- Ron Jackson
Ronnie Damien Jackson (born
May 9 ,1953 inBirmingham, Alabama ) is a coach and a former player inMajor League Baseball . He was a hitting coach for theBoston Red Sox from 2003-2006. He now is a hitting coach for a minor league team for theHouston Astros .From 1975 through 1984, Jackson played
first base andthird base with the California Angels (1975-78, 1982-84),Minnesota Twins (1979-81),Detroit Tigers (1981) andBaltimore Orioles (1984). He batted and threw right-handed.Jackson was called up to the Angels after hitting .281 in 144 games for the
Salt Lake City Gulls of thePacific Coast League , and made hismajor league debut on September 12, 1975.In a 10-year career, Jackson compiled a .259
batting average with 56home run s and 342 RBI in 926 games.Jackson played for managers
Gene Mauch ,Sparky Anderson ,Dick Williams andJim Fregosi . With the Angels, he hit a career-high .297 in 1978, and in 1979 posted personal highs in hits (158), doubles (40), home runs (14), RBI (68), runs (85) and games (153) for Minnesota. In that season, his .9943fielding percentage at first base brokeRod Carew ’s Twins’ record.Following his retirement as a player, Jackson coached for the Brewers, Dodgers and White Sox systems. The 2005 season marks his 17th year as a major league or minor league hitting coach, and his third with the Boston Red Sox. In his first two seasons with Boston, the Red Sox led the majors in runs, batting average, doubles, extra-base hits,
total bases ,on-base percentage andslugging average . In 2003 the Sox set ML records for extra-base hits, total bases and slugging, finishing one off the major league lead with 238 home runs. The Red Sox tied an ML record with 373 doubles in 2004.Affectionately nicknamed "Papa Jack", Jackson is a highly respected and popular person among the Red Sox members and
Fenway Park fans. However at the end of the 2006 season his contract was not renewed, as the front office decided "new voices" could not hurt.External links
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jacksro02.shtml Baseball Reference] - playing career statistics and analysis
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