In the Hall, He'll Need a Wall
It was an Oakland athletic teammate, pitcher Darold Knowles, who once said, "There isn't enough mustard in the world to cover Reggie Jackson." Well, with members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America having voted Jackson into the Hall of Fame last week, it's safe to say there isn't enough wall space in Cooperstown to do him justice. Here are four plaques the Hall might want to consider.
REGINALD MARTINEZ JACKSON
"MR. OCTOBER"
PRODIGIOUS SLUGGER (563 HOMERS) AND FREE SWINGER (2,597 STRIKEOUTS) FROM 1967 TO 1986 FOR ATHLETICS, ORIOLES, YANKEES AND ANGELS. IN FIVE WORLD SERIES, BATTED .357 WITH 10 HOMERS AND 24 RBIS IN 27 GAMES. GREATEST MOMENT: IN GAME 6 OF 1977 WORLD SERIES HE HIT 3 HOME RUNS ON 3 FIRST PITCHES FROM 3 DODGER PITCHERS. TOLD THE LAST HOMER HAD GONE 450 FEET, HE SAID, "MAKE IT 475. SOUNDS BETTER."
REGINALD MARTINEZ JACKSON
"THE STRAW THAT STIRS"
POSSESSOR OF MASSIVE BICEPS, EVEN LARGER EGO. PROCLAIMED, "IF I PLAYED IN NEW YORK, THEY WOULD NAME A CANDY BAR AFTER ME." THEY DID. SAID TEAMMATE CATFISH HUNTER, "WHEN YOU UNWRAP A REGGIE BAR, IT TELLS YOU HOW GOOD IT IS." CLASHED WITH MANAGERS AND OWNERS BUT SAID, "JUST PART OF THE ROLLER COASTER RIDE THAT IS REGGIE JACKSON." PIONEERED THIRD-PERSON SELF-REFERENCE.
REGINALD MARTINEZ JACKSON
"FORTY-FOUR"
CLAIMED AN IQ OF 160, PROMPTING YANKEE TEAMMATE MICKEY RIVERS TO ASK, "OUT OF WHAT, A THOUSAND?" BUT THIS SON OF A TAILOR WAS FULL OF SURPRISES. KNEW THE UNIFORM NUMBER OF EVERY PLAYER IN THE MAJORS. COULD IMITATE
EVERY P.A. ANNOUNCER IN AMERICAN LEAGUE. POPULARIZED CHEWING OF SUNFLOWER SEEDS. WAS AUTOMOTIVE EDITOR OF PENTHOUSE MAGAZINE. AUTHOR OF 2 BOOKS ENTITLED REGGIE.
REGINALD MARTINEZ JACKSON
"REG-GIE! REG-GIE!"
AS WITH THIS PLAQUE, THEY THREW AWAY THE MOLD WHEN THEY MADE THIS GUY. HEY, ANYBODY WHO CAN SAY "THE THING I DON'T LIKE ABOUT BEING IN THE WORLD SERIES IS THAT I CAN'T WATCH MYSELF PLAY" DESERVES TO BE HERE.
PHOTO
NINA BARNETT
FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS
MICHAEL WITTE