"Rogers Hornsby hit .424. Today's players don't, so they must not be as good-- right?"

Maybe, maybe not. I don't know for sure. Shaq or Wilt? The Babe or Bonds? I don't think these generational comparisons have definitive answers. They are great bar arguments but I can't share your certainty. Figure making is just not an exact enough science for me to be convinced.

Do you believe that an average ballplayer, say Nazr Mohammed, is better than Wilt or Russell were? Because, in my opinion, that's the same argument as today's 25k claimer being faster than the classic winners of 20 years ago.

Frank