Reggie: A Race With Father Time

[bernieh]

[i:81ddeafce7]by Tom Singer
photo: Jeff Carlick
originally printed: The Sporting News, March 10, 1986[/i:81ddeafce7]

[size=18:81ddeafce7]No Longer a Regular, Reggie Still Drives Himself, Accepts DH Role[/size:81ddeafce7]

<img src="http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/images/baseball/stratomatic/1986/story_photos/reggie_jackson_150x236.jpg" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> MESA, Ariz. - Reggie Jackson's pride is hurting. But his legs are in great shape.

If the California Angels want Reggie to spend his 19th season in the majors as a full-time designated hitter, fine. He'll be the best-conditioned DH they've ever seen.

That seemed to be Jackson's approach to a spring training that followed a winter of whispers and rumors and brought him to camp at Gene Autry Park in a defensive position.

No, that didn't mean he'd be playing right field. Manager Gene Mauch had flatly ruled Jackson out of his outfield plans. Rather, Reggie was defensive about his future in Anaheim and wary that the Angels may be planning to phase him out.

"They dropped a $1.3 million contract (Tommy John, released June 19 with a 2-4 record) last year," Jackson said on his arrival in training camp. "I'm another $1 million. Who knows what their plans are. But this club has begun to believe in its farm system."

A summit meeting with General Manager Mike Port soothed Reggie's feelings, and he settled into a rigorous training routine for both body and soul.

He punished himself from 8:15 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. Some observers got the feeling he was driving himself to disprove management's lack of faith in him. Reggie, who will turn 40 on May 18, said he was merely trying to race Father Time.

"I accept the fact I'm only going to DH," he said, downplaying the most obvious source of his off-season dismay. "I've been preparing for it ever since the end of last season. It kinda makes sense now, really.

"I'm not upset that I no longer have a regular job, that I'm no longer one of the mainstays. I'm not concerned about having to work for a job. I've got to be the best at whatever role they give me, even if I think I should have more."

Jackson said as much to both Port and Mauch, who seemed to be won over.

"His enthusiasm for the game and the club shows he's put aside all the stuff that had been written during the winter," said Port, who was upset that the New York press would cause trouble for him from 3,000 miles away. "My impression is that Reggie is ready to play again. His status is the same it's been each of the last four years."

"I don't know what his true thoughts are," said Mauch, "but he told me he'll do what we think is best and I assume he meant it. All I know is, he's in great physical shape, the best I've seen him in five years."

Reggie has labored to earn the right to add to his career figures of 530 homers, 1,601 runs batter in, 1,013 extra-base hits and 2,573 games played.

He spent the off-season on a daily program of three-mile jogs, sprints and weight work.

He led the Angels' camp in overtime. While everyone else ran ten 60-yard sprints at the end of workouts, Jackson ran 25. He followed that by jumping rope for nine minutes in three-minute intervals, and a half-mile run.

Weight work followed that ordeal every other day: 1,200 sit-ups and exercises to tone his chest, abdomen, wrists, forearms, biceps, triceps, hands and fingers.

"I have to work harder just to stay even," Reggie said as he sipped boysenberry and orange juice. "I realized I'm the oldest guy here. I need to produce to help the club, and I need to train harder than anyone to produce. I've always stepped up my training with age. So, really, I'm now training harder to play less."

So none of his reported anger and distrust accompanied Jackson into camp. There was no denying that the anger had been there.

"No matter what, I'll get kicked on the way out," he'd told the New York Times during the winter.

What had set him off? It wasn't simply that he'd been demoted to DH, was it? After all, former Angels manager John McNamara had done that back in 1983. Jackson may have been more upset this time because his right-field job went to George Hendrick - not so much because the two are old rivals from their days with the Oakland A's as because Hendrick, 36, is hardly a kid himself.

More than anything, though, Jackson was upset with Port's attitude. The executive had hinted that the fifth year of Reggie's contract was at the club's option while, in reality, it was automatically activated at performance levels Jackson had met easily.

Jackson suspected that Port was out to embarrass him and remove his $975,000 salary from California's payroll.

"We had a good meeting and cleared the air," said Jackson. "I just wanted to be brought up to date, since I hadn't talked to him except on the phone since the end of the season. What was said six months ago isn't necessarily true today.

"It's fair for him to say, 'Let's see what you can do, big guy.' Then I can reply, 'OK, I'll show you.' They owe me a chance to take the test, but that's it."

Port is impressed by Jackson's attitude and his emphasis on conditioning. "To his credit, that's been Reggie's approach every year," Port said. "It's not like he shows up and it's the parting of the Red Sea."

In 1983 and '84, when he was strictly a DH, Jackson suffered through his two worst seasons. He batted .194, with 14 homers and 49 RBIs in 1983; in '84, he hit .223, with 25 homers and 81 RBIs. Last year, when Mauch refitted him with a glove, he batted .282 as a right fielder and .196 as a DH. He had a total of 27 homers and 85 RBIs.

Why should DHing be different now?

Jackson is optimistic, insisting that he's better prepared for the mental challenge.

"I tried to accept it in 1983, but it was difficult because I was coming off a solid season (.275 with 39 homers and 101 RBIs for a division champion). Now I know I'm no longer 29, I won't even be in my 30s much longer."

Jackson expanded on the age theme, declaring, "I may be pushing 40, but you wouldn't know it if you got in an alley with me.

"My job this spring is to get mentally prepared to be a successful DH. Either that, or I don't play. I'm not ready for that. So you just get your mind ready to do it. Your desire, your will, your want - that's all mental."

His veteran teammates were pulling for him to make a smooth transition. Jackson may not think he's still on the "mainstays", but others do. In the off-season, the Angels lost Juan Beniquez, their leading righthanded hitter of 1985, and Rod Carew, who had the top average among California's lefthanded batters last year.

"He's still a big cog in the wheel - if not the hub," said second baseman Bobby Grich. "I think we're deep enough to overcome a bad season by one individual, but Reggie's still important. He gives us a certain feeling of toughness, an air of confidence."

Added third baseman Doug DeCinces, "He's at a point where he either has to put out, or go do something else. We'll all reach that point. He has to push himself, and it isn't easy. I wish him luck."

Jackson may be in the twilight of his career, but he isn't ready for the dark. He was looking beyond this season, in fact, and hadn't yet formally signed that automatic 1986 contract amid speculation that he was negotiating with the Angels to extend the pact through '87.

"If things go well, I'll play one more season," he said. "I don't know how this'll sound, but I'm looking forward to my last year, as long as I can make the decision when that'll be. If you go out and hit .190 or .200, you have to graciously say, 'It's been a good ride. But it's over.'"

Two springs ago, Jackson was virtually obsessed with his imminent 500th homer. As far as Reggie was concerned, that was enough to put him in the company of history's elite. He abandoned the chase of other milestones, but they've kept coming.

He enters 1986 ranked No. 8 in homers, No. 14 in extra-base hits, and No. 18 in RBIs and games.

This year, he should pass Jimmie Foxx (534) and Mickey Mantle (536) in homers. He's only 18 behind Pete Rose (1,031) in extra-base hits and he should overtake Goose Goslin (1,609), Tony Perez (1,623 and still active) and Ernie Banks (1,636) in RBIs.

"Those things will just happen if I keep playing," Reggie said. "If I'm to help the club, I'll have to hit 20 to 25 homers, drive in around 80 runs and hit .260. If I can do that again in 1987, I'll have close to 580 homers. I'm not saying that's my goal. But in order to stay productive, that's what I should reach."