Net Worth Ranker
What Is Reggie Jackson’s Net Worth?
Reggie Jackson, a prominent figure in American baseball history, has accumulated a net worth of $20 million. This valuation stems from his earnings as a professional baseball player, endorsements, and other ventures undertaken throughout his career and post-retirement. While specific details about his investment portfolio are not publicly available, his career earnings provide a substantial base for his current net worth.
Reggie Jackson’s Career Earnings and Contract Details
During his MLB career, spanning from 1967 to 1987, Reggie Jackson earned a total of slightly over $9 million in baseball salary. When adjusted for inflation to today’s dollars, this equates to approximately $22 million. His peak annual salary was around $1 million, which he received each year from 1982 to 1986 while playing for the California Angels. In today’s economy, that annual salary is equivalent to about $2.5 million.
Jackson’s contract with the California Angels was a significant milestone in his career. Signed in 1982, this five-year contract solidified his return to California. Although the precise terms of the contract beyond the annual salary are not publicly available, it can be inferred that it included standard clauses such as performance bonuses and potential incentives based on team achievements.
His earlier contracts with the New York Yankees (1977-1981) also played a crucial role in his financial success. While specific details of these contracts are not widely published, playing for a high-profile team like the Yankees undoubtedly boosted his marketability and potential for endorsement deals.
Early Life and Background
Reggie Jackson was born on May 18, 1946, in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a household led by his father, Martinez Jackson, after his parents divorced when Reggie was four years old. His father, a tailor by profession, also had a background as a second baseman with the Newark Eagles, a team in the Negro leagues.
Reggie attended Cheltenham High School, where he distinguished himself as an athlete in multiple sports, including football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. One notable fact about his high school experience is that future Israeli politician Benjamin Netanyahu was one of his classmates. Reggie was three years older than Benjamin.
During his junior year in high school, Reggie suffered a severe spinal injury, breaking five vertebrae. Initially, there were concerns that he might not walk again. However, he made a full recovery and continued to excel in sports. His athletic abilities led to recruitment interest from both football and baseball programs after he graduated in 1964.
Shortly after his graduation, his father faced legal challenges and was arrested for bootlegging, which resulted in a six-month jail sentence. Despite the challenges, Reggie’s athletic talent continued to attract attention, even from teams in the South, which were willing to consider breaking the color barrier to work with him. He eventually chose to attend Arizona State University on a football scholarship but later switched to the baseball team after his freshman year.
Reggie Jackson’s MLB Career
Reggie Jackson’s baseball journey began when he was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics as the second overall pick in 1966. After a year in the Minor Leagues, he was called up to the Major Leagues in June 1967. His debut in the major leagues was a doubleheader in Kansas City as part of the Athletics.
In 1968, the Athletics relocated to Oakland, becoming the Oakland Athletics. In 1969, Reggie hit 47 home runs and was briefly ahead of the pace of Babe Ruth when he set the previous record in 1927. He played with the Athletics until 1975 before playing with the Baltimore Orioles for just one season.
His time with the New York Yankees from 1977 to 1981 was particularly memorable. In 1977, he famously hit three home runs in the final game of the World Series, earning him the nickname “Mr. October.” Once the 1981 season was over, he became a free agent with a desire to return to California to play.
The owner of the California Angels, Gene Autry, signed him to a five-year contract. He played his first game back on April 27, 1982, at Yankee Stadium with the Angels. He broke out of a season-starting slump to hit a home run off former teammate Ron Guidry. The Angels won the American League West in 1985 and 1986.
On the 17th anniversary of the day Reggie hit his first home run, September 17, 1984, he hit his 500th home run at Anaheim Stadium off Bud Black of the Royals. In 1987, he signed a one-year contract to return to the Oakland A’s, wearing the number 44, which he was now most associated with. He retired after one season at age 41. His last at-bat was at Comiskey Park in Chicago on October 4, 1988.
Reggie Jackson’s baseball legacy was immense. He played for 21 seasons and reached post-season in 11 of them. He won six pennants and five World Series. Jackson hit 563 career home runs. Over the course of his career, he was a 14-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, a two-time World Series MVP, and a Babe Ruth Award Winner. Reggie was the first major leaguer to hit 100 home runs for three different clubs, having his over 100 for the Angels, Yankees, and the Athletics. Jackson remains the only player in the “500 home run club” who never had consecutive 30-home run seasons in a career.
Other Ventures and Endorsements
During his off-seasons as a major leaguer, Reggie Jackson worked as a field reporter and commentator for ABC Sports, providing analysis in the booth. He also had the responsibility of presiding over the World Series Trophy presentations in the ’80s. After retiring, he returned to his commentary role for ABC, covering the 1988 American League Championship Series.
Reggie Jackson also ventured into acting, appearing in films such as “Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” where he portrayed an Angels outfielder programmed to assassinate the Queen of England. He also had roles in “Richie Rich,” “BASEketball,” “Summer of Sam,” and “The Benchwarmers.” Additionally, he made guest appearances on TV shows including “Diff’rent Strokes,” “The Love Boat,” “MacGyver,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” and “Archie Bunker’s Place.”
He co-authored a book with fellow Hall of Famer Bob Gibson in 2010 titled “Sixty-Feet Six-Inches.” Reggie also endorsed the Sega Master System baseball video game “Reggie Jackson Baseball.” While the specific financial details of these ventures and endorsements are not publicly available, they have undoubtedly contributed to his overall earnings and net worth.
Real Estate Holdings
Over the years, Reggie Jackson has owned multiple properties, primarily located on the West Coast. In 1988, a fire destroyed his home in Oakland, California, along with a warehouse containing his car collection, valued at $3.2 million. His real estate portfolio also includes homes in Carmel and Newport Beach, California. Specific addresses and details of these properties are not publicly disclosed.
Personal Challenges
Reggie Jackson faced several personal challenges throughout his career. In the early morning hours of June 1, 1980, he was the victim of an attempted shooting after hitting the game-winning 11th-inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays. While searching for a parking spot near a bar in Manhattan, he was confronted by the occupants of another vehicle, who yelled racial slurs and threw a broken bottle at his car. One of the men fired three shots at Jackson with a .38 caliber revolver, but none hit him. Angel Viera was charged with attempted murder.
Later that summer, after celebrating his 400th career home run, Jackson was accosted and had a gun pointed at him as he left Jim McMullen’s Bar on the Upper East Side. In March 1985, he was attacked after a California Angels spring training session. Later that month, he was attacked again and threatened with a tire iron while leaving his bungalow at the Angels’ spring training residence at the Gene Autry Hotel.
