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Ronald Harold Jackson
Chicago White Sox
First Base
Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'7" Weight: 225Born: October 22, 1933, Kalamazoo, MI
Signed: Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent, June 15, 1954
Major League Teams: Chicago White Sox 1954-1959; Boston Red Sox 1960
Died: July 6, 2008, Kalamazoo, MI (age 74)
A bonus baby signed during the 1954 season, the rules of the day compelled the White Sox to keep Ron Jackson on their big league roster for two seasons. He played sparingly with the White Sox between 1954 and 1957, and Jackson found greater success in the minor leagues. He enjoyed a career year in 1957 with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, where he was an All-Star and batted .310 with 21 home runs and 102 RBIs. Jackson's performance that season led to a full year in the majors with the White Sox in 1958. He did see stretches of regular playing time as the White Sox starting first baseman, appearing in 61 games overall and batting .233 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs. That was to be the last regular action in the majors Jackson would see, as he'd appear in 10 games for the pennant-winning White Sox in 1959 and 10 games for the Red Sox in 1960 following an offseason deal that sent him to Boston.
In May 1960, Jackson was dealt to the Braves for former teammate Ray Boone (#6). He'd play in the minors for two more seasons before retiring. Jackson had a .245 average over 196 big league games, with 17 home runs and 52 RBIs.
Building the Set
December 28, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchase - Card #320
The Card / White Sox Team Set
What do you suppose is happening in that action photo? My best guess is that a ball got loose in the infield and Jackson is scooping it up while checking on a base runner. Jackson's head shot is the same used for his rookie card, found in the 1955 Topps set. Jackson's 6'7" height is played up in a few cartoons on the back of the card as is his successful basketball record at Western Michigan University.
1956 Season
Jackson appeared in 22 games for the White Sox in May and September, batting .214 and making 15 starts at first base. Most of his season was spent with the Vancouver Mounties in the Pacific Coast League, managed by Lefty O'Doul. Jackson batted .304 for the Mounties as their regular first baseman, with a team-leading nine home runs and 49 RBIs.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1955 Topps #66
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5): 1955-1956, 1958-1960
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1960 Topps #426
14 - Jackson non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/14/22.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Building the Set
December 28, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchase - Card #320
The way my Dad and I finished the 1956 Topps set was somewhat anti-climatic but nevertheless a joyful memory. Leading up to the Christmas of 2007, my Dad (with the help of my Mom) scoured eBay and other online baseball card stores for the remaining 29 cards we needed to complete the set. Throughout the weeks and months leading up to the holidays, he knew we had completed the set but he kept it quiet, wanting to surprise me on Christmas morning. I have no idea, and I'll never know, what the true last card was that he acquired to finish off the set. And I have no record, nor was he able to tell me, how much they had paid for any of these final 29 cards.
Our son Doug had just turned one, and on Christmas morning 2007, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our families to our house to celebrate the day. I've had a few rough Christmases, but this was one of the worst as my Dad ended up in the hospital that day and it was the beginning of his health struggles that would continue until he passed away in late 2011. He was discharged from the hospital three days later, and it was only then we celebrated Christmas together, on December 28th, and I opened the package containing the last of the cards needed for our 1956 Topps set.
Dad was understandably distraught that Christmas, but not solely because of his own health issues. Because of his unselfish nature, he was worried that he had ruined Christmas for everyone since we had spent the holidays in a hospital. He was also upset that his surprise package containing those last 29 baseball cards sat in the back seat of his car for three days until he recovered enough to come home. I was just happy to have him out of the hospital, but I do remember feeling confused and somewhat hopeless as we weren't quite sure yet what was wrong with him.
I don't have any pictures from December 28th, which is unusual for me. I'm assuming I was just happy that Dad was out of the hospital and taking pictures never crossed my mind.
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| December 24, 2007 - Dad with his first grandson |
Dad was understandably distraught that Christmas, but not solely because of his own health issues. Because of his unselfish nature, he was worried that he had ruined Christmas for everyone since we had spent the holidays in a hospital. He was also upset that his surprise package containing those last 29 baseball cards sat in the back seat of his car for three days until he recovered enough to come home. I was just happy to have him out of the hospital, but I do remember feeling confused and somewhat hopeless as we weren't quite sure yet what was wrong with him.
I don't have any pictures from December 28th, which is unusual for me. I'm assuming I was just happy that Dad was out of the hospital and taking pictures never crossed my mind.
The Card / White Sox Team Set
What do you suppose is happening in that action photo? My best guess is that a ball got loose in the infield and Jackson is scooping it up while checking on a base runner. Jackson's head shot is the same used for his rookie card, found in the 1955 Topps set. Jackson's 6'7" height is played up in a few cartoons on the back of the card as is his successful basketball record at Western Michigan University.
1956 Season
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First Mainstream Card: 1955 Topps #66
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5): 1955-1956, 1958-1960
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1960 Topps #426
14 - Jackson non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/14/22.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
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