade. She had platinum blonde hair. She was easy to spot and she was surrounded as soon as she made a move. I saw Satchel Paige in the 1960's who was warming up in the bullpen which was on the first base sidelines, the Braves had put him on the roster for a couple of days, I thin,. Interesting Pete Rose story, and the Cubs fans hated Rose who was playing the outfield that day. Out of the bleachers a toilet seat comes flying at his head. it would have killed him if it hit him. Hot girl with her feet on the outfield wall basket fence. She was wearing a short skirt and going commando trying to attract a Dodger outfielder. She go arrested Ernie Banks and a saying, "Lets play two." I got invited to the press box for half and inning. Walked out of the press box and Ernie had a woman on each arm and I asked him Hey Ernie you gonna play two today. He smiled and laughed The ladies liked the line. Love you videos and best of luck.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

@@TheMickeymental Great stories. Thanks.

[@alandesouzacruz5124]

Good class teacher greatings from Brazil

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Thanks for the message. Saudações para você

[@williamford9564]

3:43: The amazing thing about Honus Wagner and his speed and stolen bases was that he was burly and build more like a football fullback. He was one Inch shorter than Ty Cobb and at 200 pounds outweighed him by 25 pounds.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Wagner doesn't look like a slick shortstop who steals bases. Too bad there isn't film of him fielding and running bases. I love that baseball bodies come in all sizes.

[@TheBatugan77]

Wagner could also play anywhere. They said early on he was a great centerfielder.

[@MarlinWilliams-ts5ul]

Firpo Marberry was one of the first dedicated relievers.

[@BqgWyy]

The size of these dam parks. Crazy

[@peachjwp]

It must be noted that beginning in early 1970’s a minute was added the break between innings. That’s 18 mins added to the time of the game.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Thanks for this comment.

[@WonkNRoll]

Eddie Collins was definitely mostly a singles hitter but he hit a ton of triples and a decent number of doubles. He was top 10 in SLG nine times.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Good point. In an age when triples were like homeruns, Collins had a lot of them.

[@WonkNRoll]

@@thebaseballprofessor There’s nothing like watching some stretch a double into a triple and he did with exceptional regularity. He must have been one of the most exciting players to see in action. (Great video BTW, didn’t mean to come across snarky)

[@oldcremona]

It would be interesting if the old baseball films could be speed adjusted and colorized like they do with other old film these days.

[@johnradovich8809]

I don’t follow baseball anymore. It leaves me cold. On the other hand I could watch historic videos like this all day. And can anyone here explain to me why I loathe anyone taking steroids thinking they should be banned for life and on the other hand really miss the spitball? Both are illegal.

[@floxy20]

When did the center field backdrop come about to help the hitter see the ball? Love the dirty ball by the way.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

I know that western teams like the Dodgers and Astros built new stadiums in the 1960s with center field blackdrops. Here's what ChatGPT said, "The concept of a center field backdrop, also known as a 'batter's eye,' to help hitters see the ball more clearly, began to emerge in the 1940s and 1950s." Interesting topic I might look into further for a mid-twentieth century video. Thanks.

[@abhcoat]

I love baseball and it's history. I have to love baseball i'm a long suffering Mets fan. Only the love of baseball keeps me suffering 😅.

[@peachjwp]

In addition the live ball was introduced to enhance interest in the game after the 1919 Black Sox scandal.

[@straycatttt2766]

2:50. Rube Waddell was a power pitcher in the first decade of the 20th century.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Good comment. Waddell averaged 7-8 Ks per nine innings (mucher higher than Johnson or Mathewson). He was a power pitcher for the deadball era, but not someone like Sandy Koufax or Nolan Ryan. Those guys would pitch 300+ innings and strikeout 10 per 9.

[@Rick-jf6sg]

@@thebaseballprofessor Koufax and Ryan were beasts on the mound.

[@tommyfu9271]

@@thebaseballprofessor Yea Waddel was such an outlier for his time. His strikeout numbers are incredible.

[@notacynic1]

In 1904 Rube pitched 383 innings and recorded 349 strikeouts ...

[@TheBatugan77]

Compare Waddell's strikeout totals to his peers. He annihilates them. Batters actually tried to make contact back then.

[@gus473]

4:35 "Wait, what!?!!" 😅

[@19MichaelDixon]

1:18. 483 to straight away Center? What ballpark was that? And did anybody ever hit one there? Over 483 feet is a SHOT

[@thebaseballprofessor]

The polo grounds in New York City was an unusual ballpark, but a great place for homeruns down the line. I'm not sure if anyone hit a homer to dead center, but plenty of homers were hit to center right and center left.

[@JohnMedley-n7e]

The babe babe Ruth 🐾🐾⚾⚾⚾⚾❤️❤️♦️♦️♦️♦️❤️❤️⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾🗽🗽🗽🗽💓💪🚀🚀🗝️💯💯🪖🎶🎶🪖🦈💋💋💋🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🐾🐾🐾🥁🥁🥁🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️

[@michaeldezego340]

Home Run Baker was actually known as and called Frank, even though his given name was John Franklin.

[@josephcooper6692]

That closeup pic of Christy Mathewson . . . strong resemblance to Carlton Fisk?

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Mathewson and Fisk are platonic ideals of what a pitcher and catcher should look like

[@WillieSimpson777]

It blows my mind how people found time to go to games on workdays in the afternoons...seems like a crazy business to count on that revenue...was it mostly retired people at games? I'm guessing sick days and vacations were less of a thing back then too.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

I've had the same thought! Most people work during the day. I will say that most games started at 3 pm, not noon. I imagine some people got off work early. But the working class fan who had a 9-5 in the factory, Monday thru Saturday, couldn't go until night baseball.

[@AntonioMendez-m8z]

If you didn't have a curve ball in those days you probably got hammered i think the twist on the ball came much later batters were what was that🤣

[@sanford943]

Hard to tell if it faster. Those old movies were speeded up

[@underthetable2747]

“Lead the league with 10 HRs”; Id love to see these guys see HRs totals of 50+, most being complete moon shots 😂

[@joeyriley5354]

Sorry I'm late. Was watching Blake Snell toss a NO NO.

[@Celtics2025]

Look at the pitchers. These films are sped up on film. The arc on that ball from the pitcher looks like that pitch is 60 mph. No wonder why The Babe hit so many home runs. He was getting served up meat balls

[@sofukingwat]

On god he was fucker would never hit a 100mph fast ball 😂

[@TheBatugan77]

You know nothing. The balls WERE meatballs. They were as dead as meatballs. Add to the fact that they threw all sorts of illegal pitches, knew HOW to pitch vice just throwing hard, and that the strike zone was shoulders to knees...it was much harder to survive in the bigs back in the day.

[@DavidK-z8q]

Although "Home Run" Baker's first name is John, he went by Frank. His middle name was Franklin.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Thanks for the comment. I only know Baker's statistical accomplishments.

[@bnx200]

Did they ever show any game films or highlights in movie theatres? That would have been a good way to bring in additional revenue, and give more people a chance to see Major League baseball.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

What I can say about this topic is that baseball owners were reluctant to allow radio broadcasts and then televised broadcasts of their product. The conservative thinking of the time held that Americans wouldn't go to the ballpark if they could listen to live games or watch them.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Check out this incredible newsreel of the 1919 World Series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zp6zeaSYf713h6s

[@omenoflaherty1294]

I’m surprised some wealthy entrepreneur in the US hasn’t taken a shot at developing a side league with a different style of play to the majors, with drastically different rules to make the game faster and more exciting. I think there would be a big market for it.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Have you heard of the Savannah Bananas? I could see "Banana Ball" rules taking off at some point.

[@barrykochverts4149]

Note: If you set playback speed to 0.5, the comedy is stripped from the early sped-up scenes. Since we can easily do this on our devices, why don't content generators do it first? These films were not shown this way in their day; they were projected at the same number of frames/second as they were shot.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

I see your point, but it's the film as preserved in the Library of Congress. I don't like doctoring it too much.

[@andrewyarosh1809]

Modern players aren’t “allowed” to steal home because it “shows up” the other team. And we can’t have that, can we…..

[@tommyfu9271]

it has nothing to do with that. it's an extremely low percentage play that is almost always a stupid idea unless you catch the pitcher napping. 100 years ago pitchers were more slower to the plate,didn't throw nearly as hard and catchers weren't nearly as good defensively than they are now so it made more sense.

[@TheBatugan77]

​@@tommyfu9271👈😆👍 ☝️🤓👍 Nice try, tommy boy!

[@savingferris8279]

"Superior fan experience" Tell me you've never gone to the bathroom in Ebbets field with telling me you've never used the bathroom at Ebbets field.

[@theccpisaparasite8813]

Reserve Clause ... the minus ... player exploitation. The plus, players were part of a city for whole careers

[@nyjsackexchange]

Polo Grounds dimensions at 1:17

[@SamuraiSam]

Really good and informative video! Bravo! 🙂 And sorry to be "that guy" but you did mispronounce Jacoby Ellsbury's first name. (It's JU-KO-BEE)

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Thanks for the comment. This isn't my first pronuncation faux pas.

[@JohnBaranich-wv6ot]

It’s Frank “Homerun” Baker

[@jnavillus]

Jacob Ellsbury you say?

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Oops. Jacoby

[@jnavillus]

@@thebaseballprofessor its no biggie, just made me laugh is all.

[@richdouglas2311]

Home Run Baker was known as "Frank Baker," not "John Baker," even though his birth name was John Franklin Baker. A LOT of steals of home are usually the front end of a double steal (from 1st and 3rd) rather than a straight steal of home. The World Series began in 1903, two years after the formation of the modern American League (joining the established National League). There was no World Series the following year because the manager of the NL pennant-winning Giants refused to allow his team to participate. Eyewitness testimony indicates Chapman never saw the pitch that killed him, with him not even moving to avoid it. Managing a team back in Cobb's days involved little more than drawing up the lineup. There is a lot of evidence that Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker threw games for gamblers. For the Black Sox, "exonerated" is a really strong word. They were acquitted in court because of the disappearance of their written confessions right before trial. In varying degrees, they did it.

[@daf295]

12:30 "Players wore baggy uniforms...and used both hands to field the ball" *cough!* Aaron Judge! *cough cough*

[@dovbarleib3256]

When Carl Mays killed the batter, Baseball should have immediately introduced batting helmets.

[@sdgakatbk]

Landis had to do something after the 1919 World Series but he also lied. There was the game fixing involving Tris Speaker, Ty Cobb, Dutch Leonard, and Smoky Joe Wood that Landis did nothing about.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

I'm not so sure I believe Dutch Leonard's account of the game fixing conspiracy since he hated Ty Cobb passionately and refused to testify before Landis and the evidence produced was not definitive.

[@stephenfontana8015]

it's Frank "Homerun" Baker

[@ismaelcruz2148]

I'm not sure how Gehrig stole home and Ruth second when Ruth batted IN FRONT of Gehrig.

[@Rigamus11]

I was going to correct you and say Home Run Baker's name was Frank, not John. However, I looked it up 1st & His name was John Franklin Baker. I didn't know that.

[@robertpoen5383]

The style of game was more exciting, more hits, hit and run, steals, etc. Now games have more strikeouts than hits. League average of about .230, everyone swings for the fence on every pitch, it's boring. Bring back the dead ball, move the mound back 3 feet to 63.5 feet, and watch those BAs go up. Bring back skinny, fast guys, the triple, and hitting to the right side to move the runner up.... oh, I was dreaming, alas.

[@bnx200]

The dead ball is far too dangerous.

[@TheBatugan77]

​@@bnx200Wtf? 😮

[@naciremasti]

How's the shadowball documentary coming along?

[@thebaseballprofessor]

It's coming. The topic demands long visits to archives in France and China. So that might take a few years.

[@michelleleeginger5225]

Stole home, not " stoled".

[@user-bl7em8sx6o]

Lol

[@samcohoon]

That picture of a brown baseball picturing as a ball from the "dead ball" ear is a ball dipped in lacquer to save the ball and the signature on it. It seems kind of odd that games averaged 1:50 with playing with one or a few balls. How bad these players swings were would create a ton of foul balls that went out of play. So we have to wait for these balls to return to the field. 💩💩💩 Ray Chapman death wasn't because it was a cloudy day. The polo grounds had a 'batters eye.' Not on purpose, but more there was a wall that a pitch ball would never disappear over the sky. Finally, if he died at 4:30am, the story what have been too late to print for the next day. Something is weird about history.

[@doublem1975x]

Like 70% of the players today wouldn’t be allowed to play.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Probably true and yet, players in the 1920s didn't have modern analytics, strength training, video analysis of swings/windups, superior nutrition, etc.

[@richarddelgado2723]

@@thebaseballprofessorit’s something I always contend with everyone who says yesterdays basketball players,boxers,baseball etc wouldn’t be able to keep up with today’s game. Imagine if they had the same facilities as today’s players. How would that go?….

[@CrookedEyeSniper]

I wonder how fans of that era would think about modern baseball? Would they find it more exciting? Or would they find it boring or ridiculous?

[@thebaseballprofessor]

My guess is that 1920s Americans would be stunned by the speed and power of modern pitchers and the athleticism of our fielders who commit far fewer errors. At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if they complained about the lack of batted balls in play or the superabundance of strikeouts.

[@CrookedEyeSniper]

@@thebaseballprofessor Their minds would be blown by the pitch clock as well.

[@thomasedward1319]

Urban Shocker, Cooperstown 2025

[@thebaseballprofessor]

Parents don't name em like they used to

[@notacynic1]

'John' Home Run Baker??

[@notacynic1]

He went by 'Frank,' of course, though I see now that his given name actually was John. (How about that ; )

[@LesterMoore]

As a child in elementary school I fell on love with baseball and until recently attended games or listened on the radio. A wonderful way to enjo a Summer's afternoon with an iced tea/lemonade at hand on the large arm rest if an Adirondack cloth padded chair.. However since the social direction of the MLB management and it's Woke direction I have left my long precious association with the Grand Old Gsme. The gimmicky appears to have no end. Many of the fans have dumbed down and have lost the knowledge of the game and resort to beach balls, fancy crowd waves and other nonsense to keep their interest in the game at hand. Designated runners on second base in extra innings, the DH (serving to keep players with the mobility of an overweight sloth in the game), and other owner "strategies" to gin up attendance have curtailed manager tactical control of the game. Radio announcers should be poet/baseball historical knowledgeable/tacticisn/voices of the game. Similar to Vin Scully that place the listeners vicariously into the stands. Seeing no change, I'm afraid it's goodbye baseball.

[@henridevigne1096]

Frank. Not John Baker. Still good stuff.

[@GizmoBeach]

That’s why I can’t understand the introduction of a baseball in 1930 that warped the record books as badly as illegal PED’s did for too long. 1930 was a joke because of that change, what was wrong with 20’s baseball they did that? If it was for increased revenue due to fan excitement over the long ball, expanded Playoffs to four teams per league vs. one would’ve been a far better choice.

[@tommyfu9271]

expanded playoffs wouldn't have added much. You're thinking in modern terms where playoffs mean big money through TV.

[@joethaler7921]

Your presentation is spot on. It is a pleasure to listen and watch your presentation. Please keep up the excellent work. The Walking Encyclopedia of Baseball (1960-2024), Old Joe

[@davidgabrielsen2139]

Jacoby Ellsbury not Jacob

[@no_problem8023]

The state of modern baseball is by far the fastest and most talented and conditioned it’s EVER been and it’s not even close.

[@thebaseballprofessor]

It's faster and and more talented. More exciting to see? Debatable.

[@no_problem8023]

@@thebaseballprofessor Fair!

[@scottl.1568]

AND BEST OF ALL, NO BULLSHIT DH RULE!!!!

[@cardboardempire]

Whoah. Slow down buddy. The game was faster because there wasn't friggin commercial breaks twice an inning.