Al Jackson
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Al Jackson | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Waco, Texas, U.S. | December 26, 1935|
Died: August 19, 2019 Port St. Lucie, Florida, U.S. | (aged 83)|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
May 31, 1959, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 26, 1969, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 67–99 |
Earned run average | 3.98 |
Strikeouts | 738 |
Teams | |
Alvin Neill Jackson (December 26, 1935 – August 19, 2019), affectionately referred to as "Little" Al Jackson, was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1959 to 1969. His 43 wins with the New York Mets were the franchise record until Tom Seaver eased past the mark in 1969. In July 2021, he was posthumously honored with the New York Mets Hall of Fame Achievement Award for his 50 years of service to the franchise.[1]
Career
Listed at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m), 169 pounds (77 kg), Jackson was born in
After three more seasons of sixteen or more losses with the Mets, including a second 8–20 campaign, Jackson was traded to the
After the 1967 season, Jackson was traded back to the Mets for pitcher Jack Lamabe and continued pitching out of the bullpen. He was with the "Miracle" Mets of 1969 but was sold to the Cincinnati Reds in June after compiling an ERA over ten, and did not play in a postseason.
Jackson pitched 33 games for the Reds in relief to finish 1969. Before he played a game in 1970, the Reds released him and his career was over.
In addition to his 43 wins as a Met, Jackson's franchise record of 10
After his playing days, Jackson fashioned a two-decades-plus-long career as a coach, serving as a pitching mentor at the big-league level with the Boston Red Sox (1977–79) under former Met teammate Don Zimmer and the Baltimore Orioles (1989–91) under Frank Robinson and Johnny Oates. However, he spent most of his tenure as a minor league instructor with the Mets, and was a member of Bobby Valentine's MLB staff in 1999–2000.
Personal life
Al Jackson and his wife Nadine had two sons Reggie (Fisk '80) and Barry (Howard '84) and two grandsons Wesley Jackson and Kyle Jackson. He served as an elder in a Presbyterian church. Jackson died on the morning of August 19, 2019, after a long illness at The Emerald Nursing Home in Port St. Lucie, Florida.[3] He was 83.
References
- ^ Preston, J.G. (February 22, 2015). "The longest-working men in baseball: Jack Coombs, Joe Harris, Al Jackson and other four-hour pitchers". wordpress.com. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- Pittsburgh Press. January 9, 1966. p. 3. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
- ^ Greenberg, Alex (August 19, 2019). "Al Jackson, Member Of Original 1962 Mets, Dies At 83". WFAN.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet