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CNN Live Today
Interview with Reggie Jackson
Aired October 18, 2002 - 10:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, baseball players are often called the boys of summer. But no one has conquered autumn like Reggie Jackson. Twenty-five years ago today, Jackson belted three home runs in the 1977 World Series, and he did it on three pitches, not only sealing the Yankees win, but also earning him that legendary nickname, Mr. October.
And likely, nothing like that will ever happen again in any sport.
Now, Jackson's feat is so ingrained in memory, it is one of 30 gems to compete for the single most memorable moment on the diamond. Major League Baseball and Mastercard International are going to announce the winning moment before game four of the World Series.
Now, Reggie Jackson is with us this morning, joining us from New York -- and I have got to think that that is the most memorable moment for you, is it not?
REGGIE JACKSON, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: Unless you talk about my daughter, unless she's listening, I got to let everybody know, and her especially, that she is my most memorable moment, and every time I see her I have a memorable moment, but if you want to just limit it to baseball, Leon, then certainly the three home runs, being in New York and being with the Yankees, that's my greatest moment in baseball.
HARRIS: You're a politician now. Huh? Nice tapdance there. Let me ask you about that moment. Has there been any event that you have been to -- in fact, let me ask it this way, when's the last time you've been to an event, the last time you have been in public where someone has not asked you about that night?
JACKSON: Well, certainly it does happen, Leon, but I think when you get around October and you talk about October 18th, which is today, the three home runs, then certainly it does -- it does come up quite a bit. I was was traveling a couple days ago on the aircraft, coming into New York and people said, Gosh, thanks for the memories, I know that the anniversary is coming up, Reggie, and thank you so much.
So to have that thought come to mind all the time, and have people remind me of it, there's nothing like it. I think any time you have a memorable moment, and when it's relative to sports, you go back whether it's high school, professional, and this time Major League Baseball, Mastercard getting together, to bring things back up that remind us of good times, being with good people. It's -- you know, I have got to use a word that we used when we were kids. It's nothing but neat.
HARRIS: Yes, I'm with you on that one. Now let me ask you this -- I know your heart is with the Yankees. You're in New York so you can't talk bad about them right now anyway, but according to my research this morning, you played almost as many games with the Angels, as a member of that team, as you did with the Yankees. So, where are your sentiments this time around, or need I even ask?
JACKSON: Well, they beat the Yankees, and so we're out of it, so I can safely root for the California Angels. The Anaheim Angels is what it is. I played there, and had great times there. Still own a home there. My daughter lives there. At the same time, Leon, I think they, as well as the Oakland A's, were playing the best baseball down the stretch. They've gotten contributions very similar to the way the '96 Yankees did from every player on the roster. Gotten a great job from the staff, pitching coach, hitting coach. The manager as well. And so I see them as playing the best baseball here down the stretch, and I think they're going to give the Giants just about as much as they want, possibly even more, and I like the California Angels here in six games.
HARRIS: You know, sometime in the future, that ten-run inning in the seventh might be one of these memorable moments down the road.
Let me ask you before we go, 563 homers, 2,584 hits. Ever think about how those numbers would be different if you had done steroids, like a lot of these players are doing today?
JACKSON: Well, you -- certainly, you think about it. It runs across your mind, but Leon, I think that the players of my era and the era before me, be it DiMaggio, and Ruth, and Gherig, be it Mays, Mantle, and Duke Snider (ph), Henry Aaron and Billy Williams, the players that I played with, Rice and Schmidt and Johnny Bench. I think they all, in each era, would have the same kind of numbers that were produced by the top players during that era. So, whether it was DiMaggio or Mantle or Jackson or Bench or whatever, they would be hitting the 50 and 60 home runs right now. To hit 70, I think, or 73, like Bonds or Maguire, I think takes a very special guy, and to say that anybody would have done that, I don't think that's something you can say, and I think as long as those fellows are on top, they deserve the crown, and we need to just tip our cap to them, and say that their moment was priceless and it will be memorable for all of us.
HARRIS: Well, you called them a special guy. It takes one to know one. Reggie Jackson, thank you very much, appreciate you taking time to talk with us today. Happy anniversary, and give your daughter our regards as well.
JACKSON: Will do.
HARRIS: All right. Have a good one.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 18, 2002 - 10:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, baseball players are often called the boys of summer. But no one has conquered autumn like Reggie Jackson. Twenty-five years ago today, Jackson belted three home runs in the 1977 World Series, and he did it on three pitches, not only sealing the Yankees win, but also earning him that legendary nickname, Mr. October.
And likely, nothing like that will ever happen again in any sport.
Now, Jackson's feat is so ingrained in memory, it is one of 30 gems to compete for the single most memorable moment on the diamond. Major League Baseball and Mastercard International are going to announce the winning moment before game four of the World Series.
Now, Reggie Jackson is with us this morning, joining us from New York -- and I have got to think that that is the most memorable moment for you, is it not?
REGGIE JACKSON, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: Unless you talk about my daughter, unless she's listening, I got to let everybody know, and her especially, that she is my most memorable moment, and every time I see her I have a memorable moment, but if you want to just limit it to baseball, Leon, then certainly the three home runs, being in New York and being with the Yankees, that's my greatest moment in baseball.
HARRIS: You're a politician now. Huh? Nice tapdance there. Let me ask you about that moment. Has there been any event that you have been to -- in fact, let me ask it this way, when's the last time you've been to an event, the last time you have been in public where someone has not asked you about that night?
JACKSON: Well, certainly it does happen, Leon, but I think when you get around October and you talk about October 18th, which is today, the three home runs, then certainly it does -- it does come up quite a bit. I was was traveling a couple days ago on the aircraft, coming into New York and people said, Gosh, thanks for the memories, I know that the anniversary is coming up, Reggie, and thank you so much.
So to have that thought come to mind all the time, and have people remind me of it, there's nothing like it. I think any time you have a memorable moment, and when it's relative to sports, you go back whether it's high school, professional, and this time Major League Baseball, Mastercard getting together, to bring things back up that remind us of good times, being with good people. It's -- you know, I have got to use a word that we used when we were kids. It's nothing but neat.
HARRIS: Yes, I'm with you on that one. Now let me ask you this -- I know your heart is with the Yankees. You're in New York so you can't talk bad about them right now anyway, but according to my research this morning, you played almost as many games with the Angels, as a member of that team, as you did with the Yankees. So, where are your sentiments this time around, or need I even ask?
JACKSON: Well, they beat the Yankees, and so we're out of it, so I can safely root for the California Angels. The Anaheim Angels is what it is. I played there, and had great times there. Still own a home there. My daughter lives there. At the same time, Leon, I think they, as well as the Oakland A's, were playing the best baseball down the stretch. They've gotten contributions very similar to the way the '96 Yankees did from every player on the roster. Gotten a great job from the staff, pitching coach, hitting coach. The manager as well. And so I see them as playing the best baseball here down the stretch, and I think they're going to give the Giants just about as much as they want, possibly even more, and I like the California Angels here in six games.
HARRIS: You know, sometime in the future, that ten-run inning in the seventh might be one of these memorable moments down the road.
Let me ask you before we go, 563 homers, 2,584 hits. Ever think about how those numbers would be different if you had done steroids, like a lot of these players are doing today?
JACKSON: Well, you -- certainly, you think about it. It runs across your mind, but Leon, I think that the players of my era and the era before me, be it DiMaggio, and Ruth, and Gherig, be it Mays, Mantle, and Duke Snider (ph), Henry Aaron and Billy Williams, the players that I played with, Rice and Schmidt and Johnny Bench. I think they all, in each era, would have the same kind of numbers that were produced by the top players during that era. So, whether it was DiMaggio or Mantle or Jackson or Bench or whatever, they would be hitting the 50 and 60 home runs right now. To hit 70, I think, or 73, like Bonds or Maguire, I think takes a very special guy, and to say that anybody would have done that, I don't think that's something you can say, and I think as long as those fellows are on top, they deserve the crown, and we need to just tip our cap to them, and say that their moment was priceless and it will be memorable for all of us.
HARRIS: Well, you called them a special guy. It takes one to know one. Reggie Jackson, thank you very much, appreciate you taking time to talk with us today. Happy anniversary, and give your daughter our regards as well.
JACKSON: Will do.
HARRIS: All right. Have a good one.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
