Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark17
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.
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Robinson broke the color line. None of the others did. Maybe they could have maybe not. But they didn't.
Maybe another guy could have painted the Sistine Chapel. They didn't, Michelangelo did - because the Pope selected him. Perhaps, like Rickey, the Pope knew what he was doing.