Ah, How Great It Is

"You really can't compare eras, but this is one of the best teams I've seen," said Monte Irvin, the Giant star of the '50s who now works in the commissioner's office. "They can beat you so many ways—speed, hitting, defense. They've got a great catcher, and their pitching can't be too bad if they won 102 games. They've got a lot of guys who can pitch four or five innings and get the job done. What more do you want?"

There is one observer who is uniquely qualified to comment on changing eras. "The Reds are refined around the edges," said Waite Hoyt of the '27 Yankees, now 77 and a retired Cincinnati broadcaster. "But there was a craftsmanship, an artistic approach combined with discipline on our team." Hoyt was a Yankee. He has seen much of the Reds. Can he, of all people, compare two teams a half-century apart? There was no hesitation. "It is my firm belief that the 1927 Yankees are the best team ever."

You could look it up.

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