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Reggie Jackson played pro ball for 21 seasons.

Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson played for 21 seasons in the major leagues, starting with the Kansas City Athletics in 1967 and retiring as a Los Angeles Angel in 1987.

But it was the year he spent playing minor league ball in Alabama that he opened up about in a Fox Sports pregame show at Rockwood Field in Birmingham. Jackson had played 114 games with the Birmingham Athletics before being called up to the majors, and when Alex Rodriguez asked him how it felt to be back in that place, he said bluntly that it was "not easy."


As a Black player in 1967, Jackson faced virulent racism when the team traveled throughout the South, from restaurants to hotels to fancy venues the team was invited to. He shared examples of being called the n-word and not being allowed into various establishments. He said he'd never want to go through that experience again and wouldn't wish it on anyone.

He also shared how his managers, coaches and teammates had his back during such incidents. They refused to eat where he couldn't eat or sleep where he couldn't sleep. He said they helped him refrain from responding to racist attacks when he was "ready to physically fight."

Watch him tell his story:

Here are his remarks in full:

"Coming back here is not easy. The racism when I played here, the difficulty of going through different places where we traveled. Fortunately, I had a manager and I had players on the team that helped me get through it. But I wouldn't wish it on anybody. People said to me today, I spoke, and they said, 'Do you think you're a better person, do you think you won when you played here and conquered?' I said, 'You know, I would never want to do it again.'

"I walked into restaurants, and they would point at me and say, 'The n***** can't eat here.' I would go to a hotel, and they would say, 'The n***** can't stay here.' We went to Charlie Finley's country club for a welcome home dinner, and they pointed me out with the N-word: 'He can't come in here.' Finley marched the whole team out. Finally, they let me in there. He said, 'We're going to go to the diner and eat hamburgers. We'll go where we're wanted.'

"Fortunately, I had a manager in Johnny McNamara that, if I couldn't eat in the place, nobody would eat. We'd get food to travel. If I couldn't stay in a hotel, they'd drive to the next hotel and find a place where I could stay. Had it not been for Rollie Fingers, Johnny McNamara, Dave Duncan, Joe and Sharon Rudi, I slept on their couch three, four nights a week for about a month and a half. Finally, they were threatened that they would burn our apartment complex down unless I got out. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

"The year I came here, Bull Connor was the sheriff the year before, and they took minor league baseball out of here because in 1963, the Klan murdered four Black girls—children 11, 12, 14 years old—at a church here and never got indicted. The Klan—Life Magazine did a story on them like they were being honored.

"I wouldn't wish it on anyone. At the same time, had it not been for my white friends, had it not been for a white manager, and Rudi, Fingers and Duncan, and Lee Meyers, I would never have made it. I was too physically violent. I was ready to physically fight some — I would have got killed here because I would have beat someone's ass, and you would have saw me in an oak tree somewhere."

People praised the commentators and show producers for letting Jackson say what he wanted to say without interrupting or cutting him off. Some shared that it's vital to hear this part of our history from first-hand sources, as there are Americans who forget or deny that such incidents were commonplace within current adult lifetimes. Even knowing that Black players had a lot to overcome as segregation waned, it hits differently when you hear specific details.

Jackson's story is a difficult but important reminder that Civil Right Act of 1965 changed the laws but didn't magically flip the racist beliefs that made it necessary in the first place. But it's also a good reminder that individual Americans rejecting those beliefs and standing up for racial justice is a part of our national history as well.

Pop Culture

Recently unearthed '90s ESPN clip magnificently celebrates the greatest sports moments of the 20th century

From Lou Gehrig's farewell to Muhammad Ali's declaration of being a "bad man," there are so many gems.

Michael Jordan features heavily in the compilation.

Sports moments tend to live on forever, thanks to highlight reels and the emotions they can evoke in their fans. Recently, a video has been making the rounds that reminds people of some of those moments. In December 1999, sports channel ESPN compiled some of the greatest sports moments of the 20th century to air on New Year's Eve.

With a new millennium approaching, the network wanted to remind sports fans (die-hard and casual alike) of just how far most sports had come in the 1900s. Football helmets used to be leather! Jackie Robinson integrating Major League Baseball! Babe Ruth! Even by 1999, a lot of those moments were being forgotten by younger generations. The video is a beautiful mash-up of the awesome wins and moments that made people hold their breath, mostly set to the song "Dream On" by Aerosmith.


Arguably one of the best basketball players of the 20th century (and beyond), Michael Jordan gets a lot of face time. He had an absolute chokehold on 1990s culture; from his partnership with Nike to his McDonald's commercials, everyone wanted to be "like Mike."

Muhammad Ali also gets a lot of attention, given that he was a formidable figure in the boxing world for 20+ years. From his early days as Cassius Clay to the moment he lit the Olympic torch in 1996 (his hands shaking due to Parkinson's), it's impossible to talk about great sports moments of the 20th century without highlighting his contribution.

There are some moments that you may not remember if you're a certain age. The Chicago Bears performing the "Superbowl Shuffle" is one of them, but it is iconic.
sports moments, football, chicago bears

The Chicago Bears perform the "Superbowl Shuffle" in 1985.

YouTube

Noticeably missing was Kerri Strug's winning vault in 1996 after she had severely injured her ankle. If you were a young woman in the '90s, that is one of the sports moments that would stick out to you vividly. But they do show gymnasts Mary Lou Retton and Nadia Comăneci. We also get flashes of track and field star Florence Griffith Joyner, aka FloJo, tennis star Martina Navratilova, and the iconic moment soccer star Brandi Chastain ripped her shirt off after scoring the World Cup winning penalty kick. We also see Nancy Kerrigan holding her knee after being ambushed at the '94 Olympics.

Comments on the video are full of nostalgia, many people remembering watching the clip for the first time.

"Remember exactly where I was when I first saw this back on December 31st, 1999...with my late father getting ready to start celebrating New Year's Eve. He watched the whole thing without comment and then just said, "Wow". We both had chills...maybe ESPN's finest moment."

"I'm not even a sports fan, but damn if this video doesn't give you a sense of the achievement and dedication that these athletes have. Such an epic video."

"Arguably the Greatest Sports Journalism Montage Ever Produced... PERIOD. I saw it live in 1999 and it brought tears to my eyes then. It's now 2020 and we just celebrated Kobe yesterday. It STILL brings me to tears 20 years later! Bravo ESPN and Thank You!"

Watch the video below:


This article originally appeared on 06.17.19


Even when the competition is fierce, winning at friendship is more important than winning a game.

A viral video is making people feel alllll the good feelings, which we could frankly use more of these days.


Baseball pitcher Ty Koehn of Mounds View High School in Minnesota wound up his pitch. He hurled it to the batter, Jack Kocon of Totino-Grace High School, and it was a doozy. Kocon struck out, which meant Mounds View would advance to the state championship and Totino-Grace would go home.

Koehn's teammates started running out to the pitcher's mound to surround the hero who clinched the win. But Koehn chose to do something else first.

He put his celebration on hold, ran up to home plate, and wrapped his arms around Kocon. He gave the batter a long hug before walking him toward the edge of the field. Only then did he join his cheering teammates.

Koehn and Kocon have been friends and played baseball together since childhood, and that life-long friendship shines through in this touching moment.

No amount of excitement and pride trumps comforting a disappointed friend.

The video, shared by hitting coach Coach Lisle on Facebook, has gone viral because no matter who we are or where we come from, we all love seeing beautiful moments of pure humanity. As one commenter pointed out, we are all bigger than the moment, and this video exemplifies that fact.

For a high schooler who just won a big game to immediately go to his friend instead of his teammates shows that he understands what's truly most important. And for two young men to feel comfortable and secure enough to hug like that in front of a crowd speaks to how far we've come in embracing male sensitivity. Talk about a wonderful display of love, understanding, compassion, sportsmanship, and friendship all rolled into one.

Definitely one to show to the kids. Watch the heartwarming video here:

This HS pitcher struck out his childhood friend to advance to the ...



This HS pitcher struck out his childhood friend to advance to the state championship. Instead of celebrating with his teammates, he did something else:

On July 7th, Shohei Ohtani hit his 32nd home run of the year, a solo shot off of Boston Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodríguez, breaking Hideki Matsui's 17-year-old record for the most home runs hit in a season by a Japanese-born player. What is incredible about this hitting stat is that Ohtani broke the record in only 81 games — literally half an MLB season. Then add in the massive subplot that he is also the Angels' best pitcher and currently possesses an ERA+ of 132 (making him 32% better than the league average). When baseball has become exceptionally specialized, with players, coaches, and management becoming obsessed with the launch rate of swings and the spin rate of a pitch, Ohtani is breaking rational thinking by simply being the Modern Day Babe Ruth. His home runs get hit with such power and force; they are not only landing over the fence of ballparks but making an impact across the entire country and through continents.




Ohtani hits his 32nd homer of the season! (Sets new single-season record for Japanese-born player!)youtu.be



Baseball is known as the National Pastime. Yet, over the last decade, the game has become increasingly regional regarding general fan interest and rating viewership. While fans still care deeply about their home teams, the baseball megastar whom people tune into SportsCenter in the morning to see how they did the previous day, has seemingly gone away. Enter Ohtani, a man who can throw a baseball 100 Miles Per Hour and can hit home runs 450+ feet. Maybe the sneakiest detail about Ohtani is he is also one of the fastest baserunners in the MLB.

Ohtani is a must-watch player. His swing is like watching the Grim Reaper use his scythe to send a baseball to the nether realm. He sprints out of the box with every non-home run hit as if his life depends on it. Meanwhile, the ones that are going out of the park are known instantly by the sound of the bat. If you plan on taking the kids to the ballgame, make sure it is when the Angels are in town because they will get to see something special. Modern-day baseball loves to put players in boxes and label them as a known commodity, putting a somewhat limit on up-and-coming prospects. Ohtani's success will lead to many more players following in the trail of being two-way players over the next couple of decades. Undoubtedly, there is a ten-year-old out there watching what Ohtani is doing and they will try to be the next two-way success.


Shohei Ohtani Doing It All (Two Way Player) 2021 Highlightswww.youtube.com



Impact as a Japanese Player in America


After Ohtani broke Japanese Legend and former MLB All-Star Hideki Matsui's home-run record, Matsui came forth to heap praise on Ohtani as a once-in-a-generation talent. Even though Ohtani is a prodigal talent, he represents something bigger than himself for his country and culture. Japanese and Asian pitchers have integrated into Major League Baseball with more ease and less skepticism than hitters, specifically those whose specialty is power-hitting. Ohtani has crushed those notions. As time has gone on, he has adapted to the style of American pitchers and is obliterating anything in sight. More hitters from Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries may get signed to MLB teams due to Ohtani. Not to mention all the Asian-American youth in this country who have someone they can look up to. Jeremy Lin and Linsanity was a special moment in time that lasted a few weeks and had a monumental impact on so many Asian-American sports fans' lives. Ohtani is not Asian-American; however, he chose the Angels because he wanted to live in an area with people around him that felt like home. Imagine if Jeremy Lin had LeBron James or Kevin Durant's career? That is the potential for Shohei Ohtani.

Baseball is a game and watching Shohei Ohtani play is a unique experience. The biggest complaint about the game from outside viewers is that the game is slow and tedious. Ohtani is the opposite of that. Now more than ever, tune in to watch an Angels game because you might see something from Ohtani that you might never get to see in a baseball game again.