Presented by THE JAMES.
This Day In Sports…August 14, 1993:
The New York Yankees retire the iconic No. 44 of Reggie Jackson. He played only five seasons with the Yankees (1977-81), but during that time he crafted his image as “Mr. October,” helping bring World Series championships to New York in 1977 and 1978. Jackson was also pivotal in the Oakland A’s three straight Series titles from 1972-74. He spent 21 seasons in the majors and also suited up for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels. But, despite spending most of his career with the Athletics, it was in the Big Apple that Reggie gained his fame.
Jackson actually began his career with the A’s in Kansas City in 1967, the year before they moved to Oakland. It started innocently enough—a .176 average with one home run in 35 games. But once he arrived in the Bay Area, he took off. Jackson clubbed 47 homers in 1969; only Payette’s Harmon Killebrew, with 49, had more (as a Minnesota Twin). He was a full-blown superstar by the time Oakland went on its World Series run. Jackson was MVP of both the American League and the Series in 1973.
Then A’s owner Charles O. Finley essentially dismantled the team, and Jackson wound up being traded to Baltimore in 1976. After the season he was a free agent, and along came Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. Jackson was at the heart of baseball’s free agency revolution in the 1970s, as he signed a five-year contract with the Yankees. Enter Billy Martin, and you had the centerpieces of the sometimes chaotic Yankee clubhouse known as the “Bronx Zoo.” Martin was incensed by Jackson’s insubordination and lack of hustle, but that was offset by the legendary three home runs he hit in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series. “Mr. October” indeed.
And oh, there was so much more in New York. But Jackson coexisted with Martin during his two managerial stints and with Steinbrenner through 1981. He left as a free agent in 1982 and joined the Angels. Jackson’s five seasons in Anaheim were relatively calm, but he never got the Halos to the World Series. He returned to the A’s for one final season in 1987 and hit his final 15 home runs. Jackson collected 563 home runs in his career, sixth in MLB history at the time. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
