Darrell Jackson (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Darrell Preston Jackson is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
. He pitched all or part of five seasons in the majors, from until , all with the Minnesota Twins
.
Jackson was drafted by the Twins out of high school in 1973
, but he did not sign with them. Instead, he played college baseball at Arizona State University
, where he played in the College World Series
in each of his last three seasons there.
In , he was drafted by the Twins in the 9th round of the amateur draft
. He made his professional debut in 1978 for the Orlando Twins of the Southern League
, and in his very first start he threw nine innings of no-hit ball against the Jacksonville Suns
. Unfortunately, the game was tied after nine innings, and Jackson was relieved by fellow future Twin Jeff Holly
. Orlando won the game, 1-0, in 12 innings.
After just 10 starts in the minors, Jackson was called up to the Twins in June. In 19 games, Jackson went 4-6 with a 4.48 ERA. He did record one shutout
in 1978, on July 7 against the Oakland Athletics
.
Jackson split between the Twins and their Triple-A farm club, the Toledo Mud Hens
. In the majors, he pitched in 24 games (including 8 starts), going 4-4 with a 4.28 ERA. was Jackson's first (and, as it turned out, only) full season in the majors. He set career bests in wins (9), ERA (3.87), and strikeouts (90).
Jackson spent most of on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, appearing in just 14 games in the majors and 2 at Triple-A. In , the bottom fell out of Jackson's performance, as he went 0-5 and his ERA jumped to a career-worst 6.25. Things were no better in the minors, as he went 1-3 with an even worse ERA of 7.00 in 4 starts. On July 26, the Twins released Jackson, and he never again pitched in organized baseball.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He pitched all or part of five seasons in the majors, from until , all with the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.
Jackson was drafted by the Twins out of high school in 1973
1973 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1973 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :Four dominating players of the late 70s and 80s were selected in the June regular phase...
, but he did not sign with them. Instead, he played college baseball at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, where he played in the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
in each of his last three seasons there.
In , he was drafted by the Twins in the 9th round of the amateur draft
1977 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1977 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :The White Sox raised some brows when they passed on right-handed pitcher Bill Gullickson, a native of nearby Orland Park, IL, and selected outfielder Harold Baines as the number one...
. He made his professional debut in 1978 for the Orlando Twins of the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
, and in his very first start he threw nine innings of no-hit ball against the Jacksonville Suns
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
. Unfortunately, the game was tied after nine innings, and Jackson was relieved by fellow future Twin Jeff Holly
Jeff Holly
Jeffrey Owen Holly is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played parts of three seasons in the major leagues from until , all for the Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
. Orlando won the game, 1-0, in 12 innings.
After just 10 starts in the minors, Jackson was called up to the Twins in June. In 19 games, Jackson went 4-6 with a 4.48 ERA. He did record one shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
in 1978, on July 7 against the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
.
Jackson split between the Twins and their Triple-A farm club, the Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
. In the majors, he pitched in 24 games (including 8 starts), going 4-4 with a 4.28 ERA. was Jackson's first (and, as it turned out, only) full season in the majors. He set career bests in wins (9), ERA (3.87), and strikeouts (90).
Jackson spent most of on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, appearing in just 14 games in the majors and 2 at Triple-A. In , the bottom fell out of Jackson's performance, as he went 0-5 and his ERA jumped to a career-worst 6.25. Things were no better in the minors, as he went 1-3 with an even worse ERA of 7.00 in 4 starts. On July 26, the Twins released Jackson, and he never again pitched in organized baseball.