Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - You Don't Know Jack(son)

Surprisingly, only 31 men with the surname "Jackson" have played in the big leagues; maybe Reggie's mouth just made it seem like more.

Two of them, Reggie and Travis, are enshrined in the Hall of Fame (Gaylord Jackson Perry, while also in Cooperstown, is not elgigble for this team), while the best Jackson ever to play isn't in the Hall, as Shoeless Joe "ain't so" eligible for induction. Five of the other 18 have made All-Star team, and Bo knows that's an awfully good percentage.

But this looks like another team that, no matter how good its pitching is, will have an awful lot of passed balls ...

NOTES: Jackson Todd would probably make this team, but of course, is not eligible; oh, if only his name was "Todd Jackson" ... As far as I can tell, nobody named "Jackson" has so much as caught a single inning in the big leagues ... Ron D. Jackson edges out Ron H. Jackson for the starting 1B slot, which should tell you what you need to know about the options there ... Mike W. Jackson was a decent LHRP for four teams in the early 1970s, but this here team's not big enough for two Mike Jacksons, and Mike R. Jackson is the closer ... No, wait -- sure it's big enough for both of them. With only 31 guys to choose from, who are we to pass on a reasonable LOOGY?

So the DH throws our counting off a little bit, but we hear the beat and so dub this team ...

THE JACKSON NINE
** indicates Hall of Famer
* indicates All-Star

LINEUP
C VACANT
1B Ron D. Jackson (.259, 1975-84, 1B/3B)
2B Damian Jackson (.244 through '04)
SS Travis Jackson** (.291 borderline HOFer)
3B Randy Jackson* (.261, 103 HR, 1954-55 All-Star)
LF Joe Jackson (.356 career average)
CF Darrin Jackson (.257 over 12 seasons)
RF Reggie Jackson** (563 homers)
DH Bo Jackson* (141 MLB homers, 18 NFL TD)

BENCH
C VACANT
1B Ron H. Jackson (.245 in 7 seasons)
UTIL Sonny Jackson (.251, 1963-74, SS/OF)
UTIL Chuck Jackson (.218, 1987-88, '94, 3B/OF/SS)
OF Jim Jackson (.235, 1901-02, '05-06)
OF George "Hickory" Jackson (.285, 1911-13)

ROTATION
RHSP Larry Jackson* (194-183)
LHSP Danny Jackson* (112-131)
RHSP Edwin Jackson (LAD lad 1-1 in '05, 5-3 career)
LHSP Al Jackson (67-99)
LHSP Darrell Jackson (20-27 career; 9-9 for '80 MIN)

BULLPEN
CL-RH Mike R. Jackson (62-67, 142 saves)
LHRP Grant Jackston* (86-75, 79 saves)
RHRP Roy Lee Jackson (28-34, 34 saves)
LHRP Mike W. Jackson (2-3, 1970-73)
RHRP John Jackson (2-2 for '33 Phillies)

So what say, Bauxites? Do we know Jackson?

Posted by Mick Doherty on Friday, September 09 2005 @ 08:00 AM EDT.

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Brian W - Friday, September 09 2005 @ 01:46 PM EDT (#127702) #

It looks like this team will have to put up with the passed balls for awhile yet. The only Jackson catching in the minors is Steve Jackson and it looks like he doesn't have a job anymore. He has made some spring training appearances for the A's, but that's about it.

smcs - Friday, September 09 2005 @ 11:15 PM EDT (#127728) #

What about putting Damian Jackson behind the plate? He has played every position except for Pitcher and Catcher. How bad could he be?

Mick Doherty - Tuesday, September 13 2005 @ 12:10 PM EDT (#127932) #

smcs, not a bad idea, but we do have an informal rule about not moving players to positions they didn't actually play at least once ... or else you'll end up with all Hall of Famers and All-Stars on every team as outfielders move to 2B and the like; it's a slippery slope, as it were.

Besides, I actually think it's kind of more interesting that no Jackson has ever caught in the big leagues -- I wouldn't have guessed that myself -- not with 31 Jacksons having made it to The Show, which is almost as many "q"ualifying candidates as the All-Q team had combined!

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