How Good Was Bo Jackson At Baseball Actually?

Bo Jackson is often considered one of the two great athletes of all time. His Nike “Bo Knows” campaign made him a household name, while his skills on the football and

baseball

fields made him a superstar. However, his injury-plagued athletic career has really made people wonder how

good

Jackson really was. So, we'd like to take a deeper look at Bo Jackson's

baseball

career and see if the hype was real or not. 7. College Career If we are to properly judge Bo Jackson's baseball career, we must take into account his college playing time. also. Because the reality is that Bo simply couldn't play his entire career due to injuries and other sports that distracted him.

But to see where he started, we can see where he could have ended. A 1985 scouting report noted that Bo's only real weakness in baseball was his lack of experience. And that he had the game and the athletic ability to become an all-time great if he dedicated himself to the game. Even his college career was limited to just 90 games because injuries kept him out of the 1984 season entirely. Despite that, Bo hit 28 home runs, 17 of which came after the year of the injury. He would still finish his college career with a .729 slugging percentage and there is still a lot of potential left to go.

In college, he was considered a player who could do it all on both ends of the field, which is why baseball teams were excited to see what he could do in the minors and majors. Before we get to that, we'd love to know who you think had the best college baseball career of all time. Comment below. 6. Kansas City Royals Bo began his professional baseball career with the Kansas City Royals, who selected him in the 1986 draft in the fourth round. Initially, Bo played for their Class AA minor league affiliate, The Memphis Chicks. In those 53 games, Bo scored 30 runs and hit 7 home runs.

It was clear that Bo had what it took to be in the majors. So, the Royals had seen enough and felt that Bo was not only

good

enough, but that he had too much fanfare around him to leave him playing in the minors. The same year he played for the Chicks, the Royals called him up to the big leagues and signed him to a 3-year, $1 million contract. His time with the Royals was elite. In his first full year with the team, Bo had 22 home runs and 53 RBIs, including 10 stolen bases. Over the next 3 years, Bo showed steady improvement by increasing his home runs to 25 the next year, 32 the year after that, and 28 in his last year with the Royals.

He even had 105 RBIs in 1989. It was clear that Bo had game and that was translating to the major leagues as well. 5. All Star Game MVP 1989 was truly a breakthrough year for Bo Jackson. Not only did he average career highs in home runs, RBIs and hits, but he was also selected as an All-Star for the first time. And Bo was made for the bright lights. Some players can't handle the pressure, but Bo was up to the task. Then, when the All-Star Game came around, Bo shined brightest among all the stars present. He hit a home run in the game and even stole second base, making him the second player in MLB history to do both in the same game.

Bo would finish the game with 2 hits in four at bats, a run scored and two runs batted in. Jackson excelled on both sides of the field and earned All-Star Game MVP honors. When fans point out what Bo Jackson could have been, they bring up the 1989 performance. Because after this point, Jackson would change his career for the worse as he suffered career-altering injuries. Do you think if Bo had stayed healthy he would have participated in more All-Star Games? Let us know why or why not below. 4. Chicago White Sox After his time with the Royals, Jackson found himself in a White Sox uniform.

Just to understand how valued Bo Jackson really was, the White Sox barely let 16 days pass between Jackson leaving the Royals and signing him to a 3-year, $700,000 contract with performance-based bonuses of $8.15 million. This performance-based clause really spoke to Bo Jackson's potential, which everyone seemed to be aware of. The teams believed that Bo could turn the corner at any moment and excel, but they also feared that perhaps his body had taken too many hits and he would not be able to recover from them. Despite the injuries Bo suffered during his playing career, teams still fought for the opportunity for him to represent them.

Jackson would play 2 seasons with the team, hitting 19 total home runs and scoring 40 runs. But it wasn't the same Bo who played his best ball in 1989. 3. Comeback Player of the Year Every year the MLB presents the Comeback Player of the Year award and in 1993, Bo Jackson earned this honor after successfully achieving Another comeback after a injury. This time, the injury was a hip replacement. That's right, Bo returned from a hip injury to play elite baseball once again. Jackson would have 16 home runs and looked poised to make a breakthrough in the league. However, that season would be his last great season in the league.

After playing briefly for the California Angels, Bo ended his career once the league went on strike. He was only 32 years old, when many players are still in the prime of their careers. But because Bo had so many injuries and other obligations, he was never able to reach his full potential. What other athletes would you like to be able to develop their careers without injuries? 2. Two Sports Athletes What made Bo so special was that he did all of this while playing in the NFL. While he was hitting home runs in the MLB, he ran for a total of 554 yards and scored touchdowns for the LA Raiders.

Just as he had his best season in the MLB, he was also having his best season in the NFL, where in 11 games he rushed for a total of 950 yards and four touchdowns. The four years he played in the NFL, Bo rushed for 2,782 yards and 16 touchdowns with a 5.4 yards per carry average. However, it would be the injuries he suffered in the NFL that would continue into his baseball career as well. The hip replacement he needed was the result of a tackle while he was playing soccer. So even though he excelled in both sports, the double dip ended up against him, at least in terms of professional accolades.

However, playing both sports is also what made Bo Jackson a legend and has left fans wanting more. We can only imagine what Bo could have done if he had only played baseball. How many home runs he could have hit or RBIs he could have scored. Because when you look at him, you know immediately that you're dealing with a once-in-a-generation super athlete. 1. Professional accolades Bo played 8 seasons in the MLB, where he had a .250 batting average, hit 141 home runs and 415 RBIs. On top of that, his slugging average was .474. And in 1989, Bo ranked fourth in both home runs, with 32 and 105 RBIs.

While he earned a berth in the All-Star Game in 1989 and an All-Star Game MVP. That year he finished 10th in the regular-season MVP race and had his only 30-homer, 100-RBI season. His extremely short beak leaves us with too many questions. The best Bo Jackson we've ever seen was pretty good, but not the best. However, he had so much untapped potential that you wouldn't flinch if he made multiple All-Star Games and set other records only if his best years could have been extended and he had stayed healthy. If you liked this video, give it a like and don't forget to subscribe to the channel.

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