[Mick]

I know the information about Mantle's time has been widely published and frequently cited, but it's absurd to think that he ran to first in 3.1 seconds, with the caveat that perhaps the methodology used in the 1950s is different from current methods (similar to timing a 40 yard run with a rolling start and a stopwatch vs electronic timing from a standing start.) Different methodologies may also account for the notion that Mantle would be almost a half second slower when batting right handed; Statcast times every single batter to first base and the average difference between LHB and RHB is less than a tenth of a second.

Fair enough.  What about the 0.45 disparity between Bo Jackson's time to first between his RHB and LHB efforts, taken electronically in the 1990s?

[Mick]

I know the information about Mantle's time has been widely published and frequently cited, but it's absurd to think that he ran to first in 3.1 seconds, with the caveat that perhaps the methodology used in the 1950s is different from current methods (similar to timing a 40 yard run with a rolling start and a stopwatch vs electronic timing from a standing start.) Different methodologies may also account for the notion that Mantle would be almost a half second slower when batting right handed; Statcast times every single batter to first base and the average difference between LHB and RHB is less than a tenth of a second.

Fair enough.  What about the 0.45 disparity between Bo Jackson's time to first between his RHB and LHB efforts, taken electronically in the 1990s?