Mark Jackson (minors02)

Mark Richmond Jackson

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 177 lb.
• School University of Arkansas

• Born January 6, 1965 in North Little Rock, AR USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Mark Jackson only played three seasons of minor league baseball, never rising above Class A, but was still part of a very consequential trade.

He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 8th round of the 1985 amateur draft out of the University of Arkansas, where he appeared in the 1985 College World Series and played that first season with the Johnson City Cardinals of the Appalachian League, hitting .243/.349/.333 in 60 games. Just as the season was ending, on August 29th, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds straight up for veteran OF Cesar Cedeno. The 34-year-old veteran of 16 major league season, was not having a particularly good year, hitting .241 in 83 games, hence the low cost of acquiring him, but he would catch fire after the trade, hitting .434 and slugging .750 in 28 games to help the Cardinals clinch a division title.

Cedeno's outstanding performance after the trade brought additional focus to Jackson, but it did not instantly turn him into a super-hero. In 1986, playing for the Cedar Rapids Reds of the Midwest League, he hit .205 in 106 games with 2 homers and 19 RBIs. He got another chance to show his talent in 1987, with the Tampa Tarpons of the Florida State League, but it only went slightly better, as he batted .222 with no homers and 10 RBIs in 56 games. That was the end of his professional career.