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  • November 09, 2009 06:10 PM ET

would babe ruth have the same numbers if the MlB was segregated

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I think that it wouldn't be the same he wouldn't be able do the same things that he did against other pitchers Paige and all the other great pitchers would be able to dominate him. and the other pitchers will come in first argument. also he would be facing Paige in his prime......


Well duh.

If there wasn't segregation, EVERYONE's numbers would have been different, including Paige's and the other players in the Negro Leagues. So simply saying "he wouldn't be able to do the same things" is not correct.

During his era, no one, Negro Leages or the Majors, was even close to the hitter Babe Ruth was. The closest was Lou Gerhig, a teammate of his, and Ruth still had a better average, slg %, OPS, and averaged 10 more HR's then Gerhig (162 game average).

So how would introducing the Negro League pitchers change that? The fact of the matter is, if you added the Negro League pitchers, it would effect the averages of everyone, including Ruth. However, it wouldn't change how dominant he was over the rest of the league.

You are also missing one HUGE point.

Look at the 1933 season. The Pittsburgh Crawfords (Paige's team) played 80 games that season. The Yankees played 150 games. That fact alone makes this argument almost impossible to debate because we have no idea how Negro League players would respond to the dramtic change in playing time.


paige would be able to live up to the schedule of the majors in those 80 games he pitched very 2 days and sometimes. and how do you know there wasn't anybody they better and you can't compare there were better pitchers in the **** was better and there hitters that hi paige and the greats that came from there can hit the horrible pitching that was during that time and im in 6th grade and right now talking about stuff way before my time and i know what im talking about and making sure you know ruth is not the best ever he would only have 615 homers if there were black pitchers


I think if there was anyone better then Babe Ruth at hitting, we would have heard about it. The Negro Leagues were followed and documented during their existence. Especially here in Pittsburgh where Paige did play.

And most people tend to agree that Babe Ruth was one of the best, if not the best hitter in baseball history. I don't think a few added pitchers would have changed that. And even if he hit 615 hr, he would have still had the all-time hr record for decades after he retired and would currently be 6th overall.

As it stands, hes 3rd.

So even while ball parks got smaller, hitters got stronger, bats were made better, and minority players were allowed to play, only 2 players have ever passed him on the all-time HR list. He also had a higher batting average then both.

If there is a Negro League hitter better then Ruth, please tell me who he is.

November 9, 2009  06:12 PM ET

Sixth Grade huh?

November 9, 2009  06:21 PM ET

Of course it wouldn't. He would have faced a good amount of superior talent to what he was facing. Also... Butterfly effect is possible. What if he faced a black pitcher and he got dominated, never recovered. I just don't like these "What if" TD's because the entire course of history could be changed. For instance "What if Black players were allowed in MLB". What says the Yankees don't have a black slugger already and they don't need Ruth? He stays in Boston, the Red Sox go on the win 27 world championships... And No, no, Nanette wouldn't be here.

November 9, 2009  06:25 PM ET
QUOTE(#1):

Sixth Grade huh?

YUP TELLING THE TRUTH ALWAYS LOVED THE SITE SO IN SIGNED UP

November 9, 2009  06:45 PM ET

i actually think it would b/c his numbers would definetly not have been as good if he faced paige- but idk if paige was even alive when ruth was playing

intresting point

November 9, 2009  07:40 PM ET
QUOTE(#3):

YUP TELLING THE TRUTH ALWAYS LOVED THE SITE SO IN SIGNED UP

Good luck to you.

This place is not for the faint of heart.

November 9, 2009  08:14 PM ET

Why do we talk about junk when no one on this website ever attended or seen Ruth or the Negro League during Ruth's era?

Its like comparing apples and oranges.

November 9, 2009  10:37 PM ET

not the best throwdown ever, but ruth would have dominated any league, anywhere.

November 10, 2009  04:53 AM ET

"If there is a Negro League hitter better than Ruth, please tell me who he is"

Josh Gibson. Unfortunately since the Negro league teams played many games against non-league opponents, it will never be verified how many home runs he hit. However the estimate is 800, including over 80 in 1936. People who played against him have said he was better than Aaron or Mays easily.

November 10, 2009  07:16 AM ET

What does left mean by if it was segregated? There was segregation in baseball then.......RIGHT? I'll abstain.

November 10, 2009  07:30 AM ET

there's no way to tell how Ruth would have fared against Negro League Pitchers or how those pitchers would have fared against Ruth

November 10, 2009  07:44 AM ET
QUOTE(#10):

there's no way to tell how Ruth would have fared against Negro League Pitchers or how those pitchers would have fared against Ruth

In 1952 Satchel Paige appeared in 46 games, started 6, threw 3 complete games and had 2 shutouts. In 138 innings, he gave up 5 home runs. His ERA+ was 127, his WHIP was 1.254 and also had 10 saves.

Did I mention that he was 45 at the time?

My guess is that if Satchel Paige was allowed to pitch in the MLB in his prime, he would have been one of the best, if not the best pitcher.

November 10, 2009  07:58 AM ET
QUOTE(#11):

In 1952 Satchel Paige appeared in 46 games, started 6, threw 3 complete games and had 2 shutouts. In 138 innings, he gave up 5 home runs. His ERA+ was 127, his WHIP was 1.254 and also had 10 saves.Did I mention that he was 45 at the time?My guess is that if Satchel Paige was allowed to pitch in the MLB in his prime, he would have been one of the best, if not the best pitcher.

right, there may have been 1 or 2 Negro League Pitchers that would have done well, but what about the rest?

not all the negro league players would have been MLB level talent (just like not all the MLB players would have remained if the Negro Leaguers were allowed to play)

it's not like all the Negro League Players were HOF caliber type players. You had great players (Paige, Gibson, ONeill) but you also had a lot of players that weren't good enough to be MLB players

it's an interesting thought, but unfortunately we will never know.

November 10, 2009  08:07 AM ET
QUOTE(#12):

right, there may have been 1 or 2 Negro League Pitchers that would have done well, but what about the rest?not all the negro league players would have been MLB level talent (just like not all the MLB players would have remained if the Negro Leaguers were allowed to play)it's not like all the Negro League Players were HOF caliber type players. You had great players (Paige, Gibson, ONeill) but you also had a lot of players that weren't good enough to be MLB playersit's an interesting thought, but unfortunately we will never know.

The flip side is that how many major leaguers wouldn't have been there with a level playing field? I know it is a question that there is no answer for. I do believe that there would have been more than 1 or 2 pitchers though, it would have been a lot more.

November 10, 2009  08:07 AM ET
QUOTE(#13):

The flip side is that how many major leaguers wouldn't have been there with a level playing field? I know it is a question that there is no answer for. I do believe that there would have been more than 1 or 2 pitchers though, it would have been a lot more.

I did cover that:

(just like not all the MLB players would have remained if the Negro Leaguers were allowed to play)


that's the thing, we'll never know

November 10, 2009  08:13 AM ET
QUOTE(#14):

I did cover that:(just like not all the MLB players would have remained if the Negro Leaguers were allowed to play)that's the thing, we'll never know

I forgot to put in "that would have done well". I'll rephrase, there would have been more than 1 or 2 negro league pitchers that would have done well in the Major Leagues if they had been allowed to pitch.

Better?

November 10, 2009  08:15 AM ET

it's a shame we'll never know

would love to see Ruth against Paige in his prime

or Josh Gibson versus Walter Johnson

November 10, 2009  08:39 AM ET

Did anyone catch the title? Just to let ya know, kid, the MLB WAS segregated when Ruth played...

November 10, 2009  09:01 AM ET
QUOTE(#17):

Did anyone catch the title? Just to let ya know, kid, the MLB WAS segregated when Ruth played...

Hooray! I thought I was the only one to notice that. MLB was not segregated in Ruth's time, but baseball shamefully was. Hence...abstaining, as the opening arguement ought to be trashed pronto! MAKES NO SENSE!

November 10, 2009  09:21 AM ET

Who would win between BATMAN and SPIDER-MAN?

 
November 10, 2009  09:59 AM ET

there WAS segregation.....so if you are asking if he would have the same numbers in a segregated league that he HAD in a segregated league, the answer is YES.

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