Ted Williams Quote From 1955 Makes Goose Gossage Sound Even More Outdated Than He Is

It's widely believed that Hall of Famer Ted Williams is the greatest hitter who ever lived. His bat to ball skills was second to none, and he did it all while hitting for power.

Williams was an incredible player in all facets of the game, and he played during the 1950's, a time in which the game was a lot different than it is today. So, if Teddy Ballgame was still living today, he might be on the side of Hall of Fame pitcher Goose Gossage, who thinks baseball today is "unwatchable."

Or would he?

Back in 1955, Williams was asked about the defensive shift, which was invented in the 1940s with the goal of stopping him from getting on base every at bat. Williams' response to the question is a lot more progressive than you may have expected.

"Baseball has improved since I first came into the league," Williams said. "The most important progress is the way the infields shift for batters today."

Well, Williams called it correctly with this one, as shifts have become an integral part of today's game. As more data is collected on players, teams try to counter their tendencies by sticking a defender where the batter will most likely hit the ball.

"The power-hitter is a pull-hitter," Williams continued, "and he's the hitter they worry about. So they want to stop him from pulling if they can."

The game today isn't perfect and some of the new trends can make it tough to watch if you don't have four hours to kill, but Gossage's continuance in bashing modern baseball is absurd.

If he wants to make it better, stop talking about the "good ol' days" and come up with solutions to improve the game, not tear it down.