I have been wondering why baseball "experts" continue to say Babe Ruth is the best slugger ever?

Question

Hank Aaron passed him yet everyone still says Babe Ruth is the best. Can someone help me with this?

Answer 1

Aaron passed him in one area, not in everything. Ruth had the greatest impact on baseball of any player ever.

Answer 2

When Babe Ruth was playing, most guys would be lucky to get 25 or more homeruns in a season. Thats why his accomplishements are so great, cause they are so different than anybody else that played in his era. When Aaron was playing, there had already been great sluggers like Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris to name a few, so hitting 40 homeruns every year wasnt something that out of the normal (ok it was abnormal, but not quite as abnormal as Babe Ruth hitting 60 homeruns when he was playing).

Answer 3

Because people like to glorify the past. If Bonds or A Rod played in Yankee Stadium back then against those pitchers they would have hit 1000 Hr at least. Left Field was 280 feet when the stadium was built right was like 295... Currently 318 and 314 respectively. That adds up to a lot more hrs. By comparison Wrigley Field is 355 and 353. It comes down to the legend of Babe Ruth. He was a great slugger, and a great pitcher by the way but no where near the sluggers of today of Hank Aaron for that matter

Answer 4

Ruth had a higher HR per AB ratio than Aaron, as well as a higher slugging percentage, and also played the first eight years of his career with the infamous "dead ball". While Aaron did end up with more homeruns, Ruth did it at a time when the homerun was not as prevalent, and did it more consistently than Aaron. Remember, Aaron never hit more than fifty in a season and Ruth did that four times.

Answer 5

If I, Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

Hank Aaron surpassed Babe Ruth. Hank Aaron is the best slugger of all times. Go By the numbers, numbers never lie.

Answer 6

The people above make good points, but also look at the numbers of homeruns other guys were hitting when Ruth was cranking his out. The next closest guy to his 50 + home run seasons were only hitting 20. It was the deadball era. He outhomered entire teams some years. That is why he is the greatest slugger of all time.

Answer 7

ok before everything..Babe Ruth hit 714 abode runs in much less video games. He became under the effect of alcohol whilst he did it--whilst being obese (scarfing down warm dogs in the dugout)-- and additionally has gained 20 video games as a glass and hit over 30 abode runs in one season. Babe Ruth had fifty 4 abode runs season in 1920 which became greater effective than the different AL group not participant yet group. Barry Bonds became a roided up conceited piece of sh*t. Hank Aaron became a large baseball participant earlier than his time and could be seen basically as large as Babe Ruth. Barry Bonds shouldn't additionally be reported in an identical sentence as Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron.

Answer 8

All the right answers, the Babe was the best, if his accomplishments on the field are all that is being discussed here.

In his time on the field, and because HE was on the field and not anyone else, HE united the focus of a nation on something everyone could get passionate about, leave their desperate financial woes behind for a couple hours and through the Babe they saw a light at the end of the tunnel. He was one of us, and he was our hero.

There's more to greatness than stats bud. Too bad so many don't know that today.

Answer 9

hank aaron had like 4000 more at bats, and babe ruth spend the first 6 years of his career has a great pitcher. he has records has a pitcher and hitter which some still stand today. remember babe had better seasons hank just played longer has a hitter. if babe had 4000 more at bats he could of had 1000 homeruns.

Answer 10

Rose has (a piddling few) more hits than Cobb, but Cobb was by far the better hitter. Batting average (as well as plenty of other statistical evidence) tells us this.

Hence, Ruth. Aaron has more homers, but Ruth performed at far more ferocious rates -- take a look at slugging average first. Ruth's career SLG is higher than most guys ever reach in a single season.