Reggie Jackson

1946-

American baseball player

In a career that spanned twenty-one seasons, with four different teams, Reggie Jackson, known as "Mr. October," for his outstanding play in the post-season, was known as an intelligent, outspoken, and often controversial figure. He was also a Hall of Fame player who became a drawing card wherever he played.

Growing Up

Reggie Jackson was born May 18, 1946, in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, to Martinez and Clara Jackson. He was the fourth of six kids and grew up in a mostly white Philadelphia suburb. His parents had a rocky marriage and divorced when he was six. Jackson went to live with his father, a self-employed tailor and dry cleaner. Martinez Jackson had played second base in the semi-pro

Negro Leagues, and he passed along his love of the game to his son.

Jackson revered his father. "To this day," Jackson says in his autobiography, "My father is almost a mythical figure to me." His dad instilled in him the desire to settle for nothing less than excellence. Except for his relationship with his father, however, Reggie was mostly a loner. Early on he became self-reliant. He was very determined and questioned everything, always ready with an opinion on whatever subject was being discussed.

Whether it was his father's influence or the time he spent in solitude, Jackson decided early on to never settle for mediocrity. He was going to be the best at baseball, just like his idol Willie Mays . In 1960, Jackson enrolled in Cheltenham Township High School in Philadelphia, and the coaches there gave him the guidance and discipline he needed to succeed.

By the time he was thirteen, Jackson was considered the best ballplayer in town. Not only that, but he was the only black ballplayer on the Greater Glenside Youth Club, where he would experience racial prejudice and see for the first time that "being black," as he put it in his autobiography, "could be a problem." Yet it would not deter him; in fact, it made him work even harder.

Football or Baseball?

Reggie Jackson began his college career in 1964 at Arizona State University. He entered the school on a full football scholarship, but soon discovered he didn't like the football regimen and began hanging around with the baseball team. By the end of his sophomore year, he was ranked second in the pro baseball draft and football was merely an afterthought.

The Kansas City (later Oakland) Athletics chose Reggie in the 1967 amateur draft, taking him second overall, and he soon was making his mark in professional baseball. After a few quiet years, Jackson caught the nation's attention by hitting a home run over the roof of Tiger Stadium in the 1971 All-Star Game. He also was in the spotlight because he was on a red hot A's team that dominated the World Series from 1972 to 1974.

Reggie Jackson was fast becoming a household name. Though he sat out the '72 Series, he came back from his hamstring injury and in '73 and '74, began his reign over the fall classic. Free agency allowed Jackson to move to the New York Yankees after the 1974 season, and he was on his way to the media capital of the world. Thus, his rocky relationship with Yankee owner George Steinbrenner would become legendary.

Chronology

The postseason would be Reggie's stage. In the 1977 World Series, Jackson became the first player to ever hit five home runs in one World Series. He hit three in sixth game alone, setting yet another record by hitting those three off of three consecutive pitches, and off of three different Los Angeles Dodger pitchers. The feat has never been duplicated.

Jackson would earn Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors in the series and become The Big Apple's most popular man. He even had a candy bar, The Reggie! bar, named after him. A great story from the candy bar fiasco is how one day the Yankee promoters gave out a bar to the almost 45,000 fans at a 1978 early season home opener. When Jackson hit a home run in the game, the fans tossed their uneaten Reggie! bars to the field (the candy bars were reportedly not that tasty). White Sox manager Bob Lemon said, "People starving all over the world and 30 billion calories are laying on the field."

Jackson helped lead two teams to five World Championships in only seven years. Writer Mike Lupica, in an article that appeared in Esquire, called Jackson, "The most theatrical baseball player in the last quarter century."

Legacy

Jackson retired after his 1987 season with the California Angels. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993, becoming only the 216th inductee, and the only player inducted that year. His achievements run both sides of the spectrum, from success to infamous. He hit ten World Series home runs, has five World Championship rings, and eleven American League Championships with three different teams. But Jackson also holds the major league record for lifetime strike-outs, at 2597. In later years, Jackson would say that, "all those pitches strung together, that's five years. For five years I never touched the ball." But when he did touch it, it often left the park. He belted 563 home runs, placing him sixth among all-time home run leaders at the time of his retirement.

In July of 2002, the Yankees honored Jackson with a plaque at Yankee Stadium. According to the New York Daily News, Jackson told reporters that he was "more nervous" on that day than he was during his first at bat with the Kansas City A's in 1967.

After he retired from baseball, Jackson became a prominent businessman. As recently as 1999, the Los Angeles Times reported that Jackson was interested in purchasing the Oakland Athletics, but it never came to fruition. Had he done so, he would have "become baseball's leading minority investor."

In 2002, Jackson purchased a NASCAR team, becoming a partner with the Herzog Motorsports Busch Series team. The main tasks Jackson oversees, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is as a motivator and team builder.

Career Statistics

Reggie Jackson thrived on attention and affection. He was an intelligent, outspoken, and often controversial figure who was highly recognizable, whether it be from his candy bar, his hot temper, or his famous left-handed swing. He hit hard, ran fast, and in a career that spanned twenty seasons, became a positive role model for black children. Jackson was an inspiration, demonstrating that that an athlete could be respected and successful without the use of drugs. Though people either loved him or hated him, he brought drama and excitement to the game, especially in the World Series as "Mr. October." His ability to shine in post-season play made him legend.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: Reggie Jackson, c/o Matt Merola (agent), 185 E 85th Street, Apt 18G, New York, NY 10028-2146.

SELECTED WRITINGS BY JACKSON:

Reggie Jackson's Scrapbook, E. P. Dutton, 1978.

Awards and Accomplishments

(With Mike Lupica) Reggie: The Autobiography, Villard Books, 1984.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

Allen, Maury. Mr. October: The Reggie Jackson Story. New York: Times Books, 1981.

Halter, Jon C. Reggie Jackson: All Star in Right. New York: GP Putnam's Sons, 1975.

Jackson, Reggie. Reggie Jackson's Scrapbook. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1978.

Jackson, Reggie, with Mike Lupica. Reggie: The Autobiography. New York: Villard Books, 1984.

Libby, Bill. The Reggie Jackson Story. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1975.

"Reggie Jackson." Great Athletes, volume 4. Hackensack, N.J.: Salem Press, Inc.

Periodicals

Boston Globe (January 6, 1993): 1.

Boston Globe (January 10, 1993): 54.

Boston Globe (August 2, 1993): 37.

Deford, Frank. "Behind the Fence." Sports Illustrated (July 27, 1981): 50-64.

Dolson, Frank. "With flair for showmanship, Reggie Jackson was ahead of his time." Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (July 31, 1993).

Esquire (June 1993): 69-71.

Garcia, Julian. "Reggie finds his place at Monument Park." Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (July 6, 2002).

"How the Franchise Went West." Time (June 27, 1977): 49.

Jet (January 25, 1993): 45.

Jet (May 1993): 47.

Jet (August 16, 1993): 51.

Jet (September 6, 1993); 51.

Kallmann, Dave. "Reggie Jackson becomes NASCAR team owner," Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (February 28, 2002).

Los Angeles Times (January 12, 1993; August 1, 1993; August 2, 1993; March 5, 1995).

Murray, Chass. "Compensation System Showing Flaws." Sporting News (February 6, 1984).

Newhan, Ross. "Baseball: Hall of Famer Jackson has met with Orange County billionaires trying to buy team from Disney." Los Angeles Times (September 24, 1999): 6.

New York (April 19, 1993): 158-160.

New Yorker (August 2, 1993): 40-41.

New York Times (July 4, 1979): 50-64.

Sports Illustrated (August 2, 1993): 58-64.

Ward, Robert. "Reggie Jackson in No-Man's Land." Sport (June, 1977): 89-96.

Other

"Reggie Jackson." http://www.baseball-reference.com/ (November 10, 2002).

"Reggie Jackson." http://www.pubdim.net/baseballlibrary/ (November 10, 2002).

Sketch by Eric Lagergren

Reggie Jackson

Born: May 18, 1946
Wyncote, Pennsylvania
African American baseball player

Baseball great Reggie Jackson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993. Jackson's hard-hitting, fast-footed style helped him lead two teams to five World Championships in only seven years. Jackson made headlines with his self-centered remarks, hot temper, and colorful manner.

The beginnings

Reginald Martinez Jackson was born on May 18, 1946, in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, to Martinez and Clara Jackson. Jackson was one of six children of African American and Spanish descent. When his parents divorced, young Jackson moved with two of his siblings to live with his father in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. Although his father always provided food for the family, Jackson recalls that they often "felt poverty." His father, a tailor and a dry cleaner, was once a semi-pro baseball player in the Negro leagues, and he was largely responsible for inspiring and encouraging his talented son to pursue a career in baseball.

Education and a career with the Athletics

Jackson was an all-star athlete in track, on the football team, in basketball, and in baseball by the time he entered his senior year at Cheltenham High School. Reggie accepted a scholarship from Arizona State University. In his sophomore year he was chosen to the All-American first team in baseball. His performance caught the attention of Charles O. Finley, owner of the Kansas City Athletics, who offered Jackson a $95,000 bonus. He left college after his sophomore year and entered the world of professional baseball.

In 1968 Jackson moved with the Athletics to their new home in Oakland, California. In his first full season in the majors he hit 29 home runs and drove in another 74 runs. But he also made a dozen outfield errors and struck out a near record-breaking 171 times. The following season, in 1969, he again held a record number of strikeouts with 142, but he hit a fantastic 47 home runs and led the American League in scoring with 123 runs.

Trouble at home and on the field

After the end of that season Jackson's performance declined. The increasing pressures of trying to keep up with his own home-run pace, as well as troubles in his marriage to wife Jenni, contributed to his temporary decline. Further, he failed to bargain successfully with Finley for a high increase in pay. His average and his homers dropped and his continued poor performance caused him to be benched for a portion of that season.

In the winter of 1970 and 1971 Jackson went to Santurce, Puerto Rico, to work with Frank Robinson. Robinson, a veteran player-manager, helped Jackson to improve his play. Robinson's tutoring helped him to work on his aggressive playing style while keeping his temper under control.

Jackson bounces back

The following season Jackson bounced back. He helped lead the Athletics to the American League Western Division title in 1971 with 32 home runs. In 1972 the Athletics won the title again. In the playoffs the Athletics beat the Detroit Tigers, with Jackson sliding into home plate to score the winning run in the final game. But he tore a muscle in one of his legs, which forced him to sit out of the World Series. Jackson watched as the Athletics defeated the Cincinnati Reds.

Voted the American League's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1973, Jackson batted .293 and led the league with 32 home runs. That year the team went on to win the World Series over the New York Mets. Leading the league in runs, he was chosen MVP in the World Series.

Leaves the Oakland Athletics

The Athletics won the World Series in 1974, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Jackson hitting 29 homers for the season. Finally, in 1975, after winning the American League Western Division title, Jackson ended his nine-year career with the Athletics. Finley traded Jackson to the Baltimore Orioles and he stayed with them for one season.

In 1977 Jackson signed a five-year contract as a free agent with the New York Yankees for $300,000 a year. Once again he led his team to a World Series championship. The night of October 18, 1977, was one of Jackson's greatest triumphs. In that game, he became only the second player in history to hit three home runs in one game. In the entire series, he hit five home runs, a World Series record. Jackson was named MVP of the World Series that fall. He followed that spectacular season with a second World Series win against the Dodgers in 1978. His walloping World Series hitting earned him the title "Mr. October," as he could always be counted on to pull his team to victory in the Fall Classic.

The Yankees won the American League pennant in 1981. Jackson hit his tenth and final World Series home run that year. The California Angels signed Jackson in 1982, and he reached the 500-homer mark in 1984. Jackson returned to the Athletics in 1987 and retired at the end of the season. He placed sixth on the all-time major league career home run list, with 563 home runs during his twenty-one-year baseball career.

Retirement

After retiring Jackson worked briefly as a sports broadcaster for the Angels before moving on to coach for the Athletics. He then took a job with the Upper Deck Company, handling sales of trading cards and sports collectibles. On August 1, 1993, Reggie Jackson became the 216th inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His achievements run to both extremes: ten World Series home runs; five World Championships; eleven American League Championships with three different teams; along with holding the major league record for lifetime strikeouts at 2,597.

The Yankees retired Jackson's number "44" baseball uniform. During the summer of 1993, Jackson returned to the Yankees as a special assistant and advisor to the general partners. Jackson continued his work in California for the trading card company, and he was made director of new business at a California-based computer company for which he was already a spokesman. He is also an avid car collector and runs a charity called the Mr. October Foundation for Kids. He has one daughter, Kimberly.

For More Information

Allen, Maury. Mr. October: The Reggie Jackson Story. New York: Times Books, 1981.

Jackson, Reggie. Reggie: The Autobiography. New York: Villard Books, 1984.

Libby, Bill. The Reggie Jackson Story. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1979.

Macht, Norman L. Reggie Jackson. New York: Chelsea House, 1994.

Reggie Jackson (Reginald Martinez Jackson), 1946–, American baseball player, b. Wyncote, Pa. In 21 years in the American League, most notably with the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees, he hit 563 home runs, winning or sharing four home run titles, and struck out a record 2,597 times. An outspoken player who starred in clutch situations, he became known as "Mr. October," especially after his performance in the 1977 World Series, when he hit five home runs, three in the deciding game.