The GOAT debate and era/timeline adjustments - Page 5

GOATcards · 02-26-2021, 03:10 PM

For purposes of comparison I took the top position players of each decade and added up the WAR for their top 10 and top 3 seasons (separated by the "/" mark).

As you can see, in eras with fewer players (and Black people kept out of the Majors) there were still quite a few more players with over 80 WAR in their 10 best seasons and 30 WAR in their 3 best than there are today. These days, barely over 60 WAR over the player's 10 best seasons put that player in the top two of a decade.

So what's the proper timeline adjustment so that the Bambino can be placed on a properly even footing with Pujols and Trout? (Also, does the era adjustment need to go slightly the other way when comparing deadball-era players to those after, as the lively-ball era apparently made it less difficult for top players to rack up WAR?)

(I'm using only Bonds' '86-98 seasons since he suspiciously hulked-up after that. I don't know where or how to lop off A-Rod seasons so I leave them as is with an imagined asterisk.)

1900s
Wagner 87.5 / 31.0
Lajoie 77.4 / 28.4

1910s
Cobb 90.0 / 32.5
Collins 84.3 / 29.6
Speaker 84.2 / 29.1

1920s
Ruth 115.7 / 39.4
Hornsby 99.0 / 33.4

1930s
Gehrig 92.3 / 31.7
Foxx 75.9 / 28.0

1940s
Williams 89.5 / 31.4
Musial 85.7 / 30.0

1950s
Mays 100.3 / 32.8
Mantle 83.4 / 32.9

1960s
Aaron 84.1 / 27.2
F Robinson 70.4 / 24.3
Yaz 70.0 / 32.5

1970s
Schmidt 80.1 / 27.5
Morgan 75.0 / 29.9
Carew 63 / 25
Bench 62 / 24

1980s
Henderson 73.1 / 28.6
Boggs 71.4 / 25.8
Ripken 70.7 / 29.7
Brett 68.1 / 26.3

1990s
Bonds (86-98) 85.5 / 29.5
Griffey 69.6 / 27.6
Bagwell 63 / 23
Thomas 59 / 21

2000s
A-Rod 87.0 / 29.2
Pujols 81.3 / 27.6
Beltre 64.2 / 24.6
Chipper 61 / 22

2010s
Trout 74.6 / 31.2
Cano 60.5 / 23.8
Cabrera 59.9 / 22.2
Votto 58.3 / 22.9

02-26-2021, 03:10 PM	#1
GOATcards Member Join Date: Feb 2021 Posts: 6,492	The GOAT debate and era/timeline adjustments For purposes of comparison I took the top position players of each decade and added up the WAR for their top 10 and top 3 seasons (separated by the "/" mark). As you can see, in eras with fewer players (and Black people kept out of the Majors) there were still quite a few more players with over 80 WAR in their 10 best seasons and 30 WAR in their 3 best than there are today. These days, barely over 60 WAR over the player's 10 best seasons put that player in the top two of a decade. So what's the proper timeline adjustment so that the Bambino can be placed on a properly even footing with Pujols and Trout? (Also, does the era adjustment need to go slightly the other way when comparing deadball-era players to those after, as the lively-ball era apparently made it less difficult for top players to rack up WAR?) (I'm using only Bonds' '86-98 seasons since he suspiciously hulked-up after that. I don't know where or how to lop off A-Rod seasons so I leave them as is with an imagined asterisk.) 1900s Wagner 87.5 / 31.0 Lajoie 77.4 / 28.4 1910s Cobb 90.0 / 32.5 Collins 84.3 / 29.6 Speaker 84.2 / 29.1 1920s Ruth 115.7 / 39.4 Hornsby 99.0 / 33.4 1930s Gehrig 92.3 / 31.7 Foxx 75.9 / 28.0 1940s Williams 89.5 / 31.4 Musial 85.7 / 30.0 1950s Mays 100.3 / 32.8 Mantle 83.4 / 32.9 1960s Aaron 84.1 / 27.2 F Robinson 70.4 / 24.3 Yaz 70.0 / 32.5 1970s Schmidt 80.1 / 27.5 Morgan 75.0 / 29.9 Carew 63 / 25 Bench 62 / 24 1980s Henderson 73.1 / 28.6 Boggs 71.4 / 25.8 Ripken 70.7 / 29.7 Brett 68.1 / 26.3 1990s Bonds (86-98) 85.5 / 29.5 Griffey 69.6 / 27.6 Bagwell 63 / 23 Thomas 59 / 21 2000s A-Rod 87.0 / 29.2 Pujols 81.3 / 27.6 Beltre 64.2 / 24.6 Chipper 61 / 22 2010s Trout 74.6 / 31.2 Cano 60.5 / 23.8 Cabrera 59.9 / 22.2 Votto 58.3 / 22.9