NPR : Babe Ruth Gave Home Runs Their Due
With Barry Boinds about to break another Babe Ruth record, NPR has an interview with a baseball historian who says:
“He just was a colossus above everybody in the game,” says Leigh Montville, author of The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth. “He really invented the home run. Before Babe Ruth came along, the home run was kind of a mistake…. [But he] showed the value of hitting the ball out of the ballpark.”
You can here the whole interview by clicking on the link at the top of this web page.
If Babe palyed in the modern day era he probably would hit 900 homers without performance enhancing drugs. After all he hit 714 and he was a pitcher for several yrs, played without the benefit of personal trainers & sophiscated equipment. Modern day parks have shorter fences, and most games are played at night, balls are wound tighter & list goes on & on. I will not acknowledge Bonds passing “The Babe” because clearly could’nt have done it without the use of steriods.
Not to mention he was Drunk 50% of the time and barely remembered to show up for games at times. Not knocking him, I am commending his ability to function not only without the extra help that all players have today, but he was also trashed a lot of the time and still pulled it off…. Tip that mug for the Babe.