When you’ve played this game for ten years and gone to bat seven-thousand times and gotten two-thousand hits do you know what that really means? It means you’ve gone zero for five-thousand. – Reggie Jackson
Ken Holtzman could pitch a game in ninety minutes. Wouldn’t throw a breaking ball. And he had a great breaking ball. – Reggie Jackson
When people push back on you and don’t think you can do it, and you struggle a little bit and wonder if they’re right, it drives you to be successful and to be a great player. – Reggie Jackson
Misconception Number 1, the public always thought, ‘Reggie has a massive ego; he’s narcissistic, he’s cocky, he needs everyone to look at him all the time,’ because that’s what the media told them. Wrong. I could handle the attention. I didn’t let the attention affect my performance. But I never needed the attention. – Reggie Jackson
I do everything as honestly as I can. I give all I have to give. But I don’t let people get in my way. – Reggie Jackson
When you hit a player in the head, you’re more apt to get some fisticuffs or, you know, bring both teams out on the field, but it was more accepted that – in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. I think nowadays it’s a little over-policed because I will always believe that knocking a hitter down, even hitting a hitter at, sometimes, is part of baseball. – Reggie Jackson
I was reminded that when we lose and I strike out, a billion people in China don’t care. – Reggie Jackson
Do you have any idea what Ali meant to black people? He was the leader of a nation, the leader of Black America. As a young black, at times I was ashamed of my color; I was ashamed of my hair. And Ali made me proud. – Reggie Jackson
I’m human and I’ve played my butt off for ten years. I’m not a loafer, I’m not a jerk, I’m a baseball player. – Reggie Jackson
Being a superstar… can make life very difficult, difficult to grow. So I like to visit with my friends, listen to some fine music, drink some good wine, perhaps take a ride in the country in a fine car, or… just walk along the beach. – Reggie Jackson
In the building I live in on Park Avenue there are ten people who could buy the Yankees, but none of them could hit the ball out of Yankee Stadium. – Reggie Jackson
Ali helped raise black people in this country out of mental slavery. The entire experience of being black changed for millions of people because of Ali. – Reggie Jackson
Nature is extremely important to me. Which may be just about the only trouble I’ll have in New York. I’ll miss the trees! – Reggie Jackson
After Jackie Robinson the most important black in baseball history is Reggie Jackson, I really mean that. – Reggie Jackson
I’m tired of hearing people say ‘Reggie Jackson needs New York, needs the media, needs the attention.’ I’ve always gotten it whenever I wanted it. – Reggie Jackson
Everybody in the league knew I had trouble with the inside pitch. I got away with it only because the great majority of pitchers were afraid of making a mistake in that spot. The threat of power is one of the best weapons you have in the batter’s box. – Reggie Jackson
When I hit, I felt I was in control of the home-plate area, and it was important that I felt that way. If I let the pitcher control it, it would give him an advantage. – Reggie Jackson