Whether it’s a product of his 563 home runs, his postseason performances or his overall swagger, Reggie Jackson is a name that is hard to ignore if you collect the lumber of legends. When it comes to the slugger’s bats, the demand can vary depending on the era of the bat. "Mr. October" moved around a bit during his career as he played for the Kansas City A's, Oakland A’s (twice), Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and California Angels. Bats that date to his Yankee days and first stop with the A’s often sell for a premium. Exceptions to this general rule would include special event bats such as those used for and linked to a specific home run or milestone from the latter stages of his career.
In addition, Mr. October seemed to prefer H&B (endorsem*nt contract) bats during the early stages of his career, signed an endorsem*nt contract with the company in 1966 prior to making his Major League debut one year later. Jackson gradually transitioned to Adirondacks (block letter) and seemed to prefer them from the late 1970s until the end of his career in 1987.
While a number of his bats from the first half of his career were made with a natural-colored finish, Jackson did order quite a few hickory-finished (dark-colored) bats. These are seen with or without "sand handles" – ones without added color. Some of his gamers exhibit modest pine tar remnants along the handle, but Reggie did not typically use heavy amounts of the substance.
Most of the time, you can find Reggie gamers with his primary uniform number noted on the knob in marker. As a member of the A’s and Orioles in the 1970s, his primary uniform number "9" would often be underlined in black marker. While his primary uniform number was "44" for most of his career, Jackson did wear "31" during his first season with the Kansas City A's.
Reginald Martinez “Reggie” Jackson (May 18, 1946-) leads Major League Baseball in career strikeouts with 2,597 despite hitting 563 home runs and winning five World Series titles. He played 21 seasons with the Kansas City/Oakland A’s (1967-1975, 1987), Baltimore Orioles (1976), New York Yankees (1977-1981) and the California Angels (1982-1986). Reggie earned the title “Mr. October” after Game Six of the 1977 World Series when he enjoyed a three-homer night capping off the Yankees series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 27 World Series Games, Jackson amassed 10 home runs, 24 RBI and a .357 batting average. The 14-time All-Star was the 1973 American League Most Valuable Player, won five World Series titles (1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978) and was the MVP for two of Fall Classics (1973, 1977). Clashes with management seemed to follow the feared slugger wherever he went, but so did success at the plate. Reggie led the league in home runs four times and slugging percentage three times. Reggie Jackson retired with 2,584 hits, 1,551 runs scored, 1,702 RBI 563 home runs and 228 stolen bases while batting .262 over his 21-year career. Reginald Martinez “Reggie” Jackson was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.
- Legendary Lumber – A Look at Collecting Game-Used Bats
- All Bats are Not Created Equal: How Photos and Player Characteristics Come Into Play
- The Five Most Frequently Asked Questions about Professional Model Baseball Bats
- Bats Are in His Blood – An Interview with Bill Morrow
- A Treasure Trove of the Titans' Tools: Game-Used Bat Collector Scott Foraker on Amassing World-Class Lumber
- An Interview with Game-Used Bat Collector Ben Thornhill
- Love Him or Hate Him -- He's Still Mr. October
- The Batting Cage: Pro Stock Bats
- The Batting Cage: Photo Matching – is it the Only Step in Authenticating?
- The Batting Cage: What Bats Have the Best Investment Value
- The Batting Cage: Bat Player Charts
- The Batting Cage: Why We Collect
- Fact or Fiction: The Babe Used Bats That Were Less Than 35-Inches
- The Batting Cage: Getting Started
- The Batting Cage: World Series Bats
- Provenance: How Much Reliance Should Be Placed on the Written Word?
- The Objective Subjectivity of Grading
- The Batting Cage: My All-Time Favorite Gamers
- Bats Not Appearing in Factory Records and Game-Used Promos - Do They Make the Grade?
- The Batting Cage: Collecting World Series and All Star Game Bats
- The Batting Cage: Getting Started ... With Our Column and Your Collection
- The Batting Cage: The Authentication Process
- A Closer Look at PSA Bat Experts Vince Malta and John Taube
