KG Erwin
Posts: 8981
Joined: 7/25/2000 From: Cross Lanes WV USA Status: offline
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I noticed this in my newest association -- in the mid -1980s, there were many 60s & 70s stars still on major league rosters: Pete Rose, Tom Seaver, Phil Niekro, Reggie Jackson, Steve Carlton, Tommy John and Tony Perez amongst them, all over 40 years old. Within a year or so all would be retired. However, at this time a real "changing of the guard" was taking place, with the emergence of players like -- Orel Hershiser, Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmiero, Greg Maddux, Bret Saberhagen etc. I suppose every 40 or years or so, something similar to this occurs in MLB. I haven't delved into this too deeply, but another sudden talent influx happened between 1946 and 1951. Going back further, there was another similar talent spurt in the first decade of the 1900s --Mathewson, Wagner, Cobb, Jackson, Speaker et al. So, the next generational "spurt" will be happening at about the time most of us will be pushing up daisies -- around 2020-2025. Does this theory hold some merit?
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