I've always thought comparisons for today's NBA/NFL versus decades ago (50s/60s) are difficult because the leagues have changed so much. For example, comparing Bill Russell and Shaq or Unitas and Peyton Manning is almost impossible. With Russell's Celtics being the best run franchise (by far), Shaq probably wins just as many titles with that group. With baseball being the most important American sport in the early to mid part of the 20th century, it had the best athletes playing it. Today, those athletes gravitate towards other sports. That creates the possibility that the talent in the game (now vs then) is comparable. Would the '27 Yankees be able to compete in today's MLB? Would they be a playoff team or has the game evolved enough that they would be worse than the Astros?
well in baseball you can still be a fat guy and dominate. Like tony gwynn or fielder or miggy. but these guys from that crew would be lifting heavy weights and be into nutrition so its all relative. ruth would still be fat but who cares. the pitching is where the issue would lie. I have no real way to know if that would translate to todays pitching. they could beat the astros batting opposite handed.
I think the 1927 Yankees could compete with a team made up of today's above-average white MLB players. Against a current team, I'd have to say no way. In 1927, rosters were made up of entirely white players from a much smaller USA. Today's roster draws talent from every ethnicity and country in the world.
The difference is in the pitching. The pitchers of today are so much more dominant than those of the days of old. This is why you see so many more perfect games, no hitters and such than you did long ago. I think the line up of the '27 yanks would do okay but I'm not sure the '27 yanks pitching staff would fair well against todays hitters.
Old timers would be destroyed in basically every sport. Guys now are bigger faster stronger and maybe even more skilled. Modern teams would beat old teams the way usain Bolt does.
Who knows. If the game was played in a 1927 ballpark, with 1927 rules, and 1927 equipment and all of the nutrition and drugs available were those available in 1927 . . . it might be very competitive.
Athletes get better every generation. They train harder and a the pool of them is bigger. Modern teams have Japanese and Cubans and blacks and everyone who is good. Old time teams are the best white guys. They would be crushed by modern players that eat better, train harder and more, and are bigger and faster. Again, modern athletes are simply better.
