This season, David Ortiz, at the age of 40, led MLB in OPS (On Base % + Slugging %), posting a remarkable 1.021. Any number higher than 1 is phenomenal. This was an amazing season at any age, and downright ridiculous for someone to do it at 40.
Now consider, for his entire career, Babe Ruth posted an OPS of 1.164.
Ruth while compiling those batting stats also played in the field his entire career. Ortiz has been a DH for the past ten years or more.
On the other hand, Ruth faced the same pitcher for 8-9 innings per game and in those days most teams had only 4 starters. Batters were able to get to know pitchers real well back then.
BR pitched for the first 5 years of his career.
In his prime hitting years
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Micky Mantle has the highest career OPS amongst switch hitters at .9773.
Who is 2nd amongst switch hitters at .9429?
Hint: He played 15 seasons in the major leagues, most of them after the year 2000.
If you must know, the answer is linked. He's #27 all time in OPS.
Link: All time OPS
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...at about the same time that a room full of monkeys type the collected works of Shakespeare.
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I don't follow baseball that closely but if someone asked me this question and gave me 1,000 guesses AND the guy's initials I wouldn't have guessed it.
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Best retirement year ever?
Retired at age 30 after a 27-9 1.73 ERA season with 317 strikeouts in 323 innings pitched.
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Worthy of a full separate thread.
I would think these folks should be in the conversation....
John Elway
Ara Parseghian
Barry Sanders
I'm sure there are plenty more I can't think of now.
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Jones - retired at 28 in the same year he won golf's Grand Slam.
Spitz - retired at 22 after winning 7 gold medals in the 72 Olympics.
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When you hear that an athlete competed in 5 Olympics you immediately think he's well into his 40s but not Phelps. That's so impressive.