Randy Jackson (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Randy Jackson |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Jackson in 1953.
|
|||
| Third baseman | |||
| Born: February 10, 1926 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
|||
| Died: March 20, 2019 (aged 93) Athens, Georgia, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| May 2, 1950, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 25, 1959, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .261 | ||
| Home runs | 103 | ||
| Runs batted in | 415 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Ransom Joseph "Randy" Jackson (born February 10, 1926 – died March 20, 2019) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player. He played as a third baseman for several teams. These included the Chicago Cubs (from 1950 to 1955, and again in 1959). He also played for the Dodgers (from 1956 to 1958) and the Cleveland Indians (from 1958 to 1959). A book about his baseball journey, Handsome Ransom Jackson: Accidental Big Leaguer, was published in 2016. Randy Jackson passed away at his home in 2019.
Contents
Randy Jackson: Baseball Star
Early Life and College Sports
Before playing professional baseball, Randy Jackson was a talented college athlete. He spent a year at the University of Arkansas. Then, he moved to other universities. He helped the football teams at Texas Christian University (in 1945) and the University of Texas at Austin (in 1946) reach the Cotton Bowl Classic. He played as a halfback in football.
Jackson also played college baseball. He was a very good hitter. He had impressive batting averages of .500, .438, and .400 in his college baseball seasons.
Playing in Major League Baseball
The Chicago Cubs signed Randy Jackson in 1947. He made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on May 2, 1950. He was 24 years old at the time. People sometimes called him "Handsome Ransom." He played third base very well for the Cubs from 1951 to 1955.
Rookie Season and Comeback
His first season in the MLB was a bit slow. He played in 34 games and had 111 turns at bat. But in his second season, he played much better. He hit for a .276 batting average. He also had 76 RBIs (runs batted in) and hit 16 home runs. In his third season, his hitting average dropped to .232. He had 34 RBIs and 9 home runs that year.
However, Jackson improved a lot over the next three seasons. His batting averages were .285 in 1953, .273 in 1954, and .265 in 1955. His RBIs also went up, with 66, 67, and 70 in those years. He hit 19, 19, and 21 home runs. He was also great at playing defense. In 1955, he led the National League (NL) in double plays. This means he helped turn more double plays than any other player in his league.
All-Star Appearances
Because of his strong hitting and excellent defense at third base, Randy Jackson was chosen for the All-Star Game twice. These were in his last two seasons with the Chicago Cubs. In the 1954 All-Star game, he came into the game later. The National League lost that game 11–9 to the American League (AL). The next year, in 1955, he again came off the bench. The National League won that game 6–5.
Moving to the Dodgers
After five strong seasons with the Chicago Cubs, the Dodgers wanted him. They were looking for a new third baseman because their star player, Jackie Robinson, was getting older. So, the Dodgers traded some of their players, Don Hoak, Russ Meyer, and Walt Moryn, to the Cubs. In return, they got Randy Jackson and Don Elston.
In 1956, Jackson played as a backup for Jackie Robinson. Even though he had fewer turns at bat than in his previous year, he still hit for a .274 average. He also hit 8 home runs and had 53 RBIs. The Dodgers played in the famous "subway Series" against their rivals, the New York Yankees, in the 1956 World Series. Jackson only had three chances to bat as a pinch-hitter and did not get any hits.
The next year, in 1957, Jackson hurt his knee badly. This injury made it hard for him to become a big star for the Dodgers. For the rest of his career, he mostly played as a backup. He never played in more than 64 games in a season after his injury. In his last three seasons combined, he only hit eight more home runs and had 43 RBIs.
Key Moments on the Field
Randy Jackson was part of some memorable baseball games:
- On June 28, 1951, he hit a home run in the seventh inning. This helped the Cubs win 8–0 against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs pitcher, Frank Hiller, almost pitched a "no-hitter," allowing only one hit.
- On August 15, 1953, he tied a National League record. He hit into three double-plays in one game against the Milwaukee Braves. The Cubs lost that game 2–0.
- On April 17, 1954, he had a fantastic day at the plate. He got four hits, including a home run that landed on an apartment building across from Wrigley Field. This game was very long, lasting three hours and 43 minutes. The Cubs won 23–13 against the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the highest-scoring game ever between these two teams.
- On September 28, 1957, Randy Jackson hit the very last home run in Brooklyn Dodgers history. This happened before the team moved to Los Angeles for the 1958 season. The Dodgers won that game 8–4 against the Phillies.
- Another unusual game happened on June 29, 1956. Jackson was playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies were leading 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Pee Wee Reese was on second base when Duke Snider hit a home run, making the score 5-4. Then, Randy Jackson hit a home run to tie the game! On the very next pitch, Gil Hodges hit another home run to win the game for the Dodgers. This was the only time in Major League Baseball history that a game ended with three home runs hit one after another.
Team Changes
Randy Jackson was part of a few player trades during his career:
- December 9, 1955: He was traded to the Dodgers. The Cubs received Don Hoak and Walt Moryn.
- August 4, 1958: The Cleveland Indians bought him from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- May 4, 1959: He was traded back to the Chicago Cubs from Cleveland. The Indians received Bob Smith.
- October 8, 1959: The Chicago Cubs released him, meaning he was no longer on their team.
Sources
- Randy Jackson bio @ WhenitwasaGame.net
- Randy Jackson - Baseballbiography.com
- Stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
