Baseball History: Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson was becoming a star.

In just third big league season in 1969, Jackson would join the ranks of the elite with career-high numbers.

Jackson would have many great days in 21 years, including the legendary three-homer affair in game six of the 1977 World Series that gave the New York Yankees their first title since 1962.

However in 1969, Jackson would have the best statistical contest of his life on June 14 for the Oakland A’s in Boston’s Fenway Park.

In a 21-7 win over Boston, Jackson would collect five hits and knock in 10 runs.

The future superstar began the contest with a ground-rule RBI double off Boston starter Ray Jarvis in the first inning. Jackson tagged Jarvis again for a two-run homer in the third that put the A’s on top 4-1.

Lee Stange was Jackson’s next victim in the fifth as he blasted another two-run homer to give his squad a 10-1 advantage.

Bill Landis did something that a lot of pitchers accomplished against Jackson in the sixth as he retired him on strikes. Jackson was able to get a little revenge one inning later with a two-run single off Landis.

In the eighth, Jackson drove in three runs with a single against Garry Roggenburk.

First All-Star Game

Jackson was named to the American League All-Star team for the first time in 1969 as he started in centerfield. He didn’t get a hit in the contest as the AL fell 9-3 in Washington D.C.

The slugger would go on to play in 13 more mid-summer classics for Oakland (1971-1975), New York (1977-1981) and California (1982-1984).

1969

The 1969 season was also the best from a statistical standpoint for Jackson with 47 homers and 118 RBI.

He finished third in both categories that season behind AL Most Valuable Player Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins and Boog Powell of the Baltimore Orioles. He would be fifth in the MVP voting. He did led the AL with 123 runs scored.

Hall of Fame

Winning World Series five titles with the A’s (1972-1974) and Yankees (1977-1978), Jackson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993 with 563 homers, 1,702 RBI and a batting average of .262. On the downside, he still holds the all-time record with 2,597 strikeouts.

In 1973, Jackson was the AL MVP as he topped the league with 32 homers and 117 RBI. He also won home run titles in 1975 (36), 1980 (41) and 1982 (39).