Jackson’s 10-RBI game a prelude to his 1970s power

Written by: Justin Alpert

In mid-June 1969, the Oakland Athletics sat a game back of the Twins in the American League West.

Entering their June 14 contest in Boston, the 28-25 Athletics had gone 4-4 over their last eight while falling into a run-scoring drought, averaging just three runs per game during the stretch.

Third-year right fielder Reggie Jackson, however, was scorching hot at the plate. The 23-year-old had hit .333 over his last 11 games with seven home runs – one of which had come in Oakland’s 4-1 win at Fenway Park the prior night – and 13 RBI.

Facing rookie starter Ray Jarvis, Oakland’s offense broke out in head-turning fashion, pummeling Boston by a football-esque, 21-7 margin. The Red Sox surrendered 25 hits, walked nine batters and committed six errors in what left fielder Carl Yastrzemski described to The Boston Globe as “the most disgraceful thing I have ever been in.”

“It looked as though someone had thrown a hand grenade into the place,” the Globe said of Boston’s postgame dressing room. The Red Sox faced several issues in the Saturday afternoon blowout – defensive miscues, free passes and a string of ineffective pitchers – but none bigger than Oakland’s left-handed three-hitter.

Jackson opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning before launching a two-run home run in the third. He walked in the fourth and added another two-run shot – this one against reliever Lee Stange – in the fifth. Jackson had already tallied five RBI and would have three more plate appearances, each with the bases loaded.

The first resulted in a strikeout. The second, a two-run single. Finally, in the eighth inning, Jackson singled home his eighth, ninth and 10th runs of the game. All told, he went 5-for-6 with a pair of home runs and 10 RBI. If not for his sixth-inning strikeout, Jackson may have tied or broken the American League single-game record of 11 RBI, set by Yankee Tony Lazzeri in 1936.

“You’ve got to be lucky to have a day like that,” Jackson told the San Francisco Examiner. “Lucky and fortunate, fortunate just to come up three times with the bases loaded and luck when the ball falls in for you.”

Dazzling stat line aside, Jackson faced criticism from manager Hank Bauer for his throwing and baserunning.

“I didn’t have time to think about records,” Jackson told the Examiner. “I was too busy getting lectured all day to think about it.”

“He still goes for bad balls, he’s good in the outfield, but he still wants to throw on the fly all the time,” Bauer told the Examiner. “But he has the potential. He can run, and he’s young. He’s definitely got the potential to be a Mickey Mantle.”

The Athletics jumped to first place with the victory but ultimately finished nine games behind Minnesota. Jackson, meanwhile, slashed .275/.410/.608 and made his first of 14 All-Star Games.

The young slugger totaled 47 home runs and 118 RBI in 1969 – both single-season highs in his 21-year career.