Reggie Jackson comfortable working for Astros as they face the Yankees in ALCS
Reggie Jackson, executive assistant for the Houston Astros, on the field during batting practice for Game 2 of the ALCS at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Oct. 20, 2022. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
HOUSTON — On Tuesday night, on the 45th anniversary of the night he became “Mr. October,” two of Reggie Jackson’s worlds collided.
Tuesday was the night the Yankees beat Cleveland in Game 5 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium and earned the right to play the Astros in the ALCS.
Jackson, 76, the former Yankees Hall of Fame slugger who now is a special adviser to Astros owner Jim Crane, attended Games 1 and 2 of the ALCS at Minute Maid Park wearing an Astros cap.
Mr. October in an Astros hat. It just doesn’t look right.
To Jackson, however, it fits perfectly. He’s an Astro now. His heart is with his current organization when Houston goes up against the Yankees.
Still, Jackson said on the field before Game 2 on Thursday night, “The pinstripes get heavy sometimes . . . I guess I’m used to it, if you will. It’s still awkward a little bit. Used to rooting for the pinstripes.
“But I guess I’ve been here long enough. I’m in the town. I stay just a couple of blocks away [from Minute Maid Park]. Probably been to 40, 50 games here at home and 30 on the road, maybe. I still enjoy the game. Like being around. Texas people are friendly. It’s a little hot here. But they are friendly.”
Jackson’s greatest exploits came in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series — Oct. 18, 1977 — when he hit three home runs on three consecutive swings against three pitchers as the Yankees beat the Dodgers to win their first title since 1962.
Asked if he has to educate the young players on the Astros about his feat, Jackson said: “My ego’s too big for that. Everybody knows. Everybody. It’s like Muhammad Ali: ‘You know you know me.’
“Everybody knows. If you’re in baseball, you know. It’s a great honor, whether you’re a great player like we’ve got [Justin] Verlander here on the team — he certainly respects and acknowledges the accomplishments I’ve had in the game. There’s a mutual admiration between me and the team here. I love what they’ve done here.”
Jackson spent only five seasons with the Yankees (1977-81), but his No. 44 was retired by the club in 1993 and he has a plaque in Monument Park.
Jackson went into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee in 1993, which is when he was hired by George Steinbrenner as a special assistant.
Jackson was a frequent presence in the Yankees’ clubhouse and behind the batting cage, especially during the glory days of the Derek Jeter/Joe Torre era. But his influence in the organization waned and Jackson and the Yankees parted ways in the winter of 2020.
In May 2021, Jackson, who was friends with Crane from Southern California, where they both have homes, was hired by the Astros to help with charity work, community relations and baseball matters.
“The owner’s a tremendous guy,” Jackson said. “He’s generous and fun to be around.”
Jackson’s official title is executive assistant. But his job, just as it was with the Yankees, is being Mr. October.
As the Astros finished batting practice, Jackson was embraced by Houston manager Dusty Baker and fellow Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, the Kings Park native who also is part of the Astros’ front office.
Current and former players kept going up to Jackson, whose mobility was limited. He was wearing a brace on his left leg and leaned on a crutch under his left armpit because of a ruptured patella he suffered recently on a misstep while going down some stairs.
That led to a quip from Jackson when he was asked if he would ever return to Yankee Stadium for Old-Timers’ Day, which the club brought back in a limited fashion this year: “I don’t know if I can play. But I’m sure . . . I look forward to coming and running around on the field again. I don’t think I’m going to hit again.”
Jackson’s final years as an adviser with the Yankees were the first years of Aaron Judge’s career. Jackson said he projected Judge to be a 30-home run hitter and “never saw 62 home runs coming . . . He’s arguably the best player in the game. That changes every two or three years. But certainly, you can say he’s the best player in the game. I’m not overjudging him — no pun intended.”
Jackson also is enamored of the Astros’ stars, including slugger Yordan Alvarez. Jackson recently said Alvarez can use his “Mr. October” nickname if he wants to.
“He can have it,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to earn it. If he earned it, we win.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
