1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 This is RetroSports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history. 2 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:12,600 This is Jackie Jensen of the Boston Red Sox. In a few moments I'll tell you about my greatest 3 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:19,600 sports thrill. 4 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:26,600 This is Harry Wismar. What you're about to hear is a transcribed story of one of baseball's 5 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:37,680 outstanding players. And in the event, our special guest, Jackie Jensen, considers his 6 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:44,400 greatest sports thrill. And Jackie himself is here to tell us all about it. But first, 7 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:51,400 here is Bill Radick with a message of interest from your United States Air Force. 8 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:21,400 In the years to come, Air Force participation in space projects will grow, and so will the 9 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:29,280 number of career fields. So be wise, join the Air Force for valuable training and bright 10 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:34,480 career opportunities. In addition, you will have a chance for foreign travel, receive 11 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:40,960 30-day annual paid vacations, and other extras. Get the full story on the Air Force career 12 00:01:40,960 --> 00:01:47,960 tailored to your abilities. See your local Air Force recruiter soon. Now, back to Harry 13 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:49,840 Wismar. 14 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:55,000 It's a long way from the Golden Gate to the Bay State, but in that vast expanse of land, 15 00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:00,680 a multitude of sports fans are familiar with the spectacular climb of Jackie Jensen, the 16 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:05,320 Golden Gate's gift to the baseball world, which he'd assumed a stunt that no other athlete 17 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:10,940 in America had ever accomplished before. When the Baseball Writers Association of America 18 00:02:10,940 --> 00:02:17,600 officially voted Jackie Jensen, the outstanding player of the American League in 1958, Jensen 19 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:22,880 became the first athlete ever to be named to a football All-American team and the Major 20 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:28,560 League's most valuable player. But even before Jackie won the coveted Duel Honor, he already 21 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:34,840 had become the only athlete ever to play in a Rose Bowl game and the World Series. This 22 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:39,640 quiet, unassuming star from the University of California has been on the threshold of 23 00:02:39,640 --> 00:02:45,040 greatness for five years, but it wasn't until the 1958 season when he batted in the most 24 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:49,560 runs in the American League, came close to winning the home-run crown, and defeated such 25 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:56,280 standouts as Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Roy Siebers, Yogi Bara, Bob Turley, and Rocky 26 00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:02,200 Calavito for the most valuable player award did Jackie Jensen's exploits captivate the 27 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:03,920 country. 28 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:09,280 Rival managers in the Junior Circuit, Al Lopez and Paul Richards are calling Jensen the best 29 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:15,120 right fielder in the American League. A fearsome right-handed power-hitter, Jackie has developed 30 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:21,400 into one of the best clutch hitters in baseball. The 35 home runs that Jackie Jensen walloped 31 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:28,120 in 1958 were the most he had hit since breaking into Major League baseball in 1950. So were 32 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:37,600 his 122 runs batted in. So was his 535 slugging average. In contrast to previous years when 33 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:42,680 Jensen was the target of a barrage of booing for hitting into a record number of double 34 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:49,680 plays, he is now receiving thunderous applause at Fenway Park in Boston. The booing was unfair, 35 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:55,480 especially when you delve into the vital statistics known as the RBIs and learn that Jackie Jensen 36 00:03:55,480 --> 00:04:01,800 knocked in more runs in the start of the 1953 season through the end of the 1958 campaign 37 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:07,040 than any other player in the American League. And that takes in a large order when players 38 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:13,840 like Ted Williams, Mickey Matel, Roy Siever, Jogi Berra and Rocky Calabito had to be considered, 39 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:19,680 for they have been the chief power hitters for the past six years. Jackie Jensen's first 40 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:24,640 Major League team was the New York Yankees and it cost them a lot of money to land him, 41 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:30,200 but he came to the Boston Red Sox for a great deal less. His travel ticket was via Washington, 42 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:37,080 which had acquired him from the Yankees back in 1952. In December 1953, he was shipped to 43 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:42,360 the Boston Club in a three for one deal, one of the best that Boston General Manager Joe 44 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:50,520 Cronin ever made. During his years with the Red Sox, Jackie Jensen has driven in 555 runs 45 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:58,080 and has hit 11211 RBIs and 25 home runs a season. When Jensen reported to the Yankees 46 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:03,880 St. Petersburg Spring Training Camp in 1950, he was immediately the big thrill of reporting 47 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:10,240 to the Yankees was Jackie Jensen's chance to be a teammate of his hometown hero Joe DiMaggio, 48 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:14,800 and he showed it in his hitting. Jackie tied Joe in exhibition game homers, but when the 49 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:20,680 regular season started at the stadium, Jensen was strictly utility. In fact, at times, Manager 50 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:25,560 Casey Stengel wondered what kind of deal the Yankees had made in obtaining this great 51 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:32,360 Pacific Coast football hero. In 1950, Jackie Jensen managed to get into 45 games and hit 52 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:39,800 a miserable 171. However, he did make the World Series, but only by asking. In the eighth inning 53 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:44,680 of the third game against the Phillies, Bobby Brown reached first on an error when he batted 54 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:50,600 for Hank Bauer. The score was tied at the time to all. Brown wasn't much of a runner, 55 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:55,680 and when Stengel was looking over the bench, Jackie jumped up, yelled, I'll run, and was 56 00:05:55,680 --> 00:06:01,000 out there on first base before anybody could stop him. Jensen was that anxious to get into 57 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:08,200 the game. In 1951, Stengel sent Jensen to Kansas City. He begged Stengel to move him 58 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:14,360 to San Francisco under the tutelage of lefty O'Dull, but the Yankee manager refused. When 59 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:19,640 he was recalled in midseason, Jensen did all right. He banged out eight homers and finished 60 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:27,160 with a 298 average in 56 games. When Jackie Jensen reported his spring training in 1952, 61 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:31,720 he felt that he had no chance to make the club. Where could he fit in the lineup with 62 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:37,400 Mickey Mantle, Hank Bauer, and Gene Woodling in the outfield? He was ready to give up baseball 63 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:43,120 and try out for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League. Yet, when the 64 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:48,240 Yankees broke camp, Jackie Jensen, not Mickey Mantle, opened the season in center field 65 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:53,880 for New York. Jensen had a great spring, pounding the ball to all parts of the outfield, and 66 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:58,600 with Mantle not fully recovered from his leg injury sustained in the World Series the previous 67 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:04,680 October, Stengel was happily settling for the golden boy of California. But one month 68 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:10,640 later, Jackie Jensen was traded to Washington. When he arrived in Washington, manager Bucky 69 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:16,280 Harris immediately placed Jackie in right field and bodied him in the third spot. Harris's 70 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:22,320 psychology was quickly rewarded. Jensen put together a 21-game hitting streak that Zoom 71 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:27,600 deserved his average to 305 by early July and was named to the American League All-Star 72 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:35,520 team. In 1953, Washington, in need of a pitcher, sent Jackie Jensen to the Boston Red Sox. 73 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:41,800 It was the nicest thing that ever happened to Jensen and the Red Sox. Playing alongside 74 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:47,400 Ted Williams has inspired Jackie Jensen, and today he is considered one of the most dangerous 75 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:53,760 hitters in the American League. And if what he showed in 1958 is any indication, the golden 76 00:07:53,760 --> 00:08:00,200 boy from the Golden Gate will be around for many years to come. Truly, an all-American 77 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:06,800 boy, no matter what field he plays on. Now, before you meet our special guest, Jackie 78 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:12,480 Jensen in person and hear about his greatest sports thrill, here is a message of interest 79 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:17,480 to all young men with an eye on the future. 80 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:22,280 High school graduates, have you ever met your local Air Force recruiter? If not, you'll 81 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:27,600 be favorably impressed when you do. First of all, your local recruiter has all the facts 82 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:32,120 and figures about the new age of space and the many interesting job openings in the Air 83 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:37,560 Force. Your recruiter will point out the fine technical training available in over 40 career 84 00:08:37,560 --> 00:08:42,560 fields, and he'll give you the full story on the many space age advances being developed 85 00:08:42,560 --> 00:08:49,040 by the Air Force. For example, the radical new jet bombers and fighters, the X-15 space 86 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:55,120 plane, the Titan Intercontinental Missile. The Air Force Space Age picture is an exciting 87 00:08:55,120 --> 00:09:01,480 one, and it can also be especially rewarding for you. If after seeing your local recruiter, 88 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:06,720 you decide to join, you will serve with a fine group of men. So, see your local recruiter 89 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:13,480 today and find out about your place in the expanding space age of tomorrow in the U.S. 90 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:18,400 Air Force. And now, back to Harry Wismar. 91 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,560 Jackie Jensen, what was your greatest sports thrill? 92 00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:27,480 Well, I have to tell you, I played on the same baseball team with Joe DiMaggio and the 93 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:32,880 same baseball team with Ted Williams. Those were childhood idols of mine, and to think 94 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,800 some day in my career that I was able to play with them in the same outfield has been one 95 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:42,120 of the biggest thrills in my life. Of course, I have one other thrill that occurred in 1958, 96 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,880 and that was receiving the Most Valuable Player Award, and it happened to be my chance, and 97 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:48,680 I was fortunate enough to get it. 98 00:09:48,680 --> 00:09:53,240 Jackie, having come into the majors as a New York Yankee, do you think that being traded 99 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:57,800 away may have helped you develop sooner as a ball player? 100 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:03,960 Yes and no. I did get the opportunity to play regularly down in Washington. I enjoyed that, 101 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:08,920 and I'm sure with the experience that I received down there, it helped immensely with the past 102 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:14,800 seasons I've had with the Boston Red Sox. Possibly, no, only because I'd like to have 103 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:20,240 stayed with the Yankees because they are Mr. Baseball of Baseball, and the opportunities 104 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:26,800 to be in a World Series are pretty regular. I think that's another dream that any Major 105 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,080 League ball player has and has to play in a World Series. 106 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:35,520 Jackie, does that short left field wall in Fenway Park favor the right-handed hitters 107 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,240 as much as they say it does? 108 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:41,200 Well, I have to give you another yes and no on that, Harry. It proves quite a problem 109 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:47,600 to a right-handed hitter if the pitcher that is on the mound at the time is capable and 110 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:51,800 has good control and can more or less tease you with balls that are outside, and you still 111 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:55,760 try to hit that wall, try to pull the ball, and consequently a lot of times you just pop 112 00:10:55,760 --> 00:11:01,720 up or ground the ball into the dirt. I'll have to say that it certainly has helped me. 113 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:06,000 Balls that I hit in left center and in dead center field are up against the wall and sometimes 114 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:11,280 over it. Generally speaking, if you have enough experience at playing Fenway Park, you certainly 115 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,240 can take advantage of it. 116 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:17,760 Jackie, having been a teammate of Ted Williams for so many years, give us a little insight 117 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:19,600 on this man. 118 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:24,840 I have a very prejudiced opinion, Harry, since I've seen very few of the real great hitters 119 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:30,280 that have been ball players in the past, like Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth and Garrick and the 120 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:35,080 rest of them. I've only had the opportunity to see fellows like Johnny Meis and Joe DiMaggio 121 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:39,200 and Ted, and there's no doubt in my mind that Ted's the greatest hitter that I've ever 122 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:43,120 seen, and of course he has the records approved that he's probably one of the greatest hitters 123 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:44,120 that ever lived. 124 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:48,960 Do you recall the first pitcher you ever faced as a Major Leaguer? 125 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:55,080 When I went to pinch hit with a New York Yankees in 1950, I was as nervous as a cat in a room 126 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:58,960 full of dogs, and I'm sure that I couldn't remember anything at that time except other 127 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:03,080 than I'm trying to swing the bat and hit the ball. I don't remember the name of the pitcher, 128 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:04,080 no. 129 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:08,560 Having played for two other clubs, the Yankees and Washington, do you find yourself giving 130 00:12:08,560 --> 00:12:12,360 out with just a little extra against former teammates? 131 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:17,000 No, I may give out a little bit more against the Yankees only because you have to do that 132 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,360 in order to beat them. They're a good ball club and they play sound baseball and you 133 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:24,440 try not to make any mistakes because the mistakes that you make are the ones that they take 134 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:28,760 advantage of. I just try to bear down at all times. One club is the same as the other, 135 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:32,840 this is a job to us and we try to do the best we can. 136 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:37,720 What manager, Jackie, coach or player, has been most helpful in your development as a 137 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:39,040 ball player? 138 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:45,960 Well, at the time that my development actually took root, so to speak, it was with my first 139 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:51,560 year with the Yankees and I was very fortunate in having one of the finest baseball managers 140 00:12:51,560 --> 00:12:56,840 in baseball with the club then and still is Casey Stangle. He's a real good manager on 141 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:01,840 fundamentals and to me that is the biggest thing in baseball. Whenever a slump occurs 142 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,480 or you don't seem to be going right, you just try to revert back to the fundamentals that 143 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:10,720 have been taught to you and that's something that Casey tries and strives to teach his 144 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:16,640 young ball players his fundamentals and fundamentals and to me Casey taught me quite a bit and 145 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:20,680 naturally when I was traded to Washington I was able to use a little bit of these fundamentals 146 00:13:20,680 --> 00:13:25,360 and consequently it has benefited me through the years. I think he's a real fine manager 147 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,840 with a real fine organization. 148 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:31,400 As a ball player, the fellow that helped me was an outfielder with the New York Yankees 149 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:36,480 at the time and fellow that I have a great amount of respect and because I was a rookie 150 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:41,280 and he was a veteran but took time enough to help me as much as he could and help me 151 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:46,160 in more ways than one and that was Gene Woodling, a real fine gentleman and a fine Major League 152 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,120 baseball player. 153 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:53,160 Thank you very much Jackie Johnson and the Boston Red Sox, one of baseball's outstanding 154 00:13:53,160 --> 00:14:01,520 players.