Is baseball racist?

[Oryx]

@WuWei

Ty Cobb, quite simply the greatest player who ever lived

Ty Cobb might have been the greatest, but we’ll never know for sure because he played during segregation.

[WuWei]

[Oryx]

He didn’t play against all the best players. That’s a fact.

[WuWei]

[Oryx]

Hard to argue with such a well-formed argument.

[NJBob]

Ruth was better.

In how many seasons did Cobb win 20 games?

[Impenitent]

@Ex-Pat

Also, you can make it your money a lot faster in basketball and football. Most NBA superstars get into the league when they’re 19. MLB players have to spend years in the minors and usually don’t make their MLB debuts until their mid 20s.

you can make your money in any sport stadium selling confections and beverages

[Samm]

@WuWei

There is nothing harder in sports than hitting a baseball. The numbers don’t lie.

Or so baseballers love to pretend. And to help perpetuate that image, they only count it as a “hit” if the batter gets on base.

What’s the percentage of successful shots from beyond midcourt in basketball?

And golfers might have a few stats for you too.

[Samm]

@ohknow35

@WuWei

The greatest that ever lived failed 6 times out of 10.

7 out of 10 even

Or rather only 3 of 10 getting on base even after hitting the ball …

[Guvnah]

@Samm

Or so baseballers love to pretend. And to help perpetuate that image, they only count it as a “hit” if the batter gets on base.

Well he did later point out that 7 players are trying to prevent ball-contact from counting as a hit. It’s an important point.

A batter makes contact in most at bats. Many go foul. Many of those that don’t go foul are thwarted by the defense in the field. Even some contact that gets the batter safely on base don’t get counted as a hit.

The odds are stacked against the batter. But that’s the design of the game.

[Samm]

@Guvnah

@Samm

Or so baseballers love to pretend. And to help perpetuate that image, they only count it as a “hit” if the batter gets on base.

Well he did later point out that 7 players are trying to prevent ball-contact from counting as a hit. It’s an important point.

A batter makes contact in most at bats. Many go foul. Many of those that don’t go foul are thwarted by the defense in the field. Even some contact that gets the batter safely on base don’t get counted as a hit.

The odds are stacked against the batter. But that’s the design of the game.

The odds are stacked against him getting on base, not particularly in hitting the ball with the bat … which is the claim that baseballers tout as “the most difficult thing in sorts,” Even when going by success as defined by a base hit, there are numerous achievements in sports that are more difficult (statistically) than that.

[bigtwnvin]

Pitching is a challenge also. These stats don’t lie either.

Moyer’s pitch would move all over the place. He knew how to keep batters completely off balance.

[Rurudyne]

Probably a terror when asked to pass the potatoes on Thanksgiving.

[Rurudyne]

“How about that queen?” (About a minute in)

Queen Elizabeth II at Angels Ball Game - 1988

[Impenitent]

@bigtwnvin

Pitching is a challenge also. These stats don’t lie either.

Moyer’s pitch would move all over the place. He knew how to keep batters completely off balance.

off balance batters make lopsided pancakes

[bigtwnvin]

@Impenitent

off balance batters make lopsided pancakes

[gooddad409]

@Guvnah

@Samm

Or so baseballers love to pretend. And to help perpetuate that image, they only count it as a “hit” if the batter gets on base.

Well he did later point out that 7 players are trying to prevent ball-contact from counting as a hit. It’s an important point.

A batter makes contact in most at bats. Many go foul. Many of those that don’t go foul are thwarted by the defense in the field. Even some contact that gets the batter safely on base don’t get counted as a hit.

The odds are stacked against the batter. But that’s the design of the game.

Not if they were facing Nolan Ryan.

There’s a great documentary on Netflix called Facing Nolan if anyone is interesting.

It is quite good.

[SixFoot]

Ventura made contact with Ryan’s fast pitch like 8 times in one bat. It was one of the defining highlights of my childhood love for baseball.

Robin Ventura, Nolan Ryan duke it out

[gooddad409]

@SixFoot

Ventura made contact with Ryan’s fast pitch like 8 times in one bat. It was one of the defining highlights of my childhood love for baseball.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIZB9O24BEE&has_verified=1

Ventura was a heck of a hitter. He made a mistake charging the mound and going after the 40 odd year old Ryan though.

Wound up in a head lock getting his head pounded.

p.s. According to the documentary if they had clocked Ryan’s speed using the new method his fastball would have been 108.1 mph.

They clock speed these days when the ball leaves the hand.

[SixFoot]

Dave Winfield is the reason Robin Ventura took a 100mph uppercut to the face plate.

Dave Winfield charges the mound against Nolan Ryan