Travis Jackson

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Not to be confused with Trevis Jackson.
Travis Jackson
Runs batted in
929
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction1982
Election methodVeterans Committee

Travis Calvin Jackson (November 2, 1903 – July 27, 1987) was an American

minor league baseball through to the 1960 season
.

Jackson was discovered by

National Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1982.

Early life

Jackson was born in

lieutenant colonel who died at the Battle of the Alamo.[2] Jackson's father bought him a baseball when he was three years old, and they often played catch together.[3]

Jackson's uncle took him to a Little Rock Travelers minor-league game when he was 14 years old. At the game, Jackson's uncle introduced him to Kid Elberfeld, telling Elberfeld that his nephew was a talented baseball player.[2] Elberfeld observed Jackson in an impromptu workout, and asked Jackson to contact him when he was ready to begin his professional career.[2][3]

Jackson attended Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where he starred on the college baseball team.[4] While there, he injured his knee, and this injury would recur during Jackson's career.[4]

Professional career

Playing career

Following Jackson's collegiate career, Elberfeld signed Jackson to his first contract, and he played for Little Rock in 1921 and 1922.[2] Jackson committed 72 errors during the 1922 season, which he considered the "world record for errors".[4]

"I guess I set a world record for errors. I had a pretty good arm, see, but I didn't have much control. A lot of those were double errors — two on the same play, a boot and then a wild throw. The people in the first-base and right-field bleachers knew me. When the ball was hit to me they scattered. 'Watch out! He's got it again.'"

 – Travis Jackson on his performance in the 1922 season[4]

Despite this, Elberfeld recommended Jackson to

New York Giants of the National League (NL), who was entitled to a Travelers player as he had lent a player to the team in 1922.[4] McGraw signed Jackson to a contract on June 30, effective at the end of the Southern Association's 1922 season.[5]

Jackson debuted with the Giants on September 22, 1922, appearing in three games. With

Game 7.[12]

Jackson was considered one of the best shortstops of his era,[13] and he led NL shortstops with a .970 fielding percentage in 1931.[4] However, he missed considerable playing time in his career resulting from injuries and illnesses. Jackson reinjured his knee in 1925,[4] missed significant time during the 1926 season[14] and had surgery for appendicitis during the 1927 season.[15] He missed time with mumps in 1930[16] and influenza in 1932,[17] and he continued to battle knee problems, missing much of the 1932 and 1933 seasons.[18] Jackson was said to "at 28, already [have] one foot in the minors".[19] Despite this, manager Bill Terry said that Jackson would "make or break" the 1933 season.[18] Though Jackson fell behind Blondy Ryan on the team's depth chart during the season,[20] he returned in the 1933 World Series, which the Giants won over the Senators.[21]

Image of Jackson's 1933 Goudey baseball card
Jackson's 1933 Goudey baseball card

Terry stayed with Jackson as the Giants' starting shortstop for the 1934 season,

waivers on Jackson to assign him to the minor leagues.[26]

Jackson batted over .300 six times, including a career-high .339 in the 1930 season,[4] and hit 21 home runs in 1929. He was on four NL pennant-winning teams and a World Series champion (1933). Jackson finished his MLB career with 135 home runs, 929 RBI and a .291 batting average.[4]

Coaching and managing career

Jackson signed a three-year contract with the

player-manager.[27][28] Jackson's knees prevented him from appearing in many games with Jersey City as a player,[2] but he remained as the team's manager until July 1938, when he was replaced with Hank DeBerry. The Giants brought Jackson back to the majors as a coach for the remaining 18 months on his contract, succeeding Tommy Clarke, who became a scout.[29][30][31]

Jackson missed the next five seasons as he battled tuberculosis,[4] eventually returning to manage in the Boston / Milwaukee Braves system for the Jackson Senators in the Class-B Southeastern League in 1946.[32] Jackson returned to the Giants to coach in 1947 and 1948,[30][33] receiving his unconditional release following the 1948 season.[34]

Returning to the Braves' minor league system, Jackson managed the

Davenport Braves of the Class-D Midwest League in 1960.[32]

Personal life

Jackson and his wife, Mary, had two children, Dorothy Fincher and William Travis Jackson, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.[4] Jackson died of Alzheimer's disease in 1987.[4]

Honors

As defensive standouts have historically been overshadowed by

Baseball Hall of Fame voting, Jackson was not elected through the annual balloting process despite his record and achievements. But in 1982, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.[4][38] He was also inducted in the Arkansas Hall of Fame.[39]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Smith, Chester L. (March 9, 1934). "Giants' Faith in Travis Jackson's Knee Vindicated". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 45. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e Erion, Greg. "Travis Jackson". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Travis Jackson Began Tossing a Ball at Age of Three, Playing with Dad – and Kept on Until he Became Star". The Sporting News. June 6, 1930.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m McG. Thomas, Jr., Robert (July 29, 1987). "Travis Jackson, A Shortstop Who Made The Hall Of Fame". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  5. ^ Hynd, Noel (1988). The Giants of the Polo Grounds: The Glorious Times of Baseball's New York Giants. New York: Doubleday. p. 232.
  6. ^ "Travis Jackson Should Prove Good Utility Man For Giants in Series". Providence News. September 28, 1923. p. 13. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  7. The Milwaukee Sentinel
    . Associated Press. November 13, 1923. p. 10. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  8. ^ "McGraw Staging Biggest Gamble in Young Jackson: Filling Shoes Left by Classy Dave Bancroft with 20 Year Old Boy". The Lewiston Daily Sun. November 22, 1923. p. 6. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  9. ^ Walsh, David J. (March 19, 1924). "Travis Jackson May Not Be Able To Fill Bancroft's Shoes Acceptably: Phenom Fails to Sparkle. Giants Will Be in Desperate Circumstances if Youngster Does Not Come Through in Style". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 27. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  10. ^ Farrell, Henry L. (April 7, 1924). "Thinks Giants Will Have Plenty to Worry About". The Toledo News-Bee. United Press International. p. 14. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  11. ^ "Young Shortstops Have Busy Season: Wright and Jackson Miss Few Games with Respective Teams in 1924". Ludington Daily News. Associated Press. December 31, 1924. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  12. The Calgary Herald
    . Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  13. The Milwaukee Journal
    . p. 2. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  14. ^ "Giants Lose Two Players". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 17, 1926. p. B2. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.(subscription required)
  15. ^ "Travis Jackson Under Knife; Lost to Giants". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 2, 1927. p. 11. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  16. ^ Drebinger, John (May 20, 1930). "Crippled Giants Kept Idle By Rain — Prevented From Meeting the Braves, Who Lead, 3 Games to 1, in Series Thus Far. Jackson Has the Mumps: McGraw Considerably Alarmed Over Prospect That an Epidemic May Hit His Team". The New York Times. p. 40. Retrieved April 16, 2012. (subscription required)
  17. ^ "Influenze Epidemic Hits Three Players". Rochester Evening Journal. April 16, 1932. p. 9. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  18. ^
    St. Petersburg Times
    . Associated Press. February 4, 1933. p. 2. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  19. ^ "Travis Jackson's Putty Knee Big Question Mark of World Series". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. September 27, 1933. p. 4. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  20. Youngstown Vindicator
    . p. 8. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  21. ^
    Lewiston Evening Journal
    . Associated Press. p. 14. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  22. ^ "Terry and Cronin Select Squads For All-Star Game Here Tuesday — Six Yankees and Four Giants Among Forty Named by Rival Pilots — National and American League Teams Closely Foll". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 4, 1934. p. 21. Retrieved April 16, 2012. (subscription required)
  23. ^ "Yanks Take Lead, Down Giants, 2 to 1". The Pittsburgh Press. October 4, 1936. p. 3. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  24. ^ "Series Highlights". Reading Eagle. United Press International. October 6, 1936. p. 16. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  25. ^ Gould, Alan (October 7, 1936). "Yankees Blast Giants 13-5 to Capture World Series Championship in Six Games: American Leaguers Chalk Up Seven Runs in 9th Frame, Murphy Rescues Gomez to Aid in Triumph for McCarthymen – Set Records". Youngstown Vindicator. Associated Press. p. 14. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  26. ^ McGowen, Roscoe (January 6, 1937). "Waivers Asked on Jackson to Permit Giant Veteran to Manage New Farm Club — Jackson Accepts Jersey City Post". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2012. (subscription required)
  27. The Montreal Gazette
    . Associated Press. December 30, 1936. p. 15.
  28. ^ "Travis Jackson Signs to Manage Jersey City Club". Chicago Tribune. January 6, 1937. p. 27. Retrieved April 16, 2012. (subscription required)
  29. ^ "Travis Jackson Back With Giants As Coach". The Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. July 16, 1938. p. 12. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  30. ^
    Major League Baseball Advanced Media
    . Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  31. ^ "Hartnet to Giants; Jackson is Retired". The Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. December 11, 1940. p. 17. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  32. ^ a b c "Travis Jackson Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  33. ^ "Travis Jackson to Coach Giants". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. October 15, 1946. p. 14. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  34. ^ "Gowdy And Jackson Released By Giants". The New York Times. October 23, 1948. Retrieved April 16, 2012. (subscription required)
  35. ^ "Travis Jackson Quits Smokers". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. July 2, 1949. p. 15. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  36. ^ Melcher, Ronald (June 24, 1951). "Travis Jackson Named Chiefs New Manager, To Take Charge Today: Oldtime Star To Boss Club From Dugout 'Stonewall,' Promoted From Bluefield, W. Va. Of Appalachian League Congratulations Can Be Returned To Travis Jackson". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  37. ^ "Travis Jackson Eau Claire Pilot". The Milwaukee Sentinel. November 27, 1958. p. 4. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  38. ^ Durso, Joseph (March 11, 1982). "Chandler, Jackson To Join Hall". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  39. ^ "Deserving Quartet Enter Baseball Hall of Fame: New Hall of Famers Travis Jackson, Happy Chandler, Frank Robinson, Hank Aaron". St. Petersburg Times. August 2, 1982. p. 1–C. Retrieved April 19, 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Travis Jackson.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Travis_Jackson&oldid=1179322659"