MLB games have been played since the second half of the 19th century.
From the moment in which the league started until the new millennium, there might not have been a bigger star than Babe Ruth.
To this day, some people say he is the greatest player in the history of the game.
Thanks to Getty Images, the owner of the footage, and Twitter account @BaseballHistoryNut for getting it to our attention, a short video of Ruth getting some batting practice and throwing appeared on our timeline.
Some crisp Babe Ruth footage pic.twitter.com/uJSp5gCVLq
— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) January 6, 2023
The quality, considering it was probably from the early 1920s, is outstanding.
There, you can see Ruth in all his greatness: the powerful swing with a much heavier bat than those used today, the way he hits bomb after bomb in batting practice, the way he fixes his hair after going all out on a swing…every detail is glorious.
The only reason why Ruth isn’t universally considered the best hitter of all time is because the level of competition back then was nowhere near the things we see right now.
Mike Trout, Barry Bonds, Shohei Ohtani, and other “GOAT” candidates have had to face much, much tougher pitching.
Athletes, in general, have better eating and training routines these days than back when Ruth played.
Still, the sheer dominance he exercised on a baseball field was magnificent.
He is the owner of some of the best seasons in history, and hit 714 home runs in a time in which the closest competitor had much less than that.
He led the league in home runs in 1920 with 54.
His closest competitor, George Sisler, had 19.
Ruth really changed the game baseball was played.
NEXT: Mets Fan Doubts A New Carlos Correa Report