STLtoday.com

Gob wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 08:23 am Ive certainly never seen anyone who was better at playing baseball

His pitching was unreal. His ability to continually climb the ladder was pure dominance and then throw in the 101 low in the zone and the sweepers to the righties and breaking balls in on the lefties. It was the most impressive pitching display I’ve seen in awhile.

OldRed wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:18 am We may be watching the greatest ball player of all times.

Babe Ruth and it's not even close.

Better pitcher and way, way better hitter.

kyace wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:29 am I believe Bob Gibson if he had been given the opportunity to play as a two way player he could have been close to Ohtani. Gibson was also a better defensive player who could have played SS or centerfield where Ohtani doesn’t play the field.

LoL....

An Old Friend wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 08:04 am

ramfandan wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:45 am Wonder how Ohtani will do in WS.
Thus far in playoffs, he has struggled hitting just .220
He has just 9 hits in 10 games.

That was a. All-time game last night but the other 9 games have not been much at all. One game in series gave him MVP honors.

You’ve made the same comments 3 times in 20 minutes on this thread. Are you ok?

He's a closet or not so closet Brewers fan. So he doesn't like Ohtani. No surprise. He only hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium last night. And struck out 10, which he of course fails to mention.

kyace wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:29 am I believe Bob Gibson if he had been given the opportunity to play as a two way player he could have been close to Ohtani. Gibson was also a better defensive player who could have played SS or centerfield where Ohtani doesn’t play the field.

Comparing Gibson to Ohtani at the plate? You're funny.

ramfandan wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:45 am Wonder how Ohtani will do in WS.
Thus far in playoffs, he has struggled hitting just .220
He has just 9 hits in 10 games.

That was a. All-time game last night but the other 9 games have not been much at all. One game in series gave him MVP honors.

in these playoffs the Sho now has a .967 ops and a 2.25 era with 2 wins - you are a dip stick

rockondlouie wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 08:55 am

OldRed wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:18 am We may be watching the greatest ball player of all times.

Babe Ruth and it's not even close.

Better pitcher and way, way better hitter.

Did you see Ruth play? And yes, he may have been the best in his era, this is something never seen before.

OldRed wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 09:23 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 08:55 am

OldRed wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:18 am We may be watching the greatest ball player of all times.

Babe Ruth and it's not even close.

Better pitcher and way, way better hitter.

Did you see Ruth play? And yes, he may have been the best in his era, this is something never seen before.

Ruth
.342 .474 .690 1.164
206 OPS+
Hitter G.O.A.T

Ohtani
.282 .374 .582 .957
160 OPS+



Ruth
163 G/147 GS
2.28 ERA
1.16 WHiP

Ohtani
100 G/100 GS
3.00 ERA
1.08 WHiP

And enough of this "era" c r a p.

Baseball is Baseball, it's the one sport where stats from one era can be compared to stats from another.

And if allowed to do so his entire career, Ruth could've easily continued to pitch & hit.

But because of his greatness as a hitter Managers chose to take him off the mound.

No comparison, Babe Ruth is the G.O.A.T. and it's been "seen before", Ohtani is not even close to Ruth.

rockondlouie wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 08:55 am

OldRed wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:18 am We may be watching the greatest ball player of all times.

Babe Ruth and it's not even close.

Better pitcher and way, way better hitter.

Average fastball speed was 86mph when Babe Ruth played. Because of video, analytics, technology, pitchers can throw balls with far more break and movement today than was even thought possible 100 years ago.

Of course, he could likely adapt with time and exposure, but it's not like Ruth was the model of fitness, whereas Ohtani looks like he was built in a lab.

Just saying, impossible to know which was truly better.

OldRed wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:18 am We may be watching the greatest ball player of all times.

Correction: You may be watching the greatest baseball player of all time.

I won’t watch the Dodgers. Or Yankees. They have been allowed to ruin the game. Eff ‘em.

Rojo Johnson wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 10:10 am

OldRed wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:18 am We may be watching the greatest ball player of all times.

Correction: You may be watching the greatest baseball player of all time.

I won’t watch the Dodgers. Or Yankees. They have been allowed to ruin the game. Eff ‘em.

well, you are missing out!

blackinkbiz wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 10:07 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 08:55 am

OldRed wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:18 am We may be watching the greatest ball player of all times.

Babe Ruth and it's not even close.

Better pitcher and way, way better hitter.

Average fastball speed was 86mph when Babe Ruth played. Because of video, analytics, technology, pitchers can throw balls with far more break and movement today than was even thought possible 100 years ago.

Of course, he could likely adapt with time and exposure, but it's not like Ruth was the model of fitness, whereas Ohtani looks like he was built in a lab.

Just saying, impossible to know which was truly better.

Good points bib.

But, that's all speculation about the average speed in Babe's days since there wasn't the technology needed at that time to measure a pitchers speed.

It's been said W. Johnson threw 100 mph, C. Mathewson the same but again no way to document that either.

We've all seen the police motorcycle racing B. Feller's fastball in an attempt to gauge his velocity in 1940:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dmg41H--YhA

It wasn't until 1974/75 that baseball had a radar gun to measure the speed of pitches.

Of course it's just our opinions but I'd put my money on Ruth being superior both on the mound and easily in the batters box vs Ohtani.

There have been great two-way players in all the major sports - Michael Jordan in the NBA, Bobby Orr in the NHL, and Sammy Baugh in the NFL. Of course Ruth in MLB was one of the few who, like Ohtani, excelled at both pitching and hitting.
Facts show, however, that Ruth's pitching prowess was fading by the time Boston traded him to the Yankees. For example, in 1919, his last season with the Red Sox, his ERA went up to 2.97 and he only struck out 30 in his 133 IP, while walking 58.
His batting was improving, and the Yankees recognized this fact and then tailored a ballpark for his LH power.

Ohtani is demonstrating being able to pitch and hit at a high level at the same time. Yes, the DH rule helps him immensely in this regard. I don't recall ever seeing anything near comparable to his achievements last night. It was stunning.

Eh……..Albert could’ve done it if they let him pitch.

kyace wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:29 am I believe Bob Gibson if he had been given the opportunity to play as a two way player he could have been close to Ohtani. Gibson was also a better defensive player who could have played SS or centerfield where Ohtani doesn’t play the field.

Get real.

Ohtani was 50/50 last year and now is throwing 6 scoreless 10 Ks and jacking world class dingers.

icon wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 09:03 am

kyace wrote: ↑18 Oct 2025 07:29 am I believe Bob Gibson if he had been given the opportunity to play as a two way player he could have been close to Ohtani. Gibson was also a better defensive player who could have played SS or centerfield where Ohtani doesn’t play the field.

Comparing Gibson to Ohtani at the plate? You're funny.

Gibson was the better athlete, better pitcher and better defender. If allowed to focus on hitting and with modern training who knows. Gibson was used frequently as a ph in 1970 with 109 at bats and hit .303. He may not have had the power of Ohtani but to laugh it off is naive.