He knew some baseball

Ytown Tribe fan · 08-26-2002, 11:06 AM

Look at these numbers, absent any other information. They are the OBA and SLG (and PA's) of a major league ballplayer:

Year 1: .286 .329 (91 PA)
Year 2: .296 .455 (431 PA)
Year 3: .287 .472 (465 PA)
Year 4: .310 .495 (557 PA)
Year 5: .342 .523 (451 PA)
Year 6: .333 .408 (83 PA)
Year 7: (Did not play)
Year 8: .289 .433 (307 PA)
Year 9: .344 .507 (222 PA)
Year 10: (Retired)

We have a rookie slugger who was getting better and better every season, had a major injury, tried to come back, and was in the middle of his greatest season yet when he realized he couldn't come back -- he was through.

Everyone here can easily guess who this player was.

Like all the other fans of his first team, I so enjoyed watching him play, and learn how to play; then was so angry and betrayed later by his decisions, that I forgot how good he was becoming.

His fans and team treated him like trash, all the while he was hustling and getting better and better. All because of a personal decision he made that was nobody's business but his own and his bosses.

His comeback from what should have been career-ending surgery was valiant in the extreme.

He was perhaps the greatest athlete to ever play baseball. He was spectular to watch in the field, at times. Everyday, coming to the ballpark, you knew that you had the chance to see something you'd never seen a player do before.

In the end, he could have been one of the all-time greats -- in either sport that he chose. It just took me some time to realize that.

SmedIndy · 08-26-2002, 11:13 AM

Kind of a shame he didn't get the credit he deserved after the injury.

KCBOOMER · 08-26-2002, 11:18 AM

I watched Bo all through his career in KC and admit he did things I never saw before or since. When you went to the park you never took your eyes off him because of his propensity for the unique.

On the other hand he was a terrible fundamental baseball player, refused to take coaching, had no plate discipline, and was an out after the 7th inning (something like a career .050 hitter). He might have made the HoF in football but had zero chance in baseball.

poorme · 08-26-2002, 11:21 AM

it took me a minute to figure out who you were talking about. I wonder if albert belle could have had the same type of surgery. He was a better hitter and could have been a dh. Maybe it was a different kind of injury.

poorme · 08-26-2002, 11:25 AM

he had the flair for the dramatic. i'll always remember being at a game where hit he a ph game winning hr. I don't know why he retired - did he get frustrated or did nobody want him?

Skip · 08-26-2002, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ytown Tribe fan
His fans and team treated him like trash, all the while he was hustling and getting better and better.

Maybe I have selective memory, but I don't recall Bo being trashed during his career by fans or teammates in either sport.

Quote:

Originally posted by KCBOOMER
On the other hand he was a terrible fundamental baseball player, refused to take coaching, had no plate discipline, and was an out after the 7th inning (something like a career .050 hitter). He might have made the HoF in football but had zero chance in baseball.

I agree. I think his baseball career is held in higher esteem than it merits, due to his athleticism, the uniqueness of the two-sport star at the time, and his propensity to produce the dazzling highlight.

Not to totally knock him as a baseball player, he may have continued to improve to become truly a star, but all I remember is flashes of potential brilliance.

soxfan121 · 08-26-2002, 11:50 AM

I never expect a "shooting star" to suddenly recover its orbit and become a comet. I always appreciated Bo Jackson for his momentary brilliance; lighting up the sky for a few seasons, dazzling us for only a short while. Bo knew when not to overstay his welcome; like a shooting star, his brilliance faded quickly from the sky, but those memories will last forever.

I look forward to reminsicing about Bo; Bo knew amazing acheivement, Bo knew humility, Bo knew how to provide spine-tingling moments.

Bo knew how to perform, at the highest level, and that makes Bo unforgettable. I'll always appreciate what he DID do rather than lament that he was not with us long enough.

Ytown Tribe fan · 08-26-2002, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by poorme
I don't know why he retired - did he get frustrated or did nobody want him?

Bo had hip-replacement surgery and played his last seasons with an artificial hip. His last season was probably his best ever. Incredible.

poorme · 08-26-2002, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ytown Tribe fan

Bo had hip-replacement surgery and played his last seasons with an artificial hip. His last season was probably his best ever. Incredible.

well, he was kind of a limited player on one leg. I thought he could hang on as a part-time dh. I guess that wasn't what he wanted.

KCBOOMER · 08-26-2002, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ytown Tribe fan His fans and team treated him like trash, all the while he was hustling and getting better and better.

I don't know you are referring to hear but if it's the Royals fans you are dead wrong. The fans adored him. They were very disappointed in his decision to play football, but continued to support him. Chiefs' fans weren't too damn amused though.

His only problem with management in KC was he refused to be coached and after his injury simply became too big of a distraction to the rest of the team. There was also some money issue that made it an easy economic decision to let him go.

VNV Nation · 08-26-2002, 02:24 PM

I loved Bo and thought he was absolutely amazing but he had severe limitations as a baseball player. I think the thing that really hurt him was his inability to use his speed on a baseball field. He was on his way to becoming a very good player and was an All-Star in 1989, but then the Royals moved him to center and he was just a really bad outfielder.

VNV Nation · 08-26-2002, 02:31 PM

I think he was the best running back I ever saw though.

soxfan121 · 08-26-2002, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by VNV Nation
I think he was the best running back I ever saw though.

Agreed. That night in the Kingdome, when he ran over Boz, then ran out of the stadium was one of the greatest single-night performances I've ever seen.

I'm obviously too young to have seen Brown, Sayers, and Simpson. I did see Payton, but only at the tail end of his career. Of course, there was also Sanders and Smith - both outstanding and durable. But if I could have only one guy, it woulda been Bo. Size, strength, speed, and smarts. The total package.

Fuzzy Bear · 08-26-2002, 05:22 PM

Bo may have been the greatest athlete of the 20th century. Because of his decision to play baseball, coupled with the football injury, he won't be in either Cooperstown or Canton.

Bo may have been the greatest running back of all time. He really did choose the wrong sport if he wanted immortality. His fame certainly appears fleeting; you hear much more about Deion Sanders than Bo.

Skip · 08-26-2002, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fuzzy Bear
Bo may have been the greatest athlete of the 20th century. Because of his decision to play baseball, coupled with the football injury, he won't be in either Cooperstown or Canton.

Bo may have been the greatest running back of all time. He really did choose the wrong sport if he wanted immortality. His fame certainly appears fleeting; you hear much more about Deion Sanders than Bo.

I respectfully disagree. You may hear more about Deion, but thats just because he's more recent (for one), more flamboyant (for two), and made more fun of (for three). Bo seems to be held in veneration as the ultimate in "what might have been", whereas Deion is a pretty known quantity (pretty darn good too), and is only pulled down by his mouth and antics.

Neither were as good at baseball as at football, but Bo was better than Deion. While Bo may have become the greatest running back of all time, thats kind of like saying Tony Conigliaro may have become the greatest slugger. Of course that's not a valid apples and apples comparison, I'm just trying to illustrate that the what-if's are too far afield here.

I see no reason whatsoever to even mention Bo as the greatest athlete of the 20th century above guys like Thorpe, Lewis, Owens, etc. - let alone Ruth as the ultimate multiskilled person in one sport.

08-26-2002, 11:06 AM	#1
Ytown Tribe fan Guest Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Scrappers territory Posts: 2,515	He knew some baseball Look at these numbers, absent any other information. They are the OBA and SLG (and PA's) of a major league ballplayer: Year 1: .286 .329 (91 PA) Year 2: .296 .455 (431 PA) Year 3: .287 .472 (465 PA) Year 4: .310 .495 (557 PA) Year 5: .342 .523 (451 PA) Year 6: .333 .408 (83 PA) Year 7: (Did not play) Year 8: .289 .433 (307 PA) Year 9: .344 .507 (222 PA) Year 10: (Retired) We have a rookie slugger who was getting better and better every season, had a major injury, tried to come back, and was in the middle of his greatest season yet when he realized he couldn't come back -- he was through. Everyone here can easily guess who this player was. Like all the other fans of his first team, I so enjoyed watching him play, and learn how to play; then was so angry and betrayed later by his decisions, that I forgot how good he was becoming. His fans and team treated him like trash, all the while he was hustling and getting better and better. All because of a personal decision he made that was nobody's business but his own and his bosses. His comeback from what should have been career-ending surgery was valiant in the extreme. He was perhaps the greatest athlete to ever play baseball. He was spectular to watch in the field, at times. Everyday, coming to the ballpark, you knew that you had the chance to see something you'd never seen a player do before. In the end, he could have been one of the all-time greats -- in either sport that he chose. It just took me some time to realize that.

08-26-2002, 11:18 AM	#3
KCBOOMER NetShrine All-Century Team Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Home of the T-Bones Posts: 11,116	I watched Bo all through his career in KC and admit he did things I never saw before or since. When you went to the park you never took your eyes off him because of his propensity for the unique. On the other hand he was a terrible fundamental baseball player, refused to take coaching, had no plate discipline, and was an out after the 7th inning (something like a career .050 hitter). He might have made the HoF in football but had zero chance in baseball. __________________ KCBOOMER *Buck O'Neil: The Monarch of Baseball*

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08-26-2002, 11:13 AM	#2
SmedIndy NetShrine's Historian Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Zionsville, IN Posts: 10,569	Kind of a shame he didn't get the credit he deserved after the injury.

08-26-2002, 11:21 AM	#4
poorme Guest Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: washington dc Posts: 2,625	it took me a minute to figure out who you were talking about. I wonder if albert belle could have had the same type of surgery. He was a better hitter and could have been a dh. Maybe it was a different kind of injury.

08-26-2002, 11:25 AM	#5
poorme Guest Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: washington dc Posts: 2,625	he had the flair for the dramatic. i'll always remember being at a game where hit he a ph game winning hr. I don't know why he retired - did he get frustrated or did nobody want him?

08-26-2002, 11:50 AM	#7
soxfan121 Renounced Membership 7/9/03 Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Live Free Or Die, USA Posts: 1,335	I never expect a "shooting star" to suddenly recover its orbit and become a comet. I always appreciated Bo Jackson for his momentary brilliance; lighting up the sky for a few seasons, dazzling us for only a short while. Bo knew when not to overstay his welcome; like a shooting star, his brilliance faded quickly from the sky, but those memories will last forever. I look forward to reminsicing about Bo; Bo knew amazing acheivement, Bo knew humility, Bo knew how to provide spine-tingling moments. Bo knew how to perform, at the highest level, and that makes Bo unforgettable. I'll always appreciate what he DID do rather than lament that he was not with us long enough.

08-26-2002, 02:24 PM	#11
VNV Nation Membership Suspended 11/19/02 Join Date: May 2002 Location: VNV Nation Posts: 2,952	I loved Bo and thought he was absolutely amazing but he had severe limitations as a baseball player. I think the thing that really hurt him was his inability to use his speed on a baseball field. He was on his way to becoming a very good player and was an All-Star in 1989, but then the Royals moved him to center and he was just a really bad outfielder.

08-26-2002, 02:31 PM	#12
VNV Nation Membership Suspended 11/19/02 Join Date: May 2002 Location: VNV Nation Posts: 2,952	I think he was the best running back I ever saw though.

08-26-2002, 05:22 PM	#14
Fuzzy Bear NetShrine's Evangelist Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Living by faith, and not by sight! Posts: 2,194	Bo may have been the greatest athlete of the 20th century. Because of his decision to play baseball, coupled with the football injury, he won't be in either Cooperstown or Canton. Bo may have been the greatest running back of all time. He really did choose the wrong sport if he wanted immortality. His fame certainly appears fleeting; you hear much more about Deion Sanders than Bo.

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