Like the previous Johnny Bench card, this Reggie Jackson card comes from Mel M’s 1967 card set. Jackson came up for the Athletics for the last year they were in existence in Kansas City. Reggie’s card is not near as bad as Bench’s ‘67 card was but obviously still doesn’t have the luster that his future ones would.
Like 1967 Bench, this was Jackson’s debut in the majors. Also, similar to Bench, Kansas City started him for the majority of his games.
In 135 plate appearances, Jackson hit .178 and perhaps more telling, a .305 slugging percentage. His strikeout number were foretelling, though. He whiffed 46 times.
| Split | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 Totals | 35 | 32 | 135 | 118 | 13 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 46 | .178 | .269 | .305 |
Jackson does have a respectable three zeros but due to his total of just one homer, he also only has three second column ones to go along with that. He’s also cursed with the two 8, two 9 combination as well putting a non-hit number at 25.
Jackson has always been a free swinger but in 1967, if you roll a red six, you better roll a white six, too. He’s got 13s from 61 to 64. With the bases loaded, he’d strike out too. In total, Buck’s got a total of ten 13s on his card.
Ugly numbers: 25-42, 35-13, 13-40
The similarities with Bench continue. Jackson also didn’t wait long to get going. He played a full season for the Oakland A’s in 1968 and hitting 29 homers and driving in 74 rbis and even stealing 14 bases.
Thanks Mel!
I had Jackson every year of my 1969-1983 replay and he is my all time homer leader with over 500. I’m kinda glad that I started in 1969, at least for Reggie’s sake.
Jackson is a classic example of a guy that I loved in APBA–he always put up big numbers for me–and hated in real life
I never hated Reggie. He was a symbol of the seventies for good and bad. He was outspoken but he didn’t cross the line that the juciers did. I frankly had and have a lot more respect for him than I had for Billy Martin or George III, with credit to Red Smith for the name.
It is fun to see first year cards of stars. I find them much more interesting than 2 for 5 relief pitchers or cup of coffee players, good or bad.