Born on this day, Reginald Martinez Jackson, one of the greatest right fielders to ever hit the baseball field.
Jackson born on May 18, 1946 in Pennsylvania into a family of eight. After his parents split, Jackson was sent to live with his father. All through high school, he excelled at sports, playing on the football team, and later the baseball team as the first baseman and pitcher.
He was awarded a scholarship to Arizona State University. In 1966, he caught the eye of the Kansas City Athletics and was chosen to play at a professional level.
Jackson was later traded to the Baltimore Orioles where he spent one year before signing a five-year contract with the New York Yankees. After going through an adjustment period with the new team, Jackson led them to win the World Series while being titled the World Series Most Valuable Player. He became the first position player to win the award twice and gained the nickname of ‘Mr. October’ for his postseason performance.
Through the 1980s, Jackson played for the California Angels and the Oakland teams. Jackson retired in 1987, putting a 21-year career to an end.
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