Why is he not better than those guys though? How can you compare players from different eras? Your doing the same, how can you say he is the best. Maybe the best in his era but no alltime.
So many things have changed in the game....they play more games now (which obviously says something about what those guys did in a shorter season) Which say's even more considering Ruth had more homers in less games than Maris....oops wrong era wrong asteric.
but they also have longer road trips and because they play more games, they break down more and their bodies get destroyed.They mostly went on train rides which were longer, they also had to get a winter jobs because their baseball salaries was not enough.
Now they have planes in first class to get them there faster. They also don't need a second job.
maybe those guys could not have held up to the amount of time these guys are putting in. maybe without the supplementation (not taking illegal drugs) and specific training that these guys now do (year round), the players of yesterday would not be able to hack. So, would they be any less of player because they are taking advantage of these things....new advances in training, new knowledge in nutrition and supplementation, etc....???
it is just to hard to look at those players and compare them to todays players. It is.
I don't like a-rod. I do think that he is an incredible player and I like what he does. I think he works incdreibly hard to be the best he can be. I don't care for him either, he changed....when he played for Seattle he seemed like a good humble kid. Now he is a spoiled jerk.
But I have to admit he can play when his mind is in it.
His agent may have fucked him up