Question of the Week

Ron, Spring Branch, TX
Subj: Best athletes in history
Are drugs the reason we have seen “the best ever” in so many sports the past 20 years or so?

Drugs are certainly part of the equation, but today’s athletes have also benefited greatly from better training methods and technological advances. Babe Ruth is a perfect example. Imagine how much better the Bambino could have been if he ever exercised in the off-season, or for that matter, if he simply abstained from eating hot dogs in between his at-bats. One also has to wonder how much better Ruth’s batting average could have been if he had opted for one of today’s more streamlined Louisville Sluggers rather than the 54-ounce railroad tie he used for most of his career. I have no doubt that HGH can transform a skinny shortstop into an unstoppable slugger but I also think that the evolution of off-season training, better equipment, improved coaching and scouting methods and even the use of video are all big reasons why today’s athletes are among the best we’ve ever witnessed.

Question of the Week

Ben, Freeport, ME
Subj: Bigger is better
Where can I find the world’s biggest baseball bat?

If you’re looking for a little good wood you’d be well advised to check out the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. Located on 800 West Main Street in Louisville, Kentucky, this baseball lover’s paradise is home to a 120-foot high steel behemoth that the company claims is an exact-scale replica of Babe Ruth's famous 34-inch bat. At 68,000 lbs. it’s the second heaviest thing in baseball next to Barry Bonds’ head!