Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson, born Reginald Martínez Jackson on May 18, 1946, in Abington, Pennsylvania, is a former professional baseball player renowned for his power-hitting and clutch performances. Growing up in a sports-oriented family, Jackson excelled in multiple sports and ultimately pursued baseball, earning a scholarship to Arizona State University. Selected by the Kansas City Athletics as the second overall pick in the 1966 MLB draft, he quickly made a name for himself in the major leagues, particularly during his time with the Oakland Athletics, where he helped lead the team to three consecutive World Series titles from 1972 to 1974.
Jackson's career was marked by both remarkable achievements and controversies, including clashes with teammates and management. He earned the nickname "Mr. October" for his impressive postseason performances, particularly highlighted by his three home runs in a single game during the 1977 World Series. After stints with the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and California Angels, he retired in 1987 with 563 home runs, ranking him among the top hitters in baseball history. Jackson's legacy includes multiple World Series MVP awards, induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993, and ongoing contributions to youth education through his foundation. His impact on the sport endures as he remains a celebrated figure in baseball history.
Reggie Jackson
Baseball Player
- Born: May 18, 1946
- Birthplace: Abington, Pennsylvania
Baseball player
A Hall of Fame baseball player, Jackson was one of the most feared hitters of his generation—especially in postseason games. He played for four teams over his twenty-one-year career, winning five World Series and hitting 563 home runs. He played in fourteen All-Star games and was named American League most valuable player in 1973.
Area of achievement: Sports: baseball
Early Life
Reginald Martínez Jackson was born on May 18, 1946, in Abington, Pennsylvania, to Martínez and Clara Jackson. When Jackson was six years old, his parents divorced. He and two of his five siblings moved with his father, a former second baseman for the Negro Leagues’ Newark Eagles, to Wyncote, Pennsylvania.
Throughout junior high school, Jackson enjoyed playing football, baseball, and basketball. Jackson’s father recognized the boy’s talent for baseball and continually encouraged him to stick with the sport. By the time Jackson graduated from Cheltenham Township High School in 1964, he was a four-sport varsity athlete.
On his father’s advice, Jackson accepted a football scholarship to Arizona State University. While at Arizona State, Jackson tried out for the baseball team and made the squad. By his sophomore year he had set a home run record for the team and hit over .320. Then, in the 1966 Major League Baseball (MLB) amateur draft, he was selected second by the Kansas City Athletics.
Life’s Work
Jackson found success in the minor leagues. He moved quickly through the organization and was called up to the majors in 1967. However, he soon returned to the Athletics’ AA affiliate in Birmingham, Alabama. He remained there until he was called up again toward the end of the season.
In 1968 Jackson made the move to Oakland, California, with the franchise and played his first full season in the major leagues with the Oakland Athletics. His results were mixed. Jackson drove in 74 runs and hit 29 home runs, but he also nearly set the record for strikeouts in a season with 171. The next season was Jackson’s breakout season with the Athletics. He hit 47 home runs, drove in 118 runs, scored 123 times, and drew 114 walks, all career highs. Ironically, Jackson once again led the league in strikeouts with 142. Strikeouts plagued Jackson throughout his career and he ultimately amassed 2,597, a record that still stood in 2010. However, his prodigious power and especially his tendency to come through with big hits in clutch situations made up for his flaws.
After his success in 1969 Jackson asked for a salary increase. This request set the stage for a tumultuous relationship with ownership, something that would continue as a theme throughout his career. Jackson’s numbers tapered off in 1970. However, in 1971, the fire returned to Jackson’s bat. In the All-Star Game in Detroit, Michigan, Jackson blasted a slider from Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis to right-center field. The monster shot electrified the crowd as it cleared the roof at Tiger Stadium and slammed into an electrical transformer. That year his hitting helped the Athletics secure a division title, the beginning of a five year streak for the team.
During the 1972 playoffs Jackson injured himself in the American League Championship Series. He was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Athletics won the World Series championship. In 1973, however, he returned to health and his usual form and was named both American League and World Series most valuable player (MVP) as he led the Athletics to their second World Series title, defeating the New York Mets. The team repeated their World Series victory in 1974. During these championship runs Jackson frequently argued with Oakland manager Dick Williams, and his relationship with some of his teammates became notoriously strained. After the 1975 season team owner Charles O. Finley traded Jackson to the Baltimore Orioles.
After one year in Baltimore Jackson signed with the New York Yankees on a lucrative five-year contract. He joined a team that had just lost the 1976 World Series in four games to the Cincinnati Reds. The Yankees made him the highest paid player in baseball, and the outspoken Jackson had no problem letting everyone know that he had arrived. His superstar swagger put him at odds with not only Yankee manager Billy Martin, with whom he frequently clashed, but also team captain Thurman Munson. Munson took particular offense to Jackson’s description of himself as "the straw that stirs the drink." Munson took this metaphor to mean that Jackson believed he was bigger than the team.
Despite this turmoil Jackson found success with the Yankees. In his first season in New York he led the team to its first World Series championship since 1962 and was named World Series MVP, becoming the first player to win this honor with two different teams. Game six of the 1977 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers was the defining game of his career. After hitting home runs in each of the previous two games, including his last at-bat in game five, Jackson continued his power display by hitting three consecutive first-pitch home runs. This clutch hitting in the postseason earned Jackson the nickname "Mr. October." The next season, Jackson hit home runs in the first and sixth games of the World Series as the Yankees repeated as champions.
After five successful years with the Yankees and three trips to the World Series, Jackson’s time in New York came to an end after the 1981 season. The next season he signed with the California Angels (later known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), with whom he spent five years before returning to Oakland for one last season in 1987.
After his retirement from baseball, Jackson first worked as a sports commentator while also exploring the world of acting in films such as The Naked Gun (1988) and Richie Rich (1994). He returned to the Yankees organization in 1993 as a special assistant and advisor. In 1997 he established the Mr. October Foundation for Kids to improve educational opportunities for at-risk children. By early 2010 the organization had raised more than $600,000. Jackson further became known for his passion for antique cars and sports memorabilia. He also courted controversy with remarks questioning the legitimacy of statistics put up by players associated with the use of steroids in baseball or other performance-enhancing drugs. In 2021, after almost thirty years in his advisory role with the Yankees, Jackson changed positions, this time moving to serve as special advisor to Houston Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane.
Significance
Jackson enjoyed a twenty-one-year career in Major League Baseball that saw him win World Series MVP honors twice and league MVP once. When he retired after the 1987 season his 563 home runs placed him sixth on the all-time list. He played his best baseball in the World Series: His batting average in World Series games was ninety-five points higher than his regular-season average and he hit ten World Series home runs. He played for six pennant winners and five World Series champions. His uniform number was retired by both the Yankees and the Athletics, making him one of only a few players to be so honored by multiple teams. Jackson was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993 and is consistently ranked on lists of the greatest baseball players.
Bibliography
Fimrite, Ron. "He’s Free at Last." Sports Illustrated 30 Aug. 1976: 14–16. Print.
Gibson, Bob, and Reggie Jackson. Sixty Feet, Six Inches. New York: Doubleday, 2009. Print.
Jackson, Reggie. Reggie: The Autobiography. New York: Random House, 1984. Print.
Jackson, Reggie. "We Have a Serious Problem That Isn’t Going Away." Sports Illustrated 11 May 1987: 40–48. Print.
Jackson, Reggie, and Kevin Baker. Becoming Mr. October. New York: Doubleday, 2013. Print.
Perry, Dayn. Reggie Jackson: The Life and Thunderous Career of Baseball’s Mr. October. New York: William Morrow, 2010. Print.
"Reggie Jackson." National Baseball Hall of Fame. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 2016. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
Westcott, Rich. "Reggie Jackson: Mr. October Goes to Work." Great Home Runs of the Twentieth Century. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2001. Print.
Young, Matt. "Sorry Yankees Fans: Reggie Jackson Works for the Astros Now." Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2021, www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/Sorry-Yankees-fans-Reggie-Jackson-works-for-Astros-16141855.php. Accessed 20 July 2021.