Travis Jackson
Travis Calvin Jackson
(Stonewall)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 10½", Weight 160 lb.
- Debut September 27, 1922
- Final Game September 24, 1936
- Born November 2, 1903 in Waldo, AR USA
- Died July 27, 1987 in Waldo, AR USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1982
Biographical Information[edit]
"Jackson is at once the delight and despair of every manager other than John McGraw. It's a delight to see him play, but he makes you despair of ever having a shortstop like him." - Bucky Harris
"There is not another 150-pound man in the country who can hit as far as Jackson." - John McGraw
Hall of Famer Travis Jackson played fifteen seasons in the big leagues, all with the New York Giants. An above-average hitter, he had good range factors at shortstop and undoubtedly would have won some Gold Gloves had the award been available then. He appeared in four World Series and was twice in the top five in MVP voting. In his first World Series appearance, in 1923, he was just 19, making him the first player to appear in the Fall Classic before turning 20.
There are two Hall of Famers on his similarity list: Lou Boudreau and Frank Baker. The most similar player is listed as Carlos Baerga, although Baerga was a second baseman who never won a Gold Glove and Jackson's power was undoubtedly more notable in his era than Baerga's was in his.
Jackson's New York Times obituary calls him a "gritty, crowd-pleasing shortstop" who was "widely regarded as the best shortstop in the National League for most of his career". The Giants originally acquired him from the Little Rock Travelers of the Southern Association. He performed at a high level in spite of a series of injuries.
After his playing career, Jackson managed the Jersey City Giants for a year and a half (1937-1938), was a coach for the New York Giants (1939-1940), managed the Jackson Senators in 1946, coached for the Giants again (1947-1948), and managed the Tampa Smokers in 1949. He then began an 11-year association with the Boston/Milwaukee Braves organization, managing mostly in the low minors (1950-1960). His 1954 Lawton Braves won the Sooner State League playoffs, and the 1955 Lawton team had the best record in the league and won the playoffs again.
He fought tuberculosis for five years.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- NL All-Star (1934)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1929)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 1 (1934)
- Won a World Series with the New York Giants in 1933
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1982
Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]
Further Reading[edit]
- Walter M. Langford: "Travis Jackson: He Captained John McGraw's Giants", Baseball Digest, September 1984, pp. 89-95. [1]
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