How good of a player would Babe Ruth be if he was around today?

[MassNole]

I was thinking about this for whatever reason tonight and was pondering this. If Babe Ruth were to be cloned how good of a player would he be today?

Honestly if you looked at him, he was in horrible physical condition and had some severe off the field issues. With ESPN today he would more hated than Terrell Owens. And I don't think his skills would translate to the modern athlete.

Thoughts?

[SPTO]

How severe were his off the field problems? He liked women and boozing that's no different then most athletes today. As for his skills on the diamond, you're probably right. I think he would be strictly a DH/1B type in today's game and I have the sneaking suspicion that he'd be a lot like Steve Balboni or Ken Hamelin but with a little more plate discipline.

[MassNole]

Quote: Originally Posted by SPTO

How severe were his off the field problems? He liked women and boozing that's no different then most athletes today. As for his skills on the diamond, you're probably right. I think he would be strictly a DH/1B type in today's game and I have the sneaking suspicion that he'd be a lot like Steve Balboni or Ken Hamelin but with a little more plate discipline.

Great comparison with Steve Balboni.

I ironic would it be for a Yankee fan to say he could be just like David Ortiz?

[Knight165]

Here is what I think.
You guys should lay off the cheeb.
The guy was surrounded by other players who were(except for the weight training) in as good a shape as any ballplayer around today and he still blew them off the face of the earth.
The guy was just a pure baseball machine in spite of himself.

M.K.
Knight165

[mvb34]

I think Babe Ruth would been an average player at best.

[marino13882]

he would be god

[Dislimb]

I think he would still be one of the premier sluggers in the sport. He would obviously still have same power.

[ELDoro]

If taken from his form then (and not brought up, trained, and on a workout plan like today) The timing and hand eye coordination are no different than now and then. Pitchers dont throw any harder now but they do locate a lot better. Also no one was throwing a splitter back then; the 2-seamer come back or shuuto; circle-change moving away from a lefty hitter; and most breaking balls back then were more of the 12/6 break than a slider. Pitchers would have the advantage to find his holes through use of video and stuff like that also. I think he could hold his own.....but no 62HR seasons.

However, any other sport where athletic ability has more of an effect such as basketball or football and those guys would have no chance.

[Brandon13]

He'd probably still be a great player.

[dkgojackets]

Quote: Originally Posted by Knight165

The guy was surrounded by other players who were(except for the weight training) in as good a shape as any ballplayer around today

um, not at all. They were in top shape for the time, but todays players as a whole are much stronger/faster/etc and the best have done nothing but play baseball from as soon as they can hold a bat.