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(More customer reviews)Did you see Jackie Robinson hit that ball?
Did he hit it boy, and that ain't all.
He stole home.
Yes, yes, Jackie's real gone.
On the front of the packaging for this Cooperstown Series 3 figure of Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers, it informs us that he was the "First Rookie of the Year in MLB History." Of course, that is not exactly why Robinson is in the Hall of Fame or why in one of the smartest things they ever did Major League Baseball has retired Robinson's #42 for all teams (there is only one active player still wearing that number because of the grandfather clause, Mariano Rivera, who will also be heading for Cooperstown). Suffice it to say this is a bit of an understatement regarding the importance of Jackie Robinson in baseball history.
The first thing to be said about this McFarlane Toys action figure is that they picked the perfect pose for remembering Jackie Robinson, showing him stealing home, just like it talks about in Woodrow Buddy Johnson's song, "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?" quoted above. It is also how Jackie is shown on the 33 cent stamp issued to commemorate the 1940s and the 20 cent commemorative stamp honor Robinson that the Post Office put out in 1982. Not only did Robinson break the color barrier when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 but he brought along the speed game from the Negro Leagues to the Major Leagues, stealing home 19 times.
This time it makes sense that not only Jackie's uniform but also home plate are covered with dirt from the slide. The figure is held to the base by a single pin and you want to be sure to adjust it so that the left shin is nestles up against the little raised pile of dirt in front of home plate. This means that Jackie's left foot is touching home plate so he is clearly safe. This is a smaller pin already in the base where you can stick Jackie's hat, which has fallen from his head. There is limited articulation with this figure: the head and two arms can both be adjusted slightly. However, the pose you see above is basically what you are going to end up with when you display this one. Finally, additional bonus points for the sculpting job they did on Jackie's face, which is one of the best McFarlane Toys has turned out to date. It lists Robinson as playing 2B, which was main position 1948-52 (he played 1B his rookie season and mostly OF and 35 his last years in baseball).
As far as I am concerned all baseball fans should have the figures of Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, because they are the two most important players in baseball history and it does not matter who you root for (the Babe was in Series 2, although there is a sepia toned version of that figure out there as well). The other five action figures in Series 3 of the Cooperstown Collection are Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees (3-Time American League MVP), Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates (11-Time All-Star), Carlton Fisk as a Boston Red Sox urging his famous home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series to stay fair at Fenway Park (11-Time All-Star), Nolan Ryan as a California Angel (All-Time Strikeout King), and Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees (Yankee Captain & 1985 American League MVP). It is great to have figures of the great players of the past and there are certainly some more members of the Dodgers both in Brooklyn (e.g, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider) and in Los Angeles (e.g., Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale) who I hope to see in future Cooperstown Series.
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Cooperstown Series 3 Jackie Robinson: Brooklyn Dodgers White Jersey w/Blue LetteringThe baseball world was changed in 1947, when Branch Rickey and the Brooklyn Dodgers became the first major league team with an African-American player on their roster. JACKIE ROBINSON was the trailblazer -- enduring verbal abuse from fans and opponents while balancing his own expectations and aspirations as a ballplayer versus his heavily scrutinized role as an agent of social change. On the field, Robinson was a dazzling player and a relentless competitor. In his first four seasons, he stole 100 bases without being caught. The 1947 Rookie of the year and 1949 National League MVP led the Dodgers to six pennants and their first World Champioship in 1955. More importantly, his style, hustle and grace opened to the door for every black ballplayer that followed him. Robinson was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1962, and in 1997 to honor the 50th anniversary of his first season, Major League Baseball retired his uniform number 42, league-wide.
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