Jackie Robinson Is Weirdly Underrated | Baseball Bits

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Jackie Robinson is an American icon. In 1947, a couple years after the Jackie Robinson Branch Rickey conversation, he broke the MLB color barrier, integrating baseball. The Jackie Robinson Dodgers became perennial contenders, even winning a World Series before he retired. After ten great years in MLB, Robinson retired, his legacy secure. Now there's a day where everyone wears 42.
He'll always be remembered for his role in the Jackie Robinson civil rights movement, but sometimes we forget just how good he was at baseball. How good was Jackie Robinson? This episode of Baseball Bits, a Foolish Baseball production, asserts that Robinson was an all-time great. We'll talk about the Jackie Robinson UCLA years, Jackie Robinson Monarch years, and Jackie Robinson Royal years to get a full picture of his playing career. We'll also hone in on other Negro Leagues greats like Larry Doby and Josh Gibson.
The conclusion? Jackie Robinson is one of the greatest baseball players, and America's greatest athlete overall when you consider his aptitude in track, football, and basketball. He likely could've gone pro in any of those sports, but ended up with baseball because that was the opportunity presented to him after serving in the army. We'll talk about the Jackie Robinson army years as well, don't worry.
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ESPN Top 100 players: www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/3...
Jackie Robinson Biography episode: www.biography.com/video/jacki...
Soundtrack by William Kage: www.williamkage.com/

[@FoolishBaseball]

3:46 is supposed to say 137 HR / 197 SB. Nothing I can do about it now lol

[@obscurereference6298]

rip

[@MasonG.]

Ok, doesn't matter the rest of the video is great THANK YOU BAILEY you make my wisdom teeth coming out a way better time

[@nicholaso4302]

Too much partying with Storiale and Plouffe

[@FoolishBaseball]

​@@MasonG. Good luck with that. I had a rough time with mine, but I know plenty of people who were totally fine the next day.

[@FoolishBaseball]

@@nicholaso4302 Those two can't hang. The real troublemakers seem to be me, Kofie, and BBQ boy Jake Mintz.

[@the_major]

THANK YOU! I always have to tell people around me that Jackie Robinson's athletic ability and accomplishments are kind of obscured by his civil rights achievements. I'm sure he'd want to be remembered more for his role in the civil rights movement but I wish more people knew just how truly phenomenal and gifted he was as an athlete.

[@FoolishBaseball]

He was an incredible, multi-sport athlete. Baseball is where his opportunity was, but he could've gone pro in others if it weren't for the war.

[@the_major]

@@FoolishBaseball 100% agree.

[@lukeventura7216]

His brother Mac was a olympic medalist too

[@TorchDeeJ]

The fact what he did while being said horrific things is what makes him the goat imo

[@kumarg3598]

Qualities like temperment and attitude are being quantified and tracked because sports teams now see the impact on performance these qualities have. Jackie had these at the highest level.

[@FivePointsVids]

My dad’s hero. He used to tell stories about him that I thought were too good to be true. They weren’t.

[@TryPuttingItInRice]

@Lighthouse in the Storm ratio

[@MrBlazemaster525]

@Lighthouse in the Storm take the L

[@ExoticDva]

@Lighthouse in the Storm Better stats than me :

[@carsonbowles4567]

@Lighthouse in the Storm I think he's saying that prior to this video, he thought Jackie Robinson was an average player. Which is the sentiment most have, that he was an important figure for civil rights, and a decent ballplayer, but not a spectacular player, and that's why he's remembered more for his civil rights actions

[@nowionlywantatriumph]

Foolish briefly touched on Jackie’s intolerance of intolerance with the story of his refusing to move on the army bus in '44, but I know about another, lesser-known story in that vein that I want to share, with words taken directly from his autobiography. For context, he’s in Harlem, visiting the Apollo Theater for an afternoon show with some friends. "On my way into the lobby, an officer, a plainclothesman, accosted me. He asked me roughly where I was going, and I asked what the hell business it was of his. He grabbed me and spectators passing by told me later that he had pulled out his gun. I was so angry at his grabbing me and so busy telling him he'd better get his hands off me that I didn't remember seeing the gun. By this time people had started crowding around, excitedly telling him my name, and he backed off." "Thinking over that incident, it horrifies me to realize what might have happened if I had been just another citizen of Harlem. It shouldn't be necessary to be named Jackie Robinson to keep from getting brutalized." This didn’t happen while he was an active player, by the way. This happened in 1971. He’d been in the Hall of Fame for nine years by this point.

[@warlordofbritannia]

Omg, imagine if Robinson was gunned down in 1971--this would have been only a few years since MLK and Malcolm X had been similarly and suddenly murdered, and though the Civil Rights movement was already waning, I could see a scenario where martyring Jackie might have revived it. In that case, imagine how America would be today, if the work of the Civil Rights movement was completed back in 1970s instead of us modern day folks having to live with the consequences of a half-done job. Maybe we wouldn’t have Trayvon Martins and George Floyds in the 21st century, at least not as they actually happened because American police aren’t as militarized due to backlash after a cop senselessly killed Jackie Robinson. This in turn probably leads to indirect results, a butterfly effect where Donald Trump doesn’t get elected in 2016, which means no insurrection of January 6th and we don’t have major political figures espousing conspiracy theories, and so on….

[@striderhanzo]

Its wild to think racism has such a medium that whites have been told their whole lives - they are superior and they should never be questioned by anyone. I certainly hope we can live long enough to see a day of equality and to have people's stories told accurately like this one. None of that Columbus trash.

[@misterscottintheway]

@@warlordofbritannia Besides being WILDLY speculative, I don't love the optics of even obliquely wondering about how things might have been better if more people had been brutally murdered

[@raimarulightning]

@@warlordofbritannia God, it really recontextualizes it, too. Those racist bastards must have been feeling very empowered, and Jackie's resilience in the face of their bigotry is all the more impressive.

[@Benjackson17]

Haunting

[@BaseballHistorian]

In retrospect it’s wild that we don’t talk about Jackie Robinson like we do other multi-sport athletes like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders, especially considering he was a Hall of Famer in what was arguably his _worst_ sport.

[@almightysosa3007]

Include Danny ainge and Dave Winfield in that list as well.

[@BaseballHistorian]

@@almightysosa3007 Definitely

[@qfmarsh64]

Allen Iverson could have been an NFL QB.

[@qfmarsh64]

Bob Gibson played for the Harlem Globetrotters (shout out to Jon Bois).

[@explodyz]

@@qfmarsh64 idk about that, the nfl isn't like high school

[@davidwalter2002]

My dad was a Brooklyn Dodger fan, and he saw Robinson play. He told me what made him such a great base stealer was not his speed, but the fact that he had the bizarre ability to reach his top speed after only one step, instead of the three or four it takes normal humans.

[@bobs8005]

Jackie is better than most realized. I remember some years back looking at his numbers and his whole situation what he faced with racism he was (and is) a hero to the sport and nation.

[@FoolishBaseball]

A better understanding of where he was coming from (for example, not playing baseball from ages 21-25) really cements how special a talent he was.

[@pureogkush4207]

See that's the thing he isent underrated at all...we talk about him alot way more than ppl like babe ruth

[@unknown_individual7050]

@@pureogkush4207 We talk about him for breaking the racial barrier, however we rarely talk about how he was one of the most valuable pure BALLERS of his era. I'd argue the inclusion of his missed years DOES make him underrated.

[@elcee3292]

The first book report I ever wrote was on Jackie Robinson. I can't for the life of me remember the name of the book but I remember being so excited to read it to my teacher. As 9 yr old, I didn't realize what being Black was or what he truly had to endure. I just knew he played the game I loved, that he was important to the game, and that he looked like me. Happy to see this dive into Jackie. Foolish has to be amongst the best to cover this

[@FoolishBaseball]

Really touching anecdote. Thank you for sharing.

[@jimmyk4445]

This is awesome

[@sanderappel4499]

I love this anecdote, I love hearing stories of kids and their heroes. Especially if that hero is someone like Jackie Robinson

[@elenarusso987]

i know this comment is from 2 years ago but i had the exact same experience in 2nd grade and had been obsessed with him ever since

[@andrewbloom7694]

Was it the "childhoods of famous americans" series? I had all the baseball players' ones as a kid, Gehrig, Clemente, DiMaggio. They were amazing!

[@Gemnist98]

Don’t forget, over 60 WAR in just ten years of play. That alone is Hall of Fame numbers, especially today. Man was a beast on the field.

[@BaseballAF]

There was so much that I didn't know about Jackie Robinson that I now know. Such a stellar player that was obviously very integral to the game we love.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Robinson, Ruth, Clemente, and Flood are my baseball Mount Rushmore in terms of importance

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@FoolishBaseball Why Flood and not Marvin Miller? Not to downplay Curt Flood, but Marvin was instrumental in merely making the situation where the Curt Flood case could gather momentum and present a legitimate challenge to the reverse clause, let alone what he accomplished after that as head of the MLBPA (including finally getting rid of the reverse clause and the advent of free agency)

[@FoolishBaseball]

@@warlordofbritannia Agreed on Miller, but I'm doing players only

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@FoolishBaseball Ahh, yeah that makes sense lol

[@MarkAndrews12]

​@@FoolishBaseballTed Williams, Babe Ruth, Ohtani, and Cal Ripken Jr. are my mt. Rushmore of baseball

[@lordxelizor]

I’ve literally been saying this for years. Yeah culturally and politically, he was important but my god that guy could play baseball

[@treysonmcgrady4750]

It’s probably why he had the impact he did. Unfortunately I don’t think we remember him if he played 1 season and was bad and/or got injured. Kind of like Moses Walker, technically the first black man to play in the pros; he got injured after 42 games (serendipitous, don’t you think?).

[@King_Immanuel]

One might say he knows ball

[@FoolishBaseball]

I know he helped kick off the civil rights movement but my god could he leg out a double

[@DJ.B930]

@@FoolishBaseball 😂

[@redrangers12330]

@@DJ.B930 I agree

[@Auspiciousostrich]

branch rickey deserves his own baseball bits tbh. Integration, batting cages, helmets, spring training, farm system, analytics, etc.

[@bvailcards44]

Branch made batting cages?

[@danacoleman4007]

100% AGREED!!!!!

[@dominicpancella3012]

He's the Art Ross of baseball

[@RetroBaseball]

A Jackie Robinson Baseball Bits?!?? I’m literally shaking.

[@jordan.273]

hi there

[@jordan.273]

i watch some of ur vids too!

[@BackByKnightfall]

I like your videos you are my second favorite KZbinr behind foolish.

[@FoolishBaseball]

I'm throwing up

[@noahbecker4405]

@@FoolishBaseball I’m pooping?

[@annamariaisland1960]

One thing that is hard to quantify about JR is his watchability, such as the home plate steal off of Yogi Berra. Surely JR is in the top 5 of all time for getting everyone in the stadium, from catcher to peanut vendor to watch him when he was on base.

[@FoolishBaseball]

I had a lot of fun sifting through whatever highlights I could find. Obviously not a ton out there because he played in the 40s and 50s, but some really fun footage.

[@annamariaisland1960]

@@FoolishBaseball Perhaps the most extensive JR footage on youtube is the 1952 WS, derived from Kinescopes. Remarkably, the TV producers in that early era knew to keep a camera just on JR - what a terror he was! Here's one of many clips kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqK9n4OHo92Cb7c

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@annamariaisland1960 I wonder why we’ve got the 1952 footage, and not, say, the ‘53 or ‘49 or ‘55 World Series You’d figure if they thought to preserve the 1952 film in such a manner, they’d have done the same for the other years, huh? 😂

[@33Dannyb]

A lot of people think he was out on the stealing of home, I think because the ball gets there with plenty of time. But it really looks to me that his foot slides just under the tag. Yogi didn’t get the glove down.

[@mkadoza]

People talk about Jackie like he was just a figurehead. The fact that he was a 26 year old part time rookie, and wasnt a full time MLB player until 28! The fact that he was a legitamate 5 tool player with some of the best plate patience and coverage in MLB history, the fact that even when he was older, he was on of the best base stealing threats in MLB. Also that he was a Gold Glover... even in his shortened career, I could make an argument he's the most gifted second baseman of all time. A special player, not to mention about the person he was.

[@whoisthise5501]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfdaYyCa96hhpY

[@iamhungey12345]

I don't think playing 151 games in 1947 is "part time". Edit: Never mind, we both screwed up. I looked it up just now, the part time rookie season was his one season with the Kansas City Monarchs before Rickey went to sign him for the MLB.

[@jamesallen2909]

A shoeless Joe Video would be sick too. I feel like so many of us forget those white Sox and his incredible career just because it’s been so long and the legacy was defaced

[@FoolishBaseball]

Seeing him on that rWAR/150 list was really cool

[@ILoveMisty1985]

We focus so much on Jackie Robinson's status as a pioneer we lose sight of his accomplishments in the game. I hope between this Baseball Bits and the Jackie Robinson entry in Joe Posnanski's Baseball 100 can help us see his true athletic genius. Also, it's remarkable that Rachel Robinson is still with us. I hope she can stay healthy up to her 100th birthday in July.

[@whoisthise5501]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfdaYyCa96hhpY

[@iamhungey12345]

I wish her the best as well.

[@benana87]

I have a picture with her when i was serving her!she was super sweet and i couldnt believe who i was standing next to!i need to find that picture

[@RobertLPeeters]

Haven’t watched the video yet (stupid work getting in the way) but I’ve been on the Jackie Robinson is Underrated bandwagon for a long time. Dude didn’t reach the majors until age 28, then only played 10 years and still put up 64 WAR, playing mostly in his 30s while dealing with diabetes, back when diabetes was essentially a death sentence. Dude was an absolute badass.

[@whoisthise5501]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfdaYyCa96hhpY

[@redrangers12330]

Watch video

[@chris_huffman4]

One thing I like about foolish is that he's never really changed the way he makes videos. I like that. Thanks

[@FoolishBaseball]

Haha, it's true! Still using my format from over three years ago.

[@a13x_chang]

@@FoolishBaseball holy shit it’s been 3 years since your noncall video

[@sneersh9107]

@@FoolishBaseball don't fix what ain't broken

[@redrangers12330]

Don’t downplay the improvements he’s made tho, I like his early videos but dude his videos get better all the time

[@chris_huffman4]

@@redrangers12330 yeah I wasn't downplaying that I love the improvements but some creators change up all their content after they get famous but I like that he hasnt

[@justinllamas1]

in a way, that’s def true. he’s only remembered as the baseball player who broke the color barrier but many of us forget to realize that he was actually a very good baseball player.

[@whoisthise5501]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfdaYyCa96hhpY

[@sabienzojan]

what you are doing with baseball bits is simply amazing. im from germany and just got into baseball ~4 years ago (thanks to jomboy). i learned so much about all different kind of players and the games history thanks to you. baseball bits shows us your love for detail and love for the game and i very much appreciate your work (not just BB).

[@whoisthise5501]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfdaYyCa96hhpY

[@noah-rq5dy]

It's always a good day when foolish baseball uploads:)

[@FoolishBaseball]

Uploaded today, Spring Training games today, March Madness. Great day for sports.

[@noah-rq5dy]

@@FoolishBaseball Damn right.

[@justingerald]

Yeah I think because he's a hero (and he is; even the movie 42 downplayed how hard that must have been) people think he's not actually great. But yo. He was a goddamn king. And as a Black baseball fan, to me the sport really begins in 1947.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Yeah I've been looking at 1947 more lately, but given that the league wasn't fully integrated until 1956 with the Red Sox, I can't help but wonder if 1961 (expansion) is what we should consider the modern era.

[@justingerald]

@@FoolishBaseball yeah. I just don't want to lose most of Willie and Jackie and such.

[@KeegoTheWise]

5:00 fun fact: Eddie “the Brat” Stanky is the reason fielders aren’t allowed to intentionally distract batters (he was doing jumping jacks lol)

[@bmac4]

Ive read a couple biographies about the man. The dude seemed like a genuinely chill guy (and I don't mean just because of his reputation as a non-aggressor), one who learned to live with the adversity placed on him but who nonetheless still was definitely affected by the burdens sorta placed on him. He was a tremendous athlete, and brilliant baseball player. Remarkably, his wife Rachel is still alive to this day, nearing the century mark, and still a part of the Jackie Robinson foundation. Which really helps contextualize that his legacy, the America he lived in, really wasnt that long ago.

[@TheSmarq17]

Just saying his name will always send a chill down my spine. I've often wondered what he would have accomplished, stats-wise, had he been able to start out his career at a younger age...that will forever be the only disappointment I will ever have with Jackie. His legend will be eternal. I've always been a proud lifelong Dodger fan - partly due to having Jackie as one our all-time greats. Thank you for this great vid. Keep em coming.

[@BriggsSeekins]

Bill James, who very much considers Robinson underrated made a similar argument about Minnie Minosa also being seriously underrated. Great video

[@AABB-bm9kk]

Agreed. If you consider that Robinson is missing his early MLB career through by no means any fault of his own he has to be ranked among the very highest all time second baseman. Definitely an argument that he’s the best. Only real competition is Morgan, Hornsby and Eddie Collins. Hornsby is the only one who could really be argued a better hitter. And he was not the fielder or base runner Robinson was.

[@FoolishBaseball]

All things considered, I would call him the GOAT 2nd baseman.

[@AABB-bm9kk]

@@FoolishBaseball Legitimate ✌️

[@hypetrained]

Hornsby also never played against the caliber of opposition than Robinson did

[@warlordofbritannia]

I’d wager that Morgan has the career numbers Robinson would have had if there had been no color barrier-they were basically the same player except Jackie was more versatile in the field, the disparity in numbers is mostly due to 1. Context-Morgan played in the Astrodome and during an era with more stolen bases 2. Career length-Jackie only debuted when he was already 28, almost ten years older than a rookie Morgan, who played until he was 40 I’d take Morgan because of the longevity, but there’s no real difference in terms of ability or greatness between them, so in my opinion the GOAT second baseman are 1. Joe Morgan 2. Eddie Collins 3. Jackie Robinson 4. Rogers Hornsby

[@AABB-bm9kk]

@@warlordofbritannia I think Bill James would mostly agree with you, So that isn’t bad 🤔✌️🙂👍

[@hankshepherd2310]

THANK YOU! most ppl just think of him for the color barrier, but I'm glad you highlighted his on field greatness too

[@randallcunningfam1790]

Thank you for making these videos , it's always a good day when I see a new video on my feed

[@arizanger7650]

Been waiting for something like this forever! Love Jackie not just as a civil rights icon but as a ballplayer too

[@FoolishBaseball]

Yep! And to me, loving him for the former means we should also appreciate the latter.

[@MSP_aviation]

Thank you for making a video about Jackie. He is my favorite MLB player and this is an amazing video!

[@my_stomach_hurt1876]

I’m bookmarking this video for the future. Wonderful stuff! You’re my favorite KZbinr by far

[@SaltoDaKid]

I been reading 8 books about Jackie Robinson since I was 7 and love any knowledge or topic around him. He’s always been my favorite athlete. Everything about him is just historical and needs to be remembered forever. Great video Foolish

[@0ppaiDragon]

dude... I cried! What a LEGEND!!! Thank you for this!

[@darrelleaster5381]

But Bailey, let me just say this is probably my favorite baseball bits you’ve done. I’ve always told people that Jackie was a much better player than most people believe. Now I don’t even have to explain, I can just send them here!

[@whoisthise5501]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfdaYyCa96hhpY

[@jimmyk4445]

New baseball bits on the first day of spring training games! Amazing

[@DJ.B930]

I can’t tell you how excited I was to see this posted FB! Jackie and Clemente are my 2 favorite non Yankees of all time. Did book reports on both of them as a kid and fell in love with both. I agree, so much is taken away from how good of a player Jackie was because of the amazing story and how it’s been told. Thank you so much for doing this. To me, he’s the best 2B of all time and it’s honestly not close.

[@whoisthise5501]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfdaYyCa96hhpY

[@ilikepie19921]

2 of the very few players towards whom I have never heard a negative word spoken. Musial, Gehrig, and Banks probably being the end of the list.

[@DJ.B930]

@@ilikepie19921 great list! You forgot Altuve 😂

[@ilikepie19921]

@@DJ.B930 Great call, never heard an unkind word about him either

[@GunnShotVisuals]

That conclusion was EPIC BRO - i knew most of the facts in the video BUT YOUR PERSPECTIVE on the game in impressive.. LOVE YOUR VIDEOS keep up the great work coming from a fellow content creator

[@BombOmbBuddy]

Bailey, I am SO glad you explored Robinson's career as a UCLA Bruin! He was simply a freak athlete that could have done anything he wanted to and ultimately did in the face of extreme hatred and prejudice. Athlete, advocate, and a professional career I didn't even know about--what an absolute icon. Feeling hopeful after this video, great work as always!

[@PoweroftheP00f]

This was one of your best analyses ever, Bailey. I have been a baseball devoter since birth, nearly 30 years now. I never knew 90% of this. I don't think I'm alone in this sentiment either. Thank you for providing an entirely new perspective on an American icon, both the player and the man.

[@MattMamba24]

This isn't a dig at your latest uploads, but I really think this is one of your best vids you've made in a while! This would go high on the tier list!

[@garrytreymendeziii5650]

We’ll stated! JR’s civic contributions and accomplishments can overshadow just how great he was as a baseball player. Just his ‘49 season stats will leave you in awe. Oh and he was a superstar quarterback at UCLA, did a short stint in pro basketball and, if he wasn’t lettering in four sports already, probably would have been a college tennis standout also (he was a great high school tennis player when he had time between baseball games and track meets to play tennis tournaments). Just an all-around complete athlete.

[@ShepherdGGross]

Thank you for this story! I love this! I love his play being recognized and also recognition that it happened in spite of all of the hate. That's counter to the "the hate made him better" narrative I've heard.

[@whoisthise5501]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfdaYyCa96hhpY

This is your best video. Thank you. I wished it was longer

[@danielfisher8539]

This is your best video. Most people don't really understand Robinson. Thank you

[@cedricgist7614]

Outstanding! I waited all day to get to this video - and you didn't disappoint! I knew Jackie Robinson had a .311 career batting average and that he started comparatively late compared to most of the greats - but he was so much more than the one who broke the color barrier. In this short video, you covered a lot of ground. I was walking to the bus stop telling myself, "When I watch this video, I don't want to pull the race card." Didn't have to. I wish the world was as open-minded as you seem to be. You seem to consider performance on the field and content of character. We need more of that. Thank you!

[@alamantix5670]

I think a video dedicated to the Negro Leagues would be cool. I know that stats were recorded very sparingly, but the stories of the players are some of the best in baseball. Maybe the integrated baseball that was played in Latin America. Maybe the games played between teams comprised of Major Leaguers and teams comprised of Negro Leaguers before integration.

[@JoshSlinkard]

Great job on this! My favorite player of all time!

[@nickmorrison7658]

Is there a foolish baseball esque channel for soccer? Love this type of content.

[@tmbr8623]

let me just check "Brett Gardner brought up in the same sentence as Jackie Robinson for ANY reason" off my baseball bingo card

[@armadillolover99]

As a kid I was really into reading and books about baseball in particular. My favorite reads were always ones about Jackie so I’ve always had a great appreciation for him as a player and especially his knack for stealing home always amazed me. I hope this video and your influence in the baseball community helps lead to our generation better appreciating him, because as awesome as the credit we give him for his cultural role is, it’s a crime that we don’t give him his dues for what he could do on the field.

[@whoisthise5501]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfdaYyCa96hhpY

[@malk5302]

Amazing video bailey!!! Learned so mich

[@rjfahey]

My all-time favorite athlete! Great episode

[@Gr0ot]

I’m Ngl. He actually be one of the most dominant athletes after this video. He was everywhere. He was bound to be successful and for his name to reach somewhere. He literally was bad at baseball compared to his other sports, took years off, came back. And basically said, “Yeah I’m ass at this, but y’all even worse.” 😭 Like there’s no discussion he’s up there. He was a freak athlete. And his stats are still compared too as well.

[@SamAndSammm]

Well done!! Love the old footage

[@downeastjd1711]

Outstanding presentation. Nicely done.

[@joshthefunkdoc]

Fantastic work as always, and one of the topics i've most wanted to see you take on! Without getting too deep in the woods on this, Jackie was *very* publicly outspoken on racial issues later in his life, in a way that runs counter to the usual narratives re: his temperament as well. His feelings on both the Democrats & Republicans changed greatly over time, you can look up some conversations he had re: the growing black nationalist movement, etc. Not going to dump all that in a KZbin comment but there's fascinating material there if you search.

[@samuelstensgaard4828]

If any of you guys have never heard Vin Scully's anecdote about ice skating with Jackie Robinson, it's one of his greatest stories he ever told on the broadcast

[@davidperez909]

Jackie Robinson changed the game outside the lines and inside the lines.

[@dandruff31]

Perfect time to watch this, just finished 42 yesterday.

[@max_fischer]

My favorite player, my favorite team. I even have a daughter who was born on Jackie Robinson Day (and it was just after midnight after a very long labor, which makes it seem even more like it was meant to be).

[@richies4902]

His brother Mac was a track star as well. I believe he was only second, to Mr. Owens during the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

[@BardockHazar]

commenting before watching so this point might be made I remember reading a best 2nd basemen list on espn or someplace and it said that Jackie Robinsons' legacy and impact is so huge that it completely overshadows just how good he was at playing baseball

[@mrwasgehtsiedasan3278]

I love Jackie Robinson so much, one of my favorite athletes of all time

[@GlorifiedTruth]

Such a nice tribute to a man who certainly deserves it.

[@dillondavidrose8709]

Bailey, you’re the GOAT! Keep up the awesome work!

[@michaelbailey790]

Wow, did I just receive an education. I wouldn't have guessed I was ignorant about 42's talent. This video's analysis is testament to the power of modern analytics in disclosing information otherwise hidden. Great work, BF!

[@randycabbage869]

Great video, he was truly a legend in the sport and was one of the most if not the most influential athlete in American history

[@joshuapatrick682]

Thank you for telling the whole story that everyone seems to forget.

[@AtomicPower]

this is your finest work to date.

[@stevendeckert6373]

Learned a lot from this video, thanks.

[@JurassicParker13]

Loved seeing Baggy on the tool time list. He is super underrated as well

[@ImBilly]

what a video. good work FB

[@marsfredericksongco3016]

This is a great video! It feels like this channel should be on netflifx

[@MikeJr9284]

Jackie Robinson and underrated are two things that I thought I’d never see in the same sentence. Dude was a legend on the field and in general for breaking the color barrier.

[@FoolishBaseball]

A legend of course, but I do think his contributions on the field are underrated.

[@MaverickMorris]

I am doing a project on it and it helped me a lot.

[@lurkintomgaming397]

If he could have played an entire career he might have some of the most special, unrepeatable numbers we’ve ever seen. Such a unique and elite player

[@whoisthise5501]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfdaYyCa96hhpY

[@gavinnally2219]

Been thinking this for years, finally glad there is a video about it!

[@FoolishBaseball]

No problem. This topic has been on the docket for a long time for me as well.

[@billnye1329]

This was an all time Baseball Bits

[@iamhungey12345]

Tell me about it, there were some blogs that tried to argue the guy only made it to the HOF based on him ending the color barrier alone. From the kind of assumptions you wouldn't know the guy was probably the best 2nd baseman from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s and helped put appeal of stolen bases back into the game and that he won the batting title and the NL MVP in 1949.

[@DanielSong39]

Robinson was a Top 10 second baseball in baseball history, and a Top 50 player, I think that's a fair assessment of his abilities

[@matteosalesi9461]

This was a great video. I always new that Jackie had an MVP. I thought he was an above average player who was known more for his civil rights presence. I really didn’t understand just how great he was. I have even more respect for him now. May he Rest In Peace.

[@thelyriccommenter7146]

Great video. Would love for you to do one on Rafael Palmiero. Talk about underrated/forgotten. 3k hits and 570 homers and yet no one ever mentions him getting robbed of being in the Hall of Fame

[@JoshSarkar]

Jackie Robinson's autobiography expresses significant concern that his HOF candidacy would be too much about his Civil Rights activism and not enough about his accomplishments on the field. Most understand the at least the broad strokes of his legacy these days, but I think Jackie would be happy to see you produce such a well-thought-out video about his dominance in the game itself. Few figures in American history loom as large as Jackie does in multiple respects, and this video reminds us of that.

[@darrelleaster5381]

Still waiting on my Hank Aaron baseball bits FB. But seriously, amazing video!

[@joemarshall4226]

Jackie had a .411 career OBP, which is sensational, especially since he didn't play in what should have been his prime years, 21-27. Bill James had him as the number two second baseman for peak value, after Joe Morgan.....James also said that he might be dead wrong about ranking Rogers Hornsby lower, because he was guessing that Hornsby benefited from a severe home park advantage. Further research has shown that Hornsby did NOT benefit by such an advantage, and he really was the greatest right handed hitter in baseball history by far. He batted .400 for a five year period. James also points out that advanced fielding metrics shows Robinson to be the best fielder ever, no matter what position he played! His rep was good, but not that good. James thought that maybe he just positioned himself better than other players, so the advantage wasn't as easily seen. And one last things.....Jackie grew up in Southern California, the most competitive environment in the world at that time for athletics, and guess what? He won amateur tournaments in SWIMMING, TENNIS, and PING PONG, a well as being one of the best baseball, football, track, and basketball stars of his time!

[@ktbeatty]

I always tell my kids, now especially my 9 year old boy (we’re a Dodger family, and went to UCLA) that the thing about Jackie that is always overlooked because of all he represents, is just how damn good he was. It’s almost incidental. He was just a hall of fame caliber player as well, that’s all. It’s understandable given the bigger issues, but I really appreciate this video. I will share it.

[@shronkey6928]

You should make a video on the 2019 Nationals

[@shanemckeon1593]

As someone who has seen all of the baseball bits. This is your best work. Jackie Robinson is an American Hero.

[@rati0cination]

Brilliant job!

[@fehrball6711]

The best thing is my mom turned 42 today!!

[@King_Immanuel]

Bailey I know you don't take suggestions I would recommend you look into the career or Bailey Freeman he was the youngest player in Braves history but sadly he lost it all to drugs I think

[@FoolishBaseball]

Who's gonna watch a video about a guy named Bailey Freeman?

[@samevans8922]

@@FoolishBaseball Bailey? Is that even a real name?

[@MasterShake9000]

That comment at 9:18 is clutch - romanticizing the hatred and violence that men like him faced does such a disservice to what they accomplished. Great video, instant classic imo.

[@Paul-ew3yq]

i'm copping this from bill james, but in his historical baseball abstract he mentions that on a per-game basis, jackie was the maybe the greatest defensive second baseman, third baseman, and left fielder ever to play the game. the dude's like a 12 tool player

[@jacksonwilliams6845]

Foolish, a Baseball Bits on Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz would be amazing

[@salvadorajimenez-rodriguez9139]

Great video, love him one of the goats. Hit 350 with him in 500 abs in ranked seasons The Show 21

[@shaheemclarke4297]

Great video. Thank you

[@jessewidner2156]

Jackie deserves all the praise for sure. On a side note……. 6:49 seeing Will Clark’s name makes this Giants fan happy.

[@biggertonouncertonthethird76]

It’s always a good day when foolish posts