Reggie Jackson encountered severe racism during his MLB career and opened up on Thursday night about how he would never wish what he went through on anyone.
Jackson was taking part in Fox Sports’ pregame coverage of the Giants-Cardinals game from Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, where he played for the Athletics’ Double-A affiliate in the late 1960s, and was asked by Alex Rodriguez how it felt to be back.
“It’s not easy coming back here,” Jackson said.
Warning: explicit language
“The racism I experienced when I played here, the difficulties we faced on the road in various places, I was fortunate to have the coach and players on the team to help me, but I don’t want anyone to go through the same thing.”
Jackson said when asked how he viewed the experience of triumphing and overcoming a challenge.
“I said I don’t want to do it again,” Jackson continued.
“When I walk into a restaurant, they point at me and say, ‘You’re a great guy. [N-word] “You can’t eat here,” I was told. [N-word] “We can’t stay here,” we said. [former A’s owner] I went to Charlie Finley’s country club for a homecoming dinner, and they pointed at me and said the N-word. ‘He doesn’t belong here.’ Finley brought out his whole team.
“Finally they let us in. He said, ‘Let’s go to the diner and get a burger. Let’s go wherever we’re called.'”
Jackson’s MLB career lasted from 1967 to 1987, playing for the Athletics, Orioles, Yankees and Angels.
Speaking on Fox television Thursday, he thanked his teammates for supporting him during the racist incident.
“I was lucky to have a manager called Johnny McNamara, so no one would eat where I couldn’t. [there]”We got some food for the trip,” Jackson said.
“When I couldn’t stay at the hotel, they drove to the hotel next door to find me a place to stay. If it weren’t for Rollie Fingers, Johnny McNamara, Dave Duncan, Joe and Sharon Rudy, I would have been sleeping on their couch three or four nights a week for about a month and a half. Finally, they threatened to burn down my apartment if I didn’t move out. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
