2007-04-20 03:00:39 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Baseball
he was right, there will never be another .400 hitter. w/ the advance in technology now and the higher level of competition, there is no way a hitter can do it. if ted williams was at his peak today, im guessin his best avg season would of barely made .300. pitchers nowadays throw the ball much faster and have much more movement in their offspeed pitches than before..
2007-04-20 09:33:35 · answer #1 · answered by jayz 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, the last .400 hitter was in 1941. Since then, there are factors that make it harder to hit:
1. More night baseball- ball is easier to see in daylight.
2. Use of more pitchers during a game- batter would generally rather hit against the same pitcher 4 times in a game, but that doesn't happen much anymore.
3. In the '40s, there were a few elite players who focused on the game completely and devoted all of their activitiies to getting better. Ted Williams was such a hitter. Nowadays, as much as fans like to think players are in it for the money and not love of the game, money IS a motivating factor. To get the money, there are many, many players with disciplined training regiments- especially pitchers. Therefore, the elite hitter today does not have the advantage he had a half century ago.
2007-04-20 04:37:07 · answer #2 · answered by Gato Gordo 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A dozen years ago, it was 1995, and we were just coming off a strike-shortened year that saw Tony Gwynn's quest for .400 stop short at .394. Had the strike not stopped play, Gould could have quite possibly seen a .400 hitter the year before. He must have a short memory. With tiny ballparks, watered down expansion era pitching, and a whole stable of strength and conditioning coaches in every clubhouse, I'd be surprised if we DIDN'T see a .400 hitter in the somewhat near future.
2007-04-20 03:32:45 · answer #3 · answered by Michael 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
When I want to know more about baseball statistical probabilities, the first person I would ask would be a paleontologist.
It'll happen. There have been several players to come close over the last couple decades - George Brett's .390 in 1980 and Tony Gwynn's .394 in the shortened 1994 season being the closest. It may not happen for a while, but it will eventually happen.
2007-04-20 05:11:44 · answer #4 · answered by JerH1 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
For every hitter there is a pitcher that has his number. That could be around 16 games and around 64 at bats. Thats enough to bring that batting average down below .400.
2007-04-20 05:22:01 · answer #5 · answered by The Rooster 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Never is a hard word to use in sports. It appears that with todays current crop of players 400 seems to be safe for a while. This being said, if Albert Pujols and A-Rod got traded to Colorado. Albert hitting 3rd and A-Rod protecticting him hitting 4th, I think Pujols could hit 400. Other than this senario happening, I do not see anyone hitting 400 for a long while.
2007-04-20 03:26:24 · answer #6 · answered by dkj9002000 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I don't know if the fact he was a palenotologist gives him any credibility, but I will say this- the way pitching has become in this era, with relief pitchers, intentional walks, and the like, it will be very difficult. Ted Williams did not see three or four different pcithers in a game he made four or five plate appearances.
2007-04-20 09:29:59 · answer #7 · answered by Patrick M 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think hes right. With the way relievers are used, especially with the left and right handed specialist, I don't think anybody's gonna hit .400 again. It was a different type of game from the pitching standpoint when guys like Williams did it.
2007-04-20 08:34:21 · answer #8 · answered by DoReidos 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
So far. He will be wrong because there will be another .400 hitter.
2007-04-20 05:45:45 · answer #9 · answered by gman 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
he's right so far, but eventually there might be another .400 hitter, but it's not likely.
2007-04-20 03:12:18 · answer #10 · answered by Magilla G 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋