Famous Baseball Feuds – Part 2

By DAVID KITTREDGE
Renaissance Redneck
By David Kittredge

Reggie, Reggie, Reggie! Reggie Jackson was nicknamed Mr. October for his five World Series championships and in particular for his clutch-hitting performances. His fielding was another story though, as he led the American league five years in errors. In 1977, he landed in New York City to play for the Yankees and he proudly exclaimed that he would have a candy bar named after him. He was correct in this assumption and the “Reggie bar” was introduced to the confectionery world. Others claimed that he should have another candy bar named in his honor for his lackluster performances in the outfield, the “Butterfinger.”

Reggie Jackson was a brash, brazen outspoken personality who was capable of carrying his team on offense but was known for his occasional lack of hustle. When Jackson played for the Oakland Athletics a teammate of his, Darold Knowles, was asked if Reggie was a hot dog, a term for a show off at that time, and he replied “There isn’t enough mustard in the world to cover Reggie Jackson.”

Enter Alfred Manuel Martin, the Yankee manager known simply as “Billy,” who was quite a character in his own right. Billy Martin made the news so many times for his on and off the field antics that he was often referred to only as “Billy” in the headlines and all sports afiçionados knew immediately who the story was about.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was famous for spending large amounts of cash to bring top notch players to his New York team and in 1977 he paid Reggie $2.96 million for a five-year contract. That would be about $13 million by today’s standards, due to inflation, which is not a lot of money in this day and age for a big league hitter; some make that much money and more in a single year, but back in 1977 it was considered a very lucrative deal.

When Reggie hit New York, he immediately aroused the ire of Yankee fans and new teammates by announcing that he was “the straw that stirs the drink”.

Billy Martin was not pleased that his boss, George Steinbrenner, had hired Jackson. On the other hand, Jackson when playing for Oakland, in reference to manager Billy Martin, had been quoted as saying, “I hate him, but if I played for him I would probably love him.” I’m not sure that sort of endearment ever came to fruition. It was rather a tumultuous marriage of egos.

On June 18, 1977 the Yankees were in town playing the Boston Red Sox, a game which I had the good fortune of attending, Reggie Jackson was playing right field with Jim Rice up at bat. Rice hit a soft fly ball to right field when Reggie was apparently dreaming of candy bars or some such, because he failed to react to the ball, which landed in front of him and Rice ended with a double on what should have been an easy out. Billy Martin immediately called for a time out and in an unprecedented move, replaced Jackson with another player, even before the inning was over. Jackson returned to the dugout and I along with many other fans could see a kerfuffle playing out in the Yankee dugout. I was sitting in the right field bleachers and couldn’t make out what was going on, but I remember the Boston fans going bonkers in the stands.

When I arrived home from the game I watched the sports news and saw the highlights of the game, which included the tussle in the Yankee dugout. Reggie, who had embarrassed himself by not catching a routine fly ball, and who had been further been embarrassed by his manager Billy Martin by being yanked out of the game before the end of the inning, entered the dugout and Martin went cuckoo, charging his outfielder and going toe to toe with him while prodding Jackson in the chest with his forefinger, driving Jackson backward a few steps while reading him the riot act. It was impressive because Reggie was a couple of inches taller, about 40 pounds heavier and 18 years younger than Billy. Billy had been a scrapper on and of the field since his early childhood. I later read that Jackson had made a comment about Martin’s drinking habits impairing his judgment when he entered the dugout, to which the skipper took offense.

The Yankees went on to win the World Series that year and in game six against the LA Dodgers Reggie Jackson hit three home runs off three different pitchers, a record which stands to this day and as a result received the moniker, “Mr. October”.

Jackson once said in a moment of self-deprecation that “The only way I’ll win a Gold Glove is if I buy some paint.” Gold Glove awards are given to players at each defensive position for having the least number of errors in a season.