Baseball Strength Training During The "Dead-Ball" Era

The teachings of baseball instruction and baseballdifferent shape too.
strength training before the 1920s were crucial inOf course, when the batters are happy, the
the beginning years of America's pastime. In apitchers are not, simply because their earned run
time when homeruns were not nearly as popularaverages skyrocketed as batting averages did at
as they have been in the last ten years, thethe same time. Discussions, such as scuffed balls
"dead ball" era was a time of brilliant coaches usingand using the same ball for the majority of the
chess type baseball strategies and specificgame, was common in those days, which is
strength training. Before the emergence of Babepartially why it is hard to determine who are the
Ruth, hit and run plays, sacrifice flies, bunts, andbest players at each position. Different rules for
stolen bases ruled the game of baseball.different times continue leaving us to wonder
Baseball strength training was of majorwhat might have been had players of today
importance for the game. Keep in mind this was aplayed in the early 1900s or vice versa.
day and age when you could turn that chopper toAfter scoring started declining again from
the second basemen into a single with the1914-1919, the game actually suffered the chance
utilization of speed. Why? During this time theof falling into a tailspin as World War I, for the
technology had not evolved yet and baseballUnited States, brought many players to war. With
gloves did not make it as easy to field a play asthe Influenza Epidemic, during that time, around
in the game today. This gave runners with a goodthe world caused great concern for the game and
baseball strength training more opportunities ofthus the "dead ball" era was gone. What once
running it out for a single and it was evidentwas a game full of baseball strength training
around 1910 when batting averages were inflatingattributes and great baseball instruction from
around the league.coaches turned into a homerun love fest.
Players like Ty Cobb, even though not well likedWithin the next decade, the baseball world would
by both players and fans because of his dirtydream about playing the game as Babe Ruth, Lou
play, was the epitome of a player with speedGehrig, and Jimmie Foxx did hitting homeruns
during this era. In consecutive years, Cobb'sgalore and becoming icons of the game. The
batting averages were .420 and .410, leaving thebaseball world got it right, turning the game into a
infamous "Shoeless" Joe Jackson with a .408scoring fest as the world fell apart around it. It
average as the only other player during the "deadmakes you wonder where players like Babe Ruth
ball" era to hit a .400 batting average or betterwould have ended up on the all time homerun list
besides Ty Cobb. Many fans loved the new thrusthad he spent his entire career playing in between
in hits due to the new structured baseballs each1903 and 1919 when the "dead ball" era was king.
league was provided. Baseball training has taken a