Jackie Jensen

From SoSH

Jackie Jensen

Born:	March 9, 1927
Birthplace:	San Francisco, California
Hometown:	{{{home}}}
Height:	5’11"
Weight:	190 lbs.
Bats:	Right
Throws:	Right
Drafted:	N/A
College:	University of California
High School:	N/A
Other Teams:	New York Yankees 1950-1952 Washington Senators 1952-1953
Years with Boston:	1954 - 1961

Jackie Jensen was an outfielder for the Red Sox, Washington Senators, and New York Yankees between 1950 and 1961. He joined the Red Sox from Washington in 1953, and went on to win the American League MVP award in 1958, making him one of only eight Red Sox to win the modern MVP award (along with Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, Roger Clemens, and Mo Vaughn), and the only Red Sox MVP winner to come along in between the peaks of Williams and Yaz.

1 Biography
2 Career Summary
3 Awards
4 External Links

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Biography

Jackie Jensen was a two-sport star at the University of California at Berkeley in the late '40's. He pitched and played the outfield for the baseball team (which won the inaugural College World Series in 1947), and was also an All-American halfback for Cal's football team (which played in the 1949 Rose Bowl).

Based on his collegiate exploits, Jensen was one of the golden-boy sports icons of the era. His marriage to an Olympic diver only heightened his visibility, to the point where he was cited in Philip Roth's novel "Portnoy's Complaint" as a symbol of all-American vitality.

1958 was his best season, leading the AL in RBI with 122, his 35 Home Runs ranking 5th in the AL (and leading the Sox), and ranking 2nd in Walks and 4th in OBP. 3 times he lead the AL in RBI, and the Sox six times.

Unfortunately, Jensen's career was limited by what became a crippling fear of flying. Despite attempts at therapy and special accomodations by Sox management, Jensen's fear only intensified as the westward expansion of the major leagues led to longer and more frequent flights for major league teams. Ironically, in 1958 he shared the outfield with 2 other characters, Jimmy Piersall and Ted Williams. He retired before the 1960 season, attempted a comeback in 1961, but then retired again in 1961 at the age of 34.

Following his retirement Jensen worked as a sportscaster and baseball coach before retiring to Virginia.

He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame on May 18, 2000.

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Career Summary

Like such previous Red Sox stars as Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, and Dom DiMaggio, Jensen began his professional baseball career in the old Pacific Coast League. Jensen played for an Oakland Oaks squad managed by Casey Stengel before following Stengel to New York in 1950.

After two seasons as Joe DiMaggio's backup, Jensen was traded to Washington (where he made the 1952 All-Star team) before being traded to Boston in the 1953 offseason for Mickey McDermott and Tom Uphlen.

Jensen was an everyday player for the Sox for the next eight seasons, in which time he made the All-Star team twice and was once the MVP of the American League. Jensen hit .286/.396/.535 with 35 HRs and a league-leading 122 RBIs that MVP season.

Jensen led the American League in RBI three times, triples once, and stolen bases once while with the Red Sox. He also finished in the top ten in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and OPS four times each.

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