Editing Reggie Jackson (section)

==MLB career==

===Kansas City / Oakland Athletics (1967–1975)===
Jackson debuted in the major leagues with the A's in [[1967 Kansas City Athletics season|1967]] in a Friday doubleheader in Kansas City on June 9, a shutout sweep of the [[1967 Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians]] by scores of {{nowrap|2–0}} and {{nowrap|6–0}} at [[Municipal Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)|Municipal Stadium]].<ref name=asmrtb>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dzRPAAAAIBAJ&pg=4987%2C1552844 |newspaper=Toledo Blade |location=Ohio |agency=Associated Press |title=A's smear Tribe with whitewash |date=June 10, 1967 |page=17 }}</ref> Jackson had his first career hit in the nightcap, a lead-off [[Triple (baseball)|triple]] in the fifth inning off of long reliever [[Orlando Peña]].<ref name=asmrtb/><ref name=basesprod>{{cite web |url=http://www.basesproduced.com/logs/1967/0609/clekca2.html |publisher=Bases Produced |title=Kansas City Athletics 6, Cleveland Indians 0 |date=June 9, 1967 |access-date=December 2, 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Reggie Jackson October 1973.jpeg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|Jackson before the third game of the [[1973 World Series]].]]
The Athletics moved west to [[Oakland, California|Oakland]] prior to the [[1968 Oakland Athletics season|1968]] season. Jackson hit a career-high 47 [[home run]]s in [[1969 Oakland Athletics season|1969]], and was briefly ahead of the pace that [[Roger Maris]] set when he broke the single-season record for home runs with 61 in [[1961 New York Yankees season|1961]], and that of [[Babe Ruth]] when he set the previous record of 60 in [[1927 New York Yankees season|1927]].<ref name=fnkjapinmj>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=atxVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6904%2C3864164 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=Finley kept Reggie in majors |date=August 17, 1969 |page=3B }}</ref> Jackson later said that the sportswriters were claiming he was "dating a lady named 'Ruth Maris.{{'"}}

When Jackson slumped at the plate in May 1970, Athletics owner [[Charlie O. Finley]] threatened to send him to the minors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19700525&id=RgYsAAAAIBAJ&pg=825,4235059|newspaper=Florence Times (Alabama)|date=25 May 1970 |title=A's threaten to ship out Jackson}}</ref> Jackson hit 23 [[home run]]s while batting .237 for the 1970 season. The Athletics sent him to play in [[Puerto Rico]], where he played for the [[Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico|Santurce]] team and hit 20 homers and knocked in 47 runs to lead the league in both departments. Jackson hit a memorable home run in the [[1971 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1971 All-Star Game]] at [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]] in Detroit. Batting for the [[American League]] against [[1971 Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates]] pitcher [[Dock Ellis]], the ball he hit soared above the right-field stands, striking the transformer of a light standard on the right field roof. While with the Angels in [[1984 California Angels season|1984]], he hit a home run over that roof.

In [[1971 Oakland Athletics season|1971]], the Athletics won the American League's West division, their first title of any kind since [[1931 Philadelphia Athletics season|1931]], when they played in Philadelphia. They were swept in three games in the [[1971 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]] by the [[1971 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]]. The A's won the division again in [[1972 Oakland Athletics season|1972]]; their series with the [[1972 Detroit Tigers season|Tigers]] went the full five games, and Jackson scored the tying run in the clincher on a steal of home. In the process, however, he tore a hamstring and was unable to play in the [[1972 World Series|World Series]]. The A's still managed to defeat the [[1972 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]] in seven games. It was only the second championship won by a [[San Francisco Bay Area]] team in any major league sport, the first being the [[Oakland Oaks (ABA)|Oakland Oaks]] of the [[American Basketball Association]], who captured the title in [[1968–69 ABA season|1969]], the league's second season of existence.

During spring training in 1972, Jackson showed up with a mustache. Though his teammates wanted him to shave it off, Jackson refused. Finley liked the mustache so much that he offered each player $300 to grow one, and hosted a [[The Mustache Gang|"Mustache Day"]] featuring the last MLB player to wear a mustache, [[Frenchy Bordagaray]], as [[master of ceremonies]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19840621&id=E2kaAAAAIBAJ&pg=4428,520941|title=Baseball Faces Hairy Situation|first=Tom|last=Flaherty|newspaper=[[The Milwaukee Journal]]|date=June 21, 1984|access-date=December 9, 2011|page=1}}</ref>
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = OaklandRetired09.PNG
|Name   = Reggie Jackson
|Number = 9
|Team   = Oakland Athletics
|Year   = 2004
|}}

Jackson helped the Athletics win the pennant again in [[1973 Oakland Athletics season|1973]], and was named Most Valuable Player of the American League for the season. The A's defeated the [[1973 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] in seven hard-fought games in the [[1973 World Series|World Series]], and Jackson earned the Series' [[Most Valuable Player|MVP]] award. In the third inning of that seventh game, which ended in a 5–2 score, the A's jumped out to a 4–0 lead as both [[Bert Campaneris]] and Jackson hit two-run home runs off [[Jon Matlack]]—the only two home runs Oakland hit the entire Series. The A's won the [[1974 World Series|World Series]] again in [[1974 Oakland Athletics season|1974]], defeating the [[1974 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] in five games.

Besides hitting 254 [[home run]]s in nine years with the Athletics, Jackson was also no stranger to controversy or conflict in Oakland. Sports author Dick Crouser wrote, "When the late [[Al Helfer]] was broadcasting the Oakland A's games, he was not too enthusiastic about Reggie Jackson's speed or his hustle. Once, with Jackson on third, teammate [[Rick Monday]] hit a long [[home run]]. 'Jackson should score easily on that one,' commented Helfer. Crouser also noted that, "Nobody seems to be neutral on Reggie Jackson. You're either a fan or a detractor." When teammate [[Darold Knowles]] was asked if Jackson was a hotdog (i.e., a show-off), he famously replied, "There isn't enough mustard in the world to cover Reggie Jackson."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121026133131/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091981/index.htm "They Said It"] ''Sports Illustrated'', January 24, 1977</ref>

In February [[1974 Oakland Athletics season|1974]], Jackson won an arbitration case for a $135,000 salary for the season, nearly doubling his previous year's $70,000.<ref name=lmtarb74>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kI9fAAAAIBAJ&pg=5689%2C5204698 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=A's Jackson gets his wish - $135,000 salary |date=February 23, 1974 |page=15}}</ref> On June 5, outfielder [[Billy North]] and Jackson engaged in a clubhouse fight at Detroit's Tiger Stadium. Jackson injured his shoulder, and catcher [[Ray Fosse]], attempting to separate the combatants, suffered a crushed disk in his neck, costing him three months on the disabled list. In October, the A's went on to win a third consecutive [[1974 World Series|World Series]].

Prior to the [[1975 Oakland Athletics season|1975]] season, Jackson sought $168,000, but arbitration went against him this time and he settled for $140,000.<ref name=atrjhlt>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F6lfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gTIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5059%2C922408 "A's trade Jackson, Holtzman," ''The Associated Press'' (AP), Saturday, April 3, 1976.] Retrieved August 31, 2017</ref> The A's won a fifth consecutive division title, but the loss of pitcher [[Catfish Hunter]], baseball's first modern free agent, left them vulnerable, and they were swept in the [[1975 American League Championship Series|ALCS]] by the [[1975 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]].

===Baltimore Orioles (1976)===
Paid $140,000 in 1975 and one of nine Oakland players refusing to sign 1976 contracts,<ref name=atrjhlt/> Jackson sought a three-year $600,000 pact.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19760403&id=R-BLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XIsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1246,3784013&hl=en "Orioles obtain Reggie Jackson; Baylor, Torrez go to Oakland," ''The Associated Press'' (AP), Saturday, April 3, 1976.] Retrieved May 4, 2020</ref> With free agency imminent after the season and the expectations of higher salaries for which Athletics owner Finley was unwilling to pay, he was traded along with [[Ken Holtzman]] and minor-league right-handed pitcher Bill Van Bommel to the [[1976 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]] for [[Don Baylor]], [[Mike Torrez]], and [[Paul Mitchell (baseball)|Paul Mitchell]] on April 2, 1976.<ref name=atrjhlt/> Jackson had not signed a contract and threatened to sit out the season; he reported to the Orioles four weeks later,<ref name=jatjo >{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HahVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6593%2C8206575 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=UPI |title=Reggie agrees to join Orioles |date=April 30, 1976 |page=3D}}</ref> and made his first plate appearance on {{nowrap|May 2.<ref name=rfplys>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mOZVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6644%2C840770|work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=wire services |title=Reggie finally plays and all is forgiven |date=May 3, 1976 |page=2B}}</ref><ref name=orweqpol>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mOZVAAAAIBAJ&pg=2277%2C839135 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Orioles want 'equal' policy |date=May 3, 1976 |page=2B}}</ref><ref name=jiboft>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JfRLAAAAIBAJ&pg=5824%2C1367806 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Jackson is back: 0-for-2 |date=May 3, 1976 |page=15}}</ref><ref name=hfatlstsi>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1976/08/30/615435/hes-free-at-last |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Fimrite |first=Ron |title=He's free at last |date=August 30, 1976 |page=14}}</ref>}} Baltimore and Oakland both finished second in their respective divisions in {{mlby|1976}}; the [[1976 New York Yankees season|Yankees]] and [[1976 Kansas City Royals season|Royals]] advanced to the [[1976 American League Championship Series|ALCS]], the first without the A's since [[1970 American League Championship Series|1970]]. During Jackson's lone season in Baltimore he stole 28 bases, a career-best.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Muder |first1=Craig |title=Jackson traded to Orioles prior to becoming a free agent |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/jackson-traded-to-orioles |website=Baseball Hall of Fame |access-date=3 April 2019 |language=en}}</ref> [[Jim Palmer]] later wrote, "I would say Reggie Jackson was arrogant. But the word ''arrogant'' isn't arrogant enough."<ref name="Palmer">{{cite book|last1=Palmer|first1=Jim|last2=Dale|first2=Jim|title=Palmer and Weaver: Together We Were Eleven Foot Nine|year=1996|publisher=Andrews and McMeel|location=Kansas City|isbn=0-8362-0781-5|pages=14–15}}</ref> However, he thought the Orioles made a "brick-brained" mistake by not signing him to a contract, allowing him to become a free agent.<ref name="Palmer"/>

===New York Yankees (1977–1981)===
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = ReggieJackson44.jpg
|Name   = Reggie Jackson
|Number = 44
|Team   = New York Yankees
|Year   = 1993
|}}
The Yankees won the pennant in [[1976 New York Yankees season|1976]] but were swept in the [[1976 World Series|World Series]] by the [[1976 Cincinnati Reds season|Reds]]. A month later on November 29, they signed Jackson to a five-year contract totaling $2.96 million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|2960000|1976|r=-4}}}} in current dollar terms).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qIAeAAAAIBAJ&pg=4845,4300271|title=Yankees to Sign Reggie Jackson|newspaper=[[Daytona Beach Morning Journal]]|page=1B|date=November 28, 1976|first=Murray|last=Chass|agency=New York Times News Service|access-date=December 2, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=c-YyAAAAIBAJ&pg=6835,79961|title=Reggie Jackson Homers in Hall|first=Jim|last=Donaghy|newspaper=[[The Free Lance-Star]]|page=C2|date=August 2, 1993|access-date=December 2, 2011}}</ref><ref name=atffawa>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1976/12/13/626261/after-the-freeforall-was-over |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Keith |first=Larry |title=After the free-for-all was over |date=December 13, 1976 |page=28}}</ref> The number 9 that he had worn in Oakland and Baltimore was already used by Yankees third baseman [[Graig Nettles]]; Jackson asked for number 42 in memory of [[Jackie Robinson]], but that number was given to pitching coach [[Art Fowler]] before the start of the season. Noting that [[Hank Aaron]], at the time the holder of the career record for the most home runs, had just retired, Jackson asked for and received number 44 as a tribute to Aaron. Jackson wore number 20 on the first day of 1977 spring training as a tribute to the also recently retired [[Frank Robinson]], then he switched to his now famous number 44, a number Jackson would wear for the rest of his career. Coincidentally, all three numbers Jackson had either asked for or briefly worn before 44 would later be retired by the Yankees (9 for [[Roger Maris]], 20 for [[Jorge Posada]], and 42 for [[Mariano Rivera]]), with 42 also retired by the team through MLB in honor of Robinson.

Jackson's first season with the Yankees in [[1977 New York Yankees season|1977]] was a difficult one. Although team owner [[George Steinbrenner]] and several players, most notably catcher and team captain [[Thurman Munson]] and outfielder [[Lou Piniella]], were excited about his arrival, the team's field manager [[Billy Martin]] was not. Martin had managed the Tigers in [[1972 Detroit Tigers season|1972]], when Jackson's [[1972 Oakland Athletics season|A's]] beat them in the [[1972 American League Championship Series|playoffs]]. Jackson was once quoted as saying of Martin, "I hate him, but if I played for him, I'd probably love him."

The relationship between Jackson and his new teammates was strained due to an interview with [[Sport (American magazine)|''SPORT'' magazine]] writer [[Robert Ward (novelist)|Robert Ward]]. During spring training at the Yankees' camp in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]], Jackson and Ward were having drinks at a nearby bar. Jackson's version of the story is that he noted that the Yankees had won the pennant the year before, but lost the [[1976 World Series|World Series]] to the [[1976 Cincinnati Reds season|Reds]], and suggested that they needed one thing more to win it all, and pointed out the various ingredients in his drink. Ward suggested that Jackson might be "the straw that stirs the drink." But when the story appeared in the June 1977 issue of ''SPORT'', Ward quoted Jackson as saying, "This team, it all flows from me. I'm the straw that stirs the drink. Maybe I should say me and Munson, but he can only stir it bad."[[File:George Steinbrenner s life work 13july2010 000120 Reggie Jackson signs with the Yankees.jpg|thumb|left|Jackson signs with the Yankees.]]Jackson has consistently denied saying anything negative about Munson in the interview and he has said that his quotes were taken out of context.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/bombers-champs-article-1.225415 |title=Bombers are champs again |last=Coffey |first=Wayne |date=June 26, 2007 |access-date=August 3, 2007 |newspaper=New York Daily News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509115729/https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/bombers-champs-article-1.225415 |archive-date=May 9, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> However, [[Dave Anderson (sportswriter)|Dave Anderson]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' subsequently wrote that he had drinks with Jackson in July 1977, and that Jackson told him, "I'm still the straw that stirs the drink. Not Munson, not nobody else on this club."<ref>Anderson, D: "1977: Reggie", "The Baseball Reader", page 11. Lippincott & Crowell, Publishers, 1980</ref> Since Munson was beloved by his teammates, Martin, Steinbrenner and Yankee fans, the relationships between them and Jackson became very strained.

On June 18, in a 10–4 loss to the [[1977 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] in a nationally televised game at [[Fenway Park]] in Boston, [[Jim Rice]] hit a ball into shallow right field that Jackson appeared to weakly attempt to field. Jackson failed to reach the ball, which fell far in front of him, thereby allowing Rice to reach second base. Furious, Martin removed Jackson from the game without even waiting for the end of the inning, sending [[Paul Blair (baseball)|Paul Blair]] out to replace him. When Jackson arrived at the dugout, Martin yelled that Jackson had shown him up. They argued, and Jackson said that Martin's heavy drinking had impaired his judgment. Despite Jackson being 18 years younger, about two inches taller and maybe 40 pounds heavier, Martin lunged at him, and had to be restrained by coaches [[Yogi Berra]] and [[Elston Howard]]. Red Sox fans could see this in the dugout and began cheering wildly, and the [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]] TV cameras broadcast the confrontation to the entire country.

Yankees management defused the situation by the next day, but the relationship between Jackson and Martin was permanently damaged. However, George Steinbrenner made a crucial intervention when he gave Martin the choice of either having Jackson bat in the fourth or "cleanup" spot for the remainder of the season, or lose his job. Martin made the change and Jackson's hitting improved (he had 13 home runs and 49 RBIs over his next 50 games), and the team went on a winning streak. On September 14, while in a tight three-way race for the American League Eastern Division crown with the Red Sox and [[1977 Baltimore Orioles season|Orioles]], Jackson ended a game with the Red Sox by hitting a home run off [[Reggie Cleveland]], giving the Yankees a 2–0 win. The Yankees won the division by two and a half games over the Red Sox and Orioles, and came from behind in the top of the ninth inning in the fifth and final game of the [[1977 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]] to beat the [[1977 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]] for the pennant.

====Mr. October====
During the [[1977 World Series|World Series]] against the [[1977 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Dodgers]], Munson was interviewed, and suggested that Jackson, because of his past postseason performances, might be the better interview subject. "Go ask Mister October", he said, giving Jackson a nickname that would stick. (In Oakland, he had been known as "Jax" and "Buck.") Jackson hit home runs in Games Four and Five of the Series.

Jackson's crowning achievement came with his three-home-run performance in World Series-clinching Game Six, each on the first pitch, off three Dodgers pitchers. (His first plate appearance, during the second inning, resulted in a four-pitch walk.) The first came off starter [[Burt Hooton]], and was a [[line drive]] shot into the lower right field seats at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]]. The second was a much faster line drive off reliever [[Elías Sosa]] into roughly the same area. With the fans chanting his name, "Reg-GIE! Reg-GIE! Reg-GIE!", the third came off reliever [[Charlie Hough]], a [[knuckleball]] pitcher, making the distance of this home run particularly remarkable. It was a towering drive into the black-painted [[batter's eye]] seats in center, {{convert|475|ft}} away. Jackson stated afterwards that the scouting reports provided by [[Gene Michael]] and [[Birdie Tebbetts]] played a large role in his success.<ref name="Give Chase his props&nbsp;– but Reggie's still tops">{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/give_utley_his_props_but_jax_still_GDmZKrotu46kj2kn2QftqN |title=Give Chase his props&nbsp;– but Reggie's still tops |publisher=nypost.com |access-date=23 April 2017 |first=Kevin |last=Kernan |date=4 November 2009}}</ref> Their reports indicated that the Dodgers would attempt to pitch him inside and Jackson was prepared.<ref name="Give Chase his props&nbsp;– but Reggie's still tops"/>

Since Jackson had hit a home run off Dodger pitcher [[Don Sutton]] in his last at bat in Game Five, his three home runs in Game Six meant that he had hit four home runs on four consecutive swings of the bat against as many Dodgers pitchers. Jackson became the first player to win the World Series MVP award for two teams. In 27 World Series games, he amassed 10 [[home run]]s, including a record five during the 1977 Series (the last three on first pitches), 24 [[run batted in|RBI]] and a .357 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]]. [[Babe Ruth]], [[Albert Pujols]], and [[Pablo Sandoval]] are the only other players to hit three home runs in a single World Series game, with Ruth accomplishing the feat twice – in [[1926 World Series|1926]] and [[1928 World Series|1928]] (both in Game Four). With 25 total bases, Jackson also broke Ruth's record of 22 in the latter Series; this remains a World Series record, [[Willie Stargell]] tying it in the [[1979 World Series]]. [[Chase Utley]] ([[2009 World Series|2009]], [[2009 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia]]) and [[George Springer]] ([[2017 World Series|2017]], [[2017 Houston Astros season|Houston]]) have since tied Jackson's record for most home runs in a single World Series.

Fans had been getting rowdy in anticipation of Game 6's end, and some had actually thrown firecrackers out near Jackson's area in right field. Jackson was alarmed enough about this to walk off the field, in order to get a helmet from the Yankee bench to protect himself. Shortly after this point, as the end of the game neared, fans were bold enough to climb over the wall, draping their legs over the side in preparation for the moment when they planned to rush onto the field. When that moment came, after pitcher [[Mike Torrez]] caught a pop-up for the game's final out, Jackson started running at top speed off the field, actually body-checking past some of these fans filling the playing field in the manner of a football linebacker.<ref>ABC coverage of Game Six, as shown on the YES network.</ref>

====The Bronx Zoo====
[[File:Reggie Jackson bats at Yankee Stadium.jpg|thumb|Jackson bats at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]], July 1979.]]
The Yankees' home opener of the [[1978 New York Yankees season|1978]] season, on April 13 against the [[1978 Chicago White Sox season|Chicago White Sox]], featured a new product, the [[Bun Bars|"Reggie!" bar]]. In 1976, while playing in [[1976 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore]], Jackson had said, "If I played in New York, they'd name a candy bar after me." The [[Standard Brands]] company responded with a circular "bar" of peanuts dipped in caramel and covered in chocolate, a confection that was originally named the "Wayne Bun" as it was made in [[Fort Wayne, Indiana]]. The "Reggie!" bars were handed to fans as they walked into Yankee Stadium. Jackson hit a home run, and when he returned to right field the next inning, fans began throwing the Reggie bars on the field in celebration. Jackson told the press that this confused him, thinking that maybe the fans did not like the candy.<ref>{{Cite news| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-nov-06-sp-random6-story.html|title= Mr. October tells of time it rained chocolate on him|author=Mike Penner|work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date = November 6, 2009}}</ref> The Yankees won the game, 4–2.

But the Yankees could not maintain their success, as manager Billy Martin lost control. On July 23, after suspending Jackson for disobeying a sign during a July 17 game, Martin made a statement about his two main antagonists, referring to comments Jackson had made and team owner George Steinbrenner's 1972 violation of campaign-finance laws: "They're made for each other. One's a born liar, the other's convicted." It was moments like these that gave the Yankees the nickname "The Bronx Zoo."

Martin resigned the next day (some sources have said he was actually fired<ref>{{cite web|last=Friedman |first=Ian C. |url=http://www.iancfriedman.com/?p=1561 |title="One's a born liar, the other's convicted." – Billy Martin, July 24, 1978 » IAN C. FRIEDMAN – WORDS MATTER |publisher=Iancfriedman.com |date=July 13, 2010 |access-date=February 6, 2014}}</ref>), and was replaced by [[Bob Lemon]], a Hall of Fame pitcher for the [[Cleveland Indians]] who had been recently fired as manager of the White Sox. Steinbrenner, a [[Cleveland]]-area native, had hired former Indians star [[Al Rosen]] as his team president (replacing another Cleveland figure, [[Gabe Paul]]). Steinbrenner jumped at the chance to involve another hero of his youth with the Yankees; Lemon had been one of Steinbrenner's coaches during the Bombers' pennant-winning 1976 season.

After being 14 games behind the first-place [[1978 Boston Red Sox season|Red Sox]] on July 18, the Yankees finished the season in a tie for first place. The two teams played a [[1978 American League East tie-breaker game|one-game playoff]] for the division title at Fenway Park, with the Yankees winning 5–4. Although the home run by light-hitting shortstop [[Bucky Dent]] in the seventh inning got the most notice, it was an eighth-inning home run by Jackson that gave the Yankees the fifth run they ended up needing. The next day, with the [[1978 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]] with the [[1978 Kansas City Royals season|Royals]] beginning, Jackson hit a home run off the Royals' top reliever at the time, [[Al Hrabosky]], the flamboyant "Mad Hungarian." The Yankees won the pennant in four games, their third straight.

Jackson was once again in the center of events in the [[1978 World Series|World Series]], again against the [[1978 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Dodgers]]. Los Angeles won the first two games at Dodger Stadium, taking the second when rookie reliever [[Bob Welch (baseball)|Bob Welch]] struck Jackson out with two men on base with two outs in the ninth inning. The series then moved to New York, and after the Yankees won Game Three on several fine defensive plays by third baseman Graig Nettles, Game Four saw Jackson in the middle of a controversial play on the basepaths. In the sixth inning, after collecting an RBI single, Jackson was struck in the hip–possibly on purpose–by a ball thrown by Dodger shortstop [[Bill Russell (shortstop)|Bill Russell]] as Jackson was being forced at second base. Instead of completing a double play that would have ended the inning, the ball caromed into foul territory and allowed Thurman Munson to score the Yankees' second run of the inning. In spite of the Dodgers' protests of interference on Jackson's part, the umpires allowed the play to stand. The Yankees tied the game in the eighth inning and eventually won in the tenth.

Following a blowout win in Game Five, both teams headed back to Los Angeles. In Game Six, Jackson got his revenge against Welch by blasting a two-run home run in the seventh inning, putting the finishing touch on a series-clinching, 7–2 win for the Yankees.

On April 19, 1979, following a Yankee loss to the [[Baltimore Orioles]], Jackson started kidding [[Cliff Johnson (baseball)|Cliff Johnson]] about his inability to hit [[Goose Gossage]]. While Johnson was showering, Gossage insisted to Jackson that he struck out Johnson all the time when he used to face him, and that he was terrible at the plate. "He either homers or strikes out", Gossage said. He had previously given Johnson the nickname "Breeze" in reference to how his big swing kept Gossage cool on the pitcher's mound in hot weather. When Jackson relayed this information to Johnson upon his return to the locker room, all the players assembled, egged on by Jackson, started laughing at him and in unison loudly called him "Breeze" with some waving their arms and hands before doubling over. Johnson, infuriated, went after Gossage and a fight broke out, resulting in Gossage suffering torn ligaments in the thumb on his pitching hand; both men were fined (Jackson, despite instigating the fracas, was not), Gossage missed three months due to the injury, and Johnson was traded away two months later. Teammate [[Tommy John]] called it "a demoralizing blow to the team."<ref name="John 201">John and Valenti, p. 201</ref> Jackson joined Gossage on the disabled list for a month in June with a torn calf muscle.<ref name="John 201"/> In 131 games, he batted .297 with 29 home runs and 89 RBI.<ref name="reference">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jacksre01.shtml|title=Reggie Jackson Stats|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=May 26, 2021}}</ref>

====1980–81 seasons====
In [[1980 New York Yankees season|1980]], Jackson batted .300 for the only time in his career, and his 41 home runs tied with [[Ben Oglivie]] of the [[1980 Milwaukee Brewers season|Milwaukee Brewers]] for the American League lead. However, the Yankees were swept in the [[1980 American League Championship Series|ALCS]] by the [[1980 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]]. That year, he won the inaugural [[Silver Slugger Award]] as a designated hitter.

As he entered the last year of his Yankee contract in [[1981 New York Yankees season|1981]], Jackson endured several difficulties from George Steinbrenner. After the owner consulted Jackson about signing then-free agent [[Dave Winfield]], Jackson expected Steinbrenner to work out a new contract for him as well. Steinbrenner never did (some say never intending to) and Jackson played the season as a free agent. Jackson started slowly with the bat, and when the [[1981 Major League Baseball strike]] began, Steinbrenner invoked a clause in Jackson's contract forcing him to take a complete [[physical examination]]. Jackson was outraged and blasted Steinbrenner in the media. When the season resumed, Jackson's hitting improved, partly to show Steinbrenner he wasn't finished as a player. He hit a long home run into the upper deck in Game Five of the [[1981 Major League Baseball strike|strike]]-forced [[1981 American League Division Series]] with the [[1981 Milwaukee Brewers season|Brewers]], and the Yankees went on to win the pennant again. However, Jackson injured himself running the bases in Game Two of the [[1981 American League Championship Series|1981 ALCS]] and missed the first two games of the [[1981 World Series|World Series]], both of which the Yankees won.

Jackson was medically cleared to play Game Three, but manager Bob Lemon refused to start him or even play him, allegedly acting under orders from Steinbrenner. The Yankees lost that game and Jackson played the remainder of the series, hitting a home run in Game Four. However, they lost the last three games and the World Series to the Dodgers.

===California Angels (1982–1986) and Return to Oakland (1987)===
[[File:Reggie Jackson - California Angels - 1983.jpg|thumb|Jackson in 1983 as a member of the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]].]]
Jackson became a free-agent again once the 1981 season was over. The owner of the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]], entertainer [[Gene Autry]], had heard of Jackson's desire to return to California to play, and signed him to a five-year contract.

On April 27, [[1982 California Angels season|1982]], in Jackson's first game back at Yankee Stadium with the Angels, he broke out of a terrible season-starting slump to hit a home run off former teammate [[Ron Guidry]]. The at-bat began with [[1982 New York Yankees season|Yankee]] fans, angry at Steinbrenner for letting Jackson get away, starting the "Reg-GIE!" chant, and ended it with the fans chanting "Steinbrenner sucks!" By the time of Jackson's election to the Hall of Fame, Steinbrenner had begun to say that letting him go was the biggest mistake he had made as Yankee owner.

That season, the Angels won the American League West, and would do so again in [[1986 California Angels season|1986]], but lost the American League Championship Series both times. On September 17, [[1984 California Angels season|1984]], on the 17th anniversary of the day he hit his first home run, he hit his 500th, at [[Anaheim Stadium]] off [[Bud Black]] of the [[1984 Kansas City Royals season|Royals]].

In [[1987 Oakland Athletics season|1987]], he signed a one-year contract to return to the A's, wearing the number 44 with which he was now most associated rather than the number 9 he previously wore in Oakland, which was now being wore by teammate [[Mike Gallego]]. He announced he would retire after the season, at the age of 41. In his last at-bat, at [[Comiskey Park]] in Chicago on October 4, he collected a broken-bat single up the middle, but the A's lost to the [[1987 Chicago White Sox season|White Sox]], 5–2. Jackson was the last player in the major leagues to have played for the Kansas City Athletics. 

However, in January 1988, Jackson told reporters while he wasn't planning to play the 1988 season, he did receive an offer to play in Japan. "I got a price. The number is getting to the point where I can't say that I won't do it," Jackson said. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-15-sp-24280-story.html | title=Slugger Reggie Jackson is considering an offer | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=January 15, 1988 }}</ref> In August 1988, there were reports that Jackson approached his former team the New York Yankees about coming out of retirement for the stretch run. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/08/26/Reggie-Jackson-who-led-New-York-to-two-World/4722588571200/ | title=Reggie Jackson, who led New York to two World... - UPI Archives }}</ref> Jackson later denied the rumors and opted to stay retired. "No, no way. You will not see me in uniform. I'm done. Stick a fork in me," Jackson said. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.deseret.com/1988/8/26/18776428/reggie-denies-he-s-returning-to-yankees/ | title=Reggie Denies He's Returning to Yankees | date=August 26, 1988 }}</ref>

===Legacy===
Jackson played 21 seasons and reached the postseason in 11 of them, winning six pennants and five World Series. Moreover, he suffered only two losing seasons in his career, illustrating his penchant for making teams better. His accomplishments include winning both the regular-season and World Series MVP awards in 1973, hitting 563 career home runs (sixth all-time at the time of his retirement), maintaining a .490 career [[slugging percentage]], being named to 14 All-Star teams, and the dubious distinction of being the all-time leader in [[strikeout]]s with 2,597 (he finished with 13 more career strikeouts than hits) and second on the all-time list for most [[Golden sombrero]]s (at least four strikeouts in a game) with 23 – he led this statistic until 2014, when he was surpassed by [[Ryan Howard]]. Jackson was the first major leaguer to hit 100 [[home run]]s for three different clubs, having hit over 100 for the Athletics, Yankees, and Angels. He is the only player in the 500 home run club that never had consecutive 30 home run seasons in a career.

With the Yankees, Jackson was the center of attention when it came to the media. Tommy John thought this was ultimately helpful to the team. "He was a two-way buffer between the team and Steinbrenner, and between us and the press. That allowed other guys to go about their business in relative peace."<ref>John and Valenti, p. 205</ref>