Bo Knows Strikeouts

Many say Bo Jackson would’ve made the Baseball Hall of Fame had he not been injured, forgetting his woeful 250 average (and 787 OPS). Ignoring the facts, they say he would’ve improved. He never did – certainly not to an all star or HOF level.

Bo made one all star team, and earned MVP votes only one season, finishing a distant tenth. That year 1989 was the only season he hit more than 30 home runs. His OPS that year? A pedestrian 805. Like most baseball players, the more he played, the more he played like the player he was.

Bo did lead the league that 1989 season – in striking out: 172 times in 135 games, against only 39 walks. In every season Bo struck out total exceeded games played (except his last, with 72 strikeouts in 75 games).

Bo was known for his strikeouts - there was even a bobblehead of Bo striking out. Actually, two different strikeout bobbles.

His strikeout percentage by season hardly showed signs of improvement: 41.5% 39.9% 33.3% 33.4% 31.6% 35.2% 37.3% 35.8% (career 35.1%). Noted whiffers Dave Kingman and Dan Uggla struck out less than 30% of the time. For sure Bo deserves to be in the hall of fame - for strikeouts. Bo's baseball cards even showed him striking out.

Same deal with Bo’s OPS and batting average: hardly any improvement. Note in his final season Bo played in only 75 games with 224 plate appearances. 

OPS 615 750 758 805 866 742 722 851

BA 207 235 246 256 272 225 232 279

Thought I’d compare Bo to the great BJ Upton, another slick fielding outfielder who lasted 12 seasons to Jackson’s eight. Both Bo and BJ made the cover of Sports Illustrated. With 50% more plate attempts, Melvin doubled Bo’s production in more categories than not. And BJ only struck out 26% of the time. 

..G......PA... AB…R…..H... 2B. 3B..HR.RBI

0694 2626 2393 341 0598 086 14 141 415 BO

1469 5858 5175 723 1260 262 32 164 586 BJ

SB.CS.BB..SO.AVG OBP SLG OPS

082 32 200 0841 250 309 474 784 BO

300 92 589 1561 243 321 402 723 BJ

TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB

1135 40   14   02 17  20 BO

2078 98   24   22 44  23 BJ

Great athlete? Yes. Freak of nature. May be. Hall of Famer? As Wayne Gretzky once said about Bo – no.

Fun fact: Gretzky didn't want to do the Bo Knows commercial, but was convinced by his agent. But The Great One kept messing up his line, despite it being only three words. When Gretzky forgot his line and instead said "No" the director loved it - and put it in the commercial.