Lou Jackson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lou Jackson |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: July 26, 1935 Riverton, Louisiana |
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| Died: May 28, 1969 (aged 33) Tokyo, Japan |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: July 23, 1958, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| NPB: 1966, for the Sankei Atoms | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: May 11, 1964, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| NPB: 1968, for the Sankei Atoms | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .213 | ||
| Home runs | 1 | ||
| Runs batted in | 7 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .257 | ||
| Home runs | 68 | ||
| Runs batted in | 181 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Louis Clarence Jackson (born July 26, 1935 – died May 27, 1969) was a talented American professional baseball player. He was an outfielder, which means he played in the part of the field furthest from home plate. Lou played in both Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. He played for teams like the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and the Sankei Atoms.
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Lou Jackson's Baseball Journey
Lou Jackson was a professional baseball player who spent time playing in two different countries. He was known for his skills as an outfielder. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Playing for the Cubs
Lou Jackson started his professional baseball career with the Chicago Cubs in 1957. He was signed as a free agent, which means he wasn't drafted but joined the team directly. In his first year, he played for a minor league team called the Magic Valley Cowboys. He hit really well, with a .310 batting average and 15 Home runs.
The next year, 1958, he moved up to a higher minor league team. Then, in July, he got to play in the Major Leagues for the Cubs! He played 24 games and even hit his first and only Major League home run.
In 1959, Lou spent most of his time back in the minor leagues. He played a few games for the Cubs in September. After that season, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He played for a few different minor league teams before getting another chance in the Major Leagues.
Time with the Orioles
After the 1963 season, the Baltimore Orioles chose Lou Jackson in a special draft. He started the 1964 season with the Orioles. However, he only played in a few games before spending the rest of that year and all of 1965 with the Rochester Red Wings. This was the Orioles' top minor league team.
Adventures in Japan
In 1966, Lou Jackson decided to play baseball in Japan. He signed with a team called the Sankei Atoms. He had a great first season in Japan, hitting 20 home runs in 97 games. His batting average was .254.
He did even better in 1967, raising his batting average to .296 and hitting 28 home runs! The next year, 1968, was a bit tougher for him. Sadly, Lou Jackson passed away the following year, in 1969, at the age of 33 due to an illness.
