Was Sadaharu Oh as good as Babe Ruth?

Question

Subjectively speaking, since there there is on way to really know the answer.

Answer 1

I would tend to say no with regard to Sadaharu Oh being as good as Babe Ruth. There are NOTICEABLE differences in Japanese baseball as opposed to American baseball. Oh's records were achieved in Japanese baseball parks not American so everything is smaller and closer including the fence. His home run record surpasses that of Hank Aaron's by 113, but imagine what Hank Aaron would have done if he played in nothing but a Japanese baseball park?!?

Then compare that to if Oh had played in the baseball fields of Ruth's day when the fences were FARTHER back. People mistakenly believe that the fences were closer in Ruth's day, but they weren't. They are closer today.

Also consider this:

"2. OH, how unfair!

Sadaharu Oh, Japan's Babe Ruth, set the Japanese pro baseball record of 55 homers in 1964. Since then, two players -- both Americans -- have challenged and probably would have eclipsed his mark . . . if only Oh hadn't take extraordinary measures to protect his record.

In 1985, Randy Bass went into the final series of the season with 54 homers. But the opposing Tokyo Giants, managed by Sadaharu Oh, didn't allow Bass' bat to get anywhere near a baseball. They intentionally walked Bass in every at bat in the final two games, and he ended the season one shy of the record.

In 2001, it looked like a rerun. Tuffy Rhodes managed to tie Oh's mark, hitting 55 for the Kintetsu Buffaloes, but then faced another Oh-managed team that refused to give him anything to hit. Oh's pitching coach, Yoshiharu Wakana, admitted, "I didn't want a foreigner to break the record."

In 2002, another repeat -- this time with Alex Cabrera, who also hit 55 with plenty of time left in the season. He'd remain at 55 -- and Oh would remain in the record book. "They didn't want me to get the record," Cabrera said. "The last 20 at-bats of the season, I think I only saw one strike. All records are for the Japanese." "

Although Babe Ruth had an ego, he would never do something like this. Hank Aaron wouldn't either although he has stated on numerous occasions that he is not a fan of Barry Bonds methods of getting past Babe Ruth.

So was Oh as good a Babe Ruth? I still say, No.

Answer 2

Babe Ruth’s Career BA is .342, with 714 HR, 2217 RBI’s 2873 hits
Sadaharu Oh’s Career BA is .301 with 868 HR, 2170 RBI’s 2786 hits
That’s not even throwing in Babe Ruth’s Pitching stats.

Oh's legendary career has led baseball fans in many countries to wonder how well he could have done had he played in MLB. While the differences between Major League baseball and Japanese baseball are easily noticeable—the parks in the Japanese leagues tend to be far smaller, the season is shorter, and, typically, managers during Oh's career used a three-man starting rotation.

That said I think Babe Ruth is a much better ball player but then you talking about the best who ever played the game. Not that Sadaharu Oh was a slouch or anything.

Answer 3

Not a chance. Oh was a magnificent ballplayer, but he had the good fortune of playing in the Japanese league, where the competition was clearly one level below MLB (and still is to this day). That's not a knock on the JPB, and it's quite reasonable to believe that Oh could have enjoyed success if he came to the U.S., just as players like Hideo Nomo, Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, and others have in the last decade. But he certainly wouldn't have dominated the game the way he did in Japan.

Also, Oh started as a pitcher and was moved because he wasn't that great; Ruth was a fantastic pitcher but was moved only because he was an even better hitter.

Here's a side-by-side of lifetime numbers to compare:

Oh: .301 BA, 868 HR, 2,170 RBI, 2,786 hits
Ruth: .342 BA, 714 HR, 2,213 RBI, 2,873 hits
Aaron: .305 BA, 755 HR, 2,297 RBI, 3,771 hits

Ruth (and Aaron) had better numbers in every way except home runs. And given that Japanese ballparks were far smaller than their MLB counterparts back in the day, and JPB teams usually worked three-man rotations in Oh's time, those reasons, more than talent, is why Oh had more homers than both Ruth and Aaron.

Oh, one more thing about Oh: he plays dirty. His single-season JPB home-run record of 55 has been approached three times. In all three occasions, teams managed by Oh have pitched around the players seeking to break Oh's record. All three of these players are foreigners: Americans Randy Bass and Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes, and Venezuelan Alex Cabrera.

Answer 4

Different eras, different leagues, different styles of play. Oh would have been a fine player in Ruth's era, but I doubt he had Ruth's power. Plus, what most people don't know is that Oh signed his first professional contract as a pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants. However, Oh was a weak pitcher and soon switched to first base.

Many fans have wondered how well he could have done had he played in Major League Baseball. The differences between Major League baseball and Japanese baseball are easily noticeable—the parks in the Japanese leagues tend to be far smaller, the season is shorter, and, typically, managers during Oh's career used a three-man starting rotation.

Answer 5

The question I'd be asking and you would be, too is : Who's Babe Ruth? If Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige and all those big strapping players from the ***** Leagues were allowed to play.

Answer 6

I am not sure....

I do not think the pitching is as good in Japan as it was here back when Ruth played....

And today Most of these guys would have never made it in the Big Leagues Back when Ruth Played.......

Answer 7

Babe Ruth had seasons when he hit more home runs than entire teams.

I would have loved to see Josh Gibson in the majors.

Answer 8

the world can never know. Oh played in the Japanese league, and never came to the big leagues to try himself out as an American player, possibly if he came to the big leagues he might have had 20 hrs in 3 years and his career might have been over, or possibly he could have hit another 800 homers.

Answer 9

no babe ruth was a great aLL-around player. HE PITCHED AND WAS DAMN GOOD

Answer 10

nobody will ever be as good as the babe!