Editing Reggie Jackson (section)

===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]].