Next
up in the “Future Stars” thread for the 1978 set is none other than
perhaps the biggest star on the Major League scene at the time this card
would have come out, “Mr. October” himself, Reggie Jackson:
Jackson was fresh off of his legendary World Series performance in
October, 1977, leading the New York Yankees to their first championship
since 1962.
The man was just destined for baseball greatness since his days at Cheltenham High School in Pennsylvania.
Recruited by pro teams and colleges alike, he went on to Arizona State where he was actually on a football scholarship.
Of course we all know the story of the 1966 amateur draft, where the New
York Mets held the #1 pick, and opted for high school catcher Steve
Chilcott instead of who many considered the true #1 overall amateur,
Jackson.
With the second pick, the Kansas City Athletics (later Oakland) picked
the slugger and the rest is history, as he would eventually lead the
organization to three straight championships between 1972-1974 before
being traded in a blockbuster to the Baltimore Orioles where he’d play
for one season in 1976.
As a highly coveted free agent before the 1977 season, Jackson signed
with the New York Yankees, and with Reggie in NYC, the legend exploded
as he helped the Yankees to two championships in 1977-78.
With his larger than life persona, New York ate it up and before you
knew it, he was known around the world, even getting his own candy-bar
by the end of the decade.
For a kid like me growing up in Brooklyn in the ‘70’s, Reggie was like a
God, larger than life, and before he finished up his career in 1987,
putting in 21 seasons, he would put together a Hall of Fame career with
563 homers, 1702 runs batted in, an MVP Award in 1973, and five
championships.
Add to that 14 all-star nods, four home run titles, a legendary homer in
the 1971 All-Star Game against Dock Ellis, his 1977 World Series
performance, and you can see why he goes down as one of the most
well-known baseball personalities in the history of the game.