Reggie Jackson 1993 Hall of Fame Induction Speech 

YES! October 18, 1977: As a lifelong Reggie fan, that day was my version of baseball nirvana. My voice is still hoarse from screaming at the tv that day. My utmost respect to Burt, Elias and Charlie; Reggie was just locked in that day; they never stood a chance.

😂

True....as far as players go.

Really miss him has a strange class about him.

He be good spoken fo sure

Um.... Reggie was one of my favorite players as a kid but Darold Knowles said it best "there is not enough mustard in the world to cover that hot dog" or maybe Catfish Hunter who said "Reggie would give you the shirt off his back, then call a press conference to announce it! Despite himself he was as great for baseball in the 70's!!!!

@@ginzod 4 year later. Are you still a dick head?

philip tucci ok is it me or did he look like Karl Malone at the time of this recording?

Mine too!

It's you. And it's childish to make such comparisons.@@andrewpestotnik5495

*IMPOSIBLE DE OLVIDAR ESA SERIE MUNDIAL DE 1977***

Reggie was awesome 😊

It was delicious.I remember in 1978 I opened a Reggie candy bar at the stadium and then looked up. 10 seconds latter he hit one into the upper deck! Its a true story. He was incredible!

I agree. But I think Reggie did it for 2 reasons. 1.Cache. It just means more economically. 2. The Yankees took good care of Reggie when he was there. The winning, the media storm, the fans. He had to do it. But he made his bones as a Oakland A's mamonth. The BIG piece in the middle of that lineup and those A's teams were no joke. They succeed my Orioles and became a most worthy Champion. A team that you didn't cry if your team got beat by them. The A's and Orioles had a intense rivalry in those days and played some epic playoff games. The Birds were more expeienced in 71, but everyone could see the A's were coming and had to be seriously dealt with. After getting by the Tigers and winning their first Championship in '72, it was Orioles vs the A's in '73 and '74 for the Pennant. The Birds tried like hell, but by that time, once the A's got that first one, you had to be next to perfection, because the A's had so many ways to beat you. Probably the most "complete" team of my lifetime. Late 70's Yankees, the Joe Torre Yankees, close behind. No mistskes could be made, especially when the game was on the line. Thats where a Reggie pays off. He thrives on it and in it, you walk Jackson in a tie game in the 8th or 9th no matter. Don't play with fire. I learned that lesson right on a mound. Quick story. I'm 12 in a L.L game. 7th inning (only 7 in this league) Bases loaded no outs. I strike out 2 straight on my curve in the dirt. So the Big Bopper comes up. My catcher runs out to the mound. Asked me "how da f--- we gonna get him out"? I said give him 1 fastball and nothing more. Then we give the soft stuff. I'd rather go out like that, then with him standing at the plate like Reggie. Catcher says "I can dig it" ok. First pitch soft barely crosses the plate. Ball 1. Catcher runs back to the mound. Dude...you're playing with fire.. Throw that fastball. Ok. Next pitch, POW! And he stood there just like Reggie. Quick, violent bat drop n all. I didn't even turn around. After the game he came up to me, and I had to ask. How did you know I was coming back with the same soft stuff. He said..."It happens all the time. Its a ego thing...When you catcher came out and told you to throw that fastball, when you said "ok" it was a ya ya sure sure "ok" and not the I'm gonna strike his ass out right now "ok" I knew right then, without a doubt you were coming back with that soft stuff, and I dug in and waited so I could catch it just right". He said, listen to your catcher. He's in the box with me. He can feel what I'm doing. I could see it right then. How the Big Home Run hitters did it. They played egos and wait for the time. That was Reggie all the way. He influenced that kid from watching and listening.

The A's treated him poorly after his retirement. He couldn't even get a pass to the games. A lack of respect on their part.

Yeah he could but REGGIE JACKSON made a tremendous impact on the whole Yankee franchise! The Yankee Brand of today was built on REGGIE JACKSON's back!.... MR. OCTOBER!!!!!

@@mikeikeda1208 Walter Haas never retired his number either and the A's didn't retire #9 until 2004. I'm an A's fan but I totally understand why he went in the HOF as a Yankee. But Reggie said he still loved his time in Oakland and wants the A's to stay in Oakland.

REGGIE only needed 5 years to become an all time great Yankee because he was already an all time great and future Hall Of Famer before he came to New York. JACKSON wouldve gone to the Hall Of Fame whether he was ever a Yankee or not. I estimate REGGIE lossed obout 60 homeruns coming to the Yankees dealing with BILLY and STEINBRENNER. JACKSON already a great postseason performer before New York but cemented his already superstar legendary status as MR. OCTOBER as a YANKEE! REGGIE JACKSON made the Yankees great again! And delivered back to back World Series Championships blasting 7 WORLD SERIES HOMERUNS in the process! The Yankees dont win those titles without REGGIE JACKSON! In just 5 seasons JACKSON led the Yankees to 4 division titles, 3 pennants and 2 world championships which wouldve been 3 if STEINBRENNER wouldve just left REGGIE alone. And a case can be made that REGGIE was not only the WS mvp of 77 but of 78 also. REGGIE JACKSON made himself just as great a Yankee as he was an Athletic! He could have gone in as either one but make no mistake REGGIE JACKSON EARNED the right to enter the Baseball Hall Of Fame as a NEW YORK YANKEE!

len040484 i forgot all about the candy bar....if i remember right it was like big turtle and was very good.

Yes i remember the Reggie Bar. I think the Reggie Bar was very similar to the BabyRuth chocolate bar

they were great!

Similar to a goo goo bar.

Reggie bars were excellent

I'm a Yankee fan and that's how I feel about David Ortiz. 👍

Only idiots go to games to boo players.

Reggie also struck out so much he leads the majors in total strikeouts

@@spsamp all home run hitters strike out allot.Look at Ruth. With the ball juiced up like now, Reggie would have much more home runs in his career.

Doby was the first black player in The American League. He was signed by The Cleveland Indians.

Doby definitely deserves more recognition...

I grew up an Orioles fan he came to my team from the A’s but left soon for the Yankees I hated free agency and felt terrible when he left, he was a great player and leader. No doubt would have brought a championship, to the O’s the way he did for NY

Todd Matthews he was fired by oakland as a coach, and Reggie didnt like the way the a’s handled the situation so be chose a yankees cap for his plaque

@@NickJones31600 They also banned him from attending A's games for free too. They treated him badly after retirement.

No wonder Mets and Dodgers Fans hate him so much hahahahahaha

@@BBQFanNo1 Jackson could have played for the Mets had they drafted him instead of Steve Chilcott, a catcher who never made it to the big leagues. Chilcott is the Sam Bowie of baseball.

Don't if it's true or not but I once heard Fred Healy knew it was time to retire when he was going back to the dugout after making an out, looked into the stands and his own kids were boooing him.

Didn't sound like he would. He did not throw him under the bus, but he was far from kind to him and was dead 5 years by that point.

Reggie was a great player.......but at best should be a DH..........

I believe Reggie would have invited Billy and have some nice words to say about him. This speech is phenomenal

Doubt Billy would have gave a fuck...

Absolutely.

REGGIE WAS RIGHT!!!!

Not surprising for several reasons... I knew Reggie was Gemini so I looked up Billy just now on a hunch. They re born 2 days apart, May 18 and May 16...it also explains why Reggie started out throwing franchise names out there, as opposed to his own peer group

This is the same guy who came to the Yanks In 77 & disparaged the Captain Thurmon Munson by saying, " I'm the straw that stirs the drink." Then when the slow Jim Rice gets a double out of a single because Jackson was having a cup of coffee in right field, Billy Martin threw him out if the game rightfully so. The next day he tells the reporters Martin was a racist. Chris Chambliss, Mickey Rivers, Roy White & Willy Randolph came to Martin's aid & denied Jackson's charges. Those guys never liked Jackson. How does everyone forget this stuff.

Ya, read the Bronx Zoo and glimpsed the TV version...smart, talented guy, no doubt but that franchise did a 180 from say, 75 to 77; sad for White and Munson who were solid guys during lean years.

In retrospect, there was probably a lot more goin on than could ever be published in a book. At this point of life it's ridiculous. You got a high-profile profession within sport so alot of things that really aren't news becomes news. When you think about it, why should there be a damned camera in the dugout in the first place? Look at all the additional press and drama it afforded. I can find alot better things to marvel at these days than high-profile people whose every day doings are being recorded as news, whether its sports or anything else whats the difference? Nothings changed, except I m not 8 years old anymore.

That as a die hard Yankee fan here agree with you. MLB only in the past few years decide now, after Boggs went in a a Tampa Ray because they paid him.

I am a true Yankee and I am damn proud he went in as a Yankees. I don’t agree at all. You go in as a Yankee...doesn’t get any better than that.

@@marcosc7375 Yankees don't have the character that the athletics do. Go back and look at the difference of those teams. He will always be an Oakland athletic

Nick Medina hey if you think that...it’s your opinion. He decided to be a Yankee and a Yankee he shall be seen in the Hall of Fame as buddy. But hey keep that Athletic pride it should take you to whatever way it will take you. Lol

@@marcosc7375 lol the same Way that Yankee pride takes you wherever right ? Go back and look at that mustache gang. Yankees would never be like that. Raiders and A's were the rebels of Oakland. Blue collar city . The Yankees paid Reggie to go in a Yankee. The A's wouldn't do it because they expected loyalty from an all time great with the organization. Reggie though doesn't have that loyalty. Reggie even played his last game as an Athletic.

his parents divorced when he was 4 and he was raised by his father

God is a title not a name

@@uncasunga1800 God is God. Don't use his name in vain. Period.

big as a mattress, easy to hit

He called them that because he could lay all over em!!!

Fuck you!

@@WilMars-rr1ny lol

Nick Medina but he didn’t. Go back in time and go. On your knees and beg him to change teams. Lol

@@marcosc7375 that might be some stuff you Yankee fans do. but out here in Oakland we don't do that. Hard pass on that. He will always be an Athletic and he won as an athletic. New York just has the east coast bias BS

Nick Medina what do us Yankee fans do. We just love our team. Just as much as the fans on the west coast. He preformed Yankees. That’s it.

@@nickmedina3674 FUCK YOU!

A's should have treated him better after retirement. Clearly the A's organization of the late '80's didn't gaf about him; not letting him in the ballpark?!!!! That's criminal. At least the organization finally retired #9 in 2004.

MIKE STOP SMOKE THAT SHIT SURE IS ALL ABOUT HIM WHO outs LOOKS TO ME YOU GOT NOT IDEA ABOUT BASEBALL MR REGGIE Jackson IS ONE OF THE best BASEBALL PLAYER EVER STEP IN EARTH

1976 - Yankees swept by Reds 1977-1978 Yankees win, the Yankees win!

Did you hear the people he thanked, especially the last one? Where are you coming from?

on this occasion, it was all about him....PUNK!