Thanks for your kind words!

The workload was helped, I think, by two things. First, pitchers didn’t throw their hardest stuff back then. Christy Matthewson wrote about it in “Pitching in a Pinch” – save your best stuff for when you need it. So, while the average pitcher today is firing 60 fastballs at 90MPH, I don’t think that Rube would throw 10 that hard back then in a game.

Second, I think that because the game ended so much more quickly (strike zones were a bit bigger, no commercial breaks, fewer middle inning pitching changes), I think that helps keep pitchers healthy. Let me ask you this – what is harder on an arm? Throwing as hard as you can every 30 seconds with 15 minute to 30 minute breaks between innings, or throwing every ten seconds – maybe 2 – 4 MPH slower, but with greater control – and waiting six to ten minutes between innings?

The guys who work quickly I think are more durable. Get in there and fire.

The gloves of today DEFINITELY help fielders. And, players are in better shape, so they cover more ground. Look at that glove that Rube is wearing in one of his early photos. I don’t think I could catch 9 thrown balls in ten wearing that thing.

Have a great World Series!

Paul

A couple of things have immediately jumped out at me.

One we already are well aware of, but it is still amazing to encounter .. the number of innings the pitchers in those days pitched. Yikes! How can any pitcher of the day withstand that much of a workload? What does it say about today’s hurlers who still break down.

Also, it seems like there were 3 – 4 errors at least each game! Rube would be needing some fielding help to get out of a jam and his defense would let him down. No wonder he’d get a bit fired up at times. I would have to assume that the gloves they used contributed greatly to this problem.

Loving it. Anyone interested in a great story about the game should get this book!