The Most Cordial Man in Baseball

The guy known as The Most Cordial Man in Baseball turns 79 today – none other than Reggie Jackson. And while you may disagree with our character assessment, it’s impossible to deny that Jackson was a force during his playing days. With huge home runs, a pedestrian lifetime .262 batting average and tons of RBIs and strikeouts, Jackson would potentially be the highest paid DH and sometimes outfielder in today’s game. In fact, Jackson’s motto should have been “go big or go home,” as it was often feast or famine for him. His 563 homers still ranks 14th-best all-time, even in the modern era of grossly inflated power numbers, while his 2,597 strikeouts is a mark that has never been touched, and nearly double that of Babe Ruth (1,330). It’s also more batters than Hall of Fame pitchers Warren Spahn, Bob Feller or Don Drysdale struck out in their entire careers, for whatever that’s worth. But we do love Reggie. He had probably the second most-famous namesake candy bar in baseball history, right after Baby Ruth, and he had some legendary interactions with the late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. And it’s hard to argue with 5 World Series championships and an MVP award all in the same decade (1970s). Say what you will about him, but Reggie truly was “the straw that stirs the drink” in his day.

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