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Reggie Jackson
From BR Bullpen
Reginald Martinez Jackson (Mr. October)
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 0", Weight 200 lb.
- School Arizona State University
- Debut June 9, 1967
- Final Game October 4, 1987
- Born May 18, 1946 in Abington, PA USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
"I couldn't quit, because of all the kids, and the blacks, and the little people pulling for me. I represent both the underdog and the overdog in our society." - Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson (born in 1946), was one of the greatest sluggers in baseball history and one of the sport's most colorful personalities. During his 21-year major league career, Jackson played on 11 division winners, 6 pennant winning teams, and 5 World Series champions. His outspoken style made him one of the best known athletes in sports. Jackson's clutch hitting in the postseason earned him the nickname "Mister October." He cemented his reputation as a clutch hitter in 1977, when in Game 6 of the World Series, he hit three home runs off three different pitchers in the deciding game. Reggie was a superb home run hitter but he also holds the record for most career strikeouts.
"Hitting is better than sex." - Reggie Jackson
Jackson was an outfielder and designated hitter. His lifetime regular season batting average was only .262, but he batted .357 in 27 World Series games. In 1977, he became the first player to hit five home runs in one World Series. Jackson led the American League in home runs four times and was the league's Most Valuable Player in 1973. He retired with 563 career home runs, which ranks eleventh among major league batters. He also set a major league record by striking out 2,597 times.
"If I played in New York, they'd name a candy bar after me." - Reggie Jackson, 1975
Son of Martinez "Marty" Jackson (1909-1994), who was a bus driver (and has been mistakenly listed as a second baseman) in the Negro Leagues, Reginald Martinez Jackson was born in Abington, Pennsylvania and grew up in nearby Wyncote, which is often listed as his place of birth. He starred at Arizona State University and then was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics in 1967. He played for the Athletics in Kansas City and Oakland until 1976, when he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. After playing one season with Baltimore, Jackson signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees. He signed as a free agent with the California Angels in 1982 and returned to Oakland as a free agent in 1987, his final season as a player. In 1987, Reggie tied the record for most consecutive strikeouts by a position player with 9. Through August 2007, others to share the record were Adolfo Phillips (1966), Steve Balboni (1984), Eric Davis (1987), Bo Jackson (1988) and Mark Reynolds (2007).
After retiring, Jackson became a scout for the New York Mets. He spent 1990 as a broadcaster for the Angels and 1991 and 1992 with the Athletics. Jackson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 5, 1993 by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
He homered 23 times off of Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley, Catfish Hunter, Ferguson Jenkins, Jim Palmer, Gaylord Perry, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Don Sutton and Hoyt Wilhelm.
He is a distant cousin of Barry Bonds.
"I didn't come to New York to be a star, I brought my star with me." - Reggie Jackson
In addition to baseball fame, Reggie has appeared in movies and television shows. He appeared as himself in the movies BASEketball and The Benchwarmers, as well as on "Mr. Belvedere," "The Love Boat," "Blossom," "MacGyver," "Malcolm in the Middle," and "Suddenly Susan." He also had roles in which he did not play himself in The Naked Gun, Richie Rich, and on one episode of "Diff'rent Strokes."
"I'm the straw that stirs the drink" - Reggie Jackson
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 14-time AL All-Star (1969, 1971-1975 & 1977-1984)
- AL MVP in 1973
- 1973 World Series MVP
- 1977 World Series MVP
- 2-time AL Silver Slugger Award Winner (1980/DH & 1982/OF)
- 3-time AL Slugging Percentage Leader (1969, 1973 & 1976)
- 2-time AL OPS Leader (1969 & 1973)
- 2-time AL Runs Scored Leader (1969 & 1973)
- 4-time AL Home Run Leader (1973, 1975, 1980 & 1982)
- AL RBI Leader (1973)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 16 (1968-1980, 1982, 1984 & 1985)
- 30 Home Run Seasons: 7 (1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982)
- 40-Home Run Seasons: 2 (1969 & 1980)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 6 (1969, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 1 (1969)
- Won five World Series with the Oakland Athletics (1972, 1973 & 1974; he did not play in the 1972 World Series) and the New York Yankees (1977 & 1978)
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1993
| AL MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 1973 | 1974 |
| Dick Allen | Reggie Jackson | Jeff Burroughs |
[edit] Records Held
- Strikeouts, career, 2597
- Strikeouts, left handed batter, career, 2597
[edit] Further Reading
- Thomas Boswell: "Mr. October", in How Life Imitates the World Series, Penguin Books, New York, 1982, pp. 257-264.
- Reggie Jackson (as told to George Vass): "The Game I'll Never Forget", Baseball Digest, January 1974, pp. 65-67. [1]
- Rick Sorci: "Baseball Profile: Ex-Outfielder Reggie Jackson", Baseball Digest, April 1992, p. 64. [2]
