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The Five Greatest Basketball Player of All-Time

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by LanceyHoward, Jun 21, 2017.

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  1. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    Who was right-handed
     
    CD Boogie, Jun 22, 2017
    #49
  2. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Jeez. That is exactly what I was thinking! I actually fired up the google to see how he hit against Johnson. Johnson held him to 62 points below his lifetime batting average, but Ruth still batted .280 against him in 107 at bats with 7 HRs.

    I don't think a Walter Johnson or a Randy Johnson are the mark of an era. I'd be more interested in how different the quality farther down pitching spectrum was -- if at all.
     
    The Big Ragu, Jun 22, 2017
    #50
  3. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    I bet Niedenfuer would've owned Babe lol
     
    Songbird, Jun 22, 2017
    #51
  4. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    Considering how few teams were in the league, I'd guess the quality was pretty high.
     
    CD Boogie, Jun 22, 2017
    #52
  5. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    The fewer teams is a consideration. But the U.S. population was much smaller. Also no blacks, as people keep pointing out. And few, if any, international players. Also, economic realities that made it less likely to identify and develop potentially good players.

    One thing I suspect is that the quality of the players was better than a lot of people today assume.
     
    The Big Ragu, Jun 22, 2017
    #53
  6. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    I just re-read Glory of Their Times, and it's really astounding what a crapshoot it was in terms of guys getting discovered or choosing to become a player. Pre-Ruth, it wasn't a respectable, well-paying profession. He had a lot to do with changing that.
     
    CD Boogie, Jun 22, 2017
    #54
  7. MisterCreosote

    MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

    More germane to the discussion, let's see him step up against 1999-2000 Pedro.
     
    MisterCreosote, Jun 22, 2017
    #55
  8. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    Don't forget, it was in Ruth's time Branch Rickey invented the farm system. Before that, luck and an occasional scout's individual skill really were the keys to player acquisition. That, and finding a good player on a minor league team that really needed money in a hurry.
     
    Michael_ Gee, Jun 22, 2017
    #56
    justgladtobehere likes this.
  9. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    The exact moment these discussions become useless is the moment I started the thread. But it was raining at the beach resort I am staying at.
     
    LanceyHoward, Jun 22, 2017
    #57
  10. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    Magic set us
    Magic created many a jump shot. And Magic Johnson was probably the most athletic 6' 9" basketball player ever when he broke into the league in 1979. But I think James is better. James is almost the same height but stronger and faster. I think if James was playing on the Lakers in the 80's he could have played point guard and the Lakers would have won just many titles. I don't think Magic had the scoring skills to lead some of the really bad Cavs teams LeBron played on to the success they had. I think LeBron's greatest achievement was leading the 2009 Cavs to 66 wins.
     
    LanceyHoward, Jun 23, 2017
    #58
  11. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    They used to be short because you couldn't make millions in endorsement deals and still do it.

    Allowing Olympians to be paid has simply reduced the number of athletes who get to be in the Olympics and receive the best training from the best coaches.
     
    Alma, Jun 23, 2017
    #59
  12. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    There's a couple other stories about that nigh that I saw in an AP story looking back. One was that both teams had just gotten bored by doing their nightly routines and just started playing legit for most of the game. The other was that the next night, the Reds came in all happy and got destroyed by 60 points.


    Also, Marques Haynes and Goose Tatum belong on that list. Haynes was their first fancy dribbler and Tatum was their first primary clown.

    I've been to a couple of shows where the Trotters have won on a last-second dunk. I've thought that they're awfully lucky their guy doesn't screw it up.
     
    Baron Scicluna, Jun 23, 2017
    #60
    Deskgrunt50 likes this.
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