Quote:
Originally Posted by skelly423
Couldn’t agree more. On talent alone he’s a top 20 player. On historical importance he is number 1, and the gap between him and Number 2 would make Secretariat blush.
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I know this is an unpopular take on it, but Robinson was historically important largely because he was selected by Branch Rickey to be so. Could've been one of several black ballplayers with superior talent and extreme mental toughness, and there were guys like that who came later, like Doby, Aaron, Mays, Campanella, Newcombe, George Crowe, and later Clemente, Frank, Gibson, and etc.
I'm not taking anything away from Robinson or his historical significance, just saying Rickey was the one who had the ability and the will to break the color line, and he had several viable options. He chose Robinson and it was an excellent choice. But there were other black players, some who were better talent wise.
On talent, Ruth was the most important baseball player in history.