Progress: 1st of this card
103 of 407 25.3% complete
How acquired: $1.79 on ebay
Condition: Good
It's was only in the last couple of years that I've even heard of Jackie Jensen. His career arc and story are about as bizarre and fascinating as any I've ever come across. After serving in the Navy during WWII, Jackie went to college at Berkley. While there he led them to the College World Series Title and beat a Yale team that included future President George H. Bush. He also played football at Cal where as a running back he led them to a 10-0 regular season, and finished 4th in Heisman voting, before losing to Northwestern in the Rose Bowl.
His MLB career was anything but ordinary. A bona fide super star, Jensen won the AL MVP award with the Red Sox in 1958, followed that up with a top 10 finish in MVP voting in '59 only to retire due to an intense fear of flying. He briefly attempted a comeback in 1961, only to walk away for good.
While not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Jensen is a member of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, and Red Sox Hall of Fame.
Stats: 11 seasons, 3x All-Star, 1958 AL MVP, 3x AL RBI Champ, 1,463 hits, 199 home runs
Best Hall of Fame Showing: 1.1% 1968
Terrific card. I don't recall seeing it before so I appreciate the look. Jensen had superstar talent for sure. Too bad he wasn't able to display it more than he did.
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