create account

This "almost great" ball player performed in THE ROSE BOWL and a WORLD SERIES. JACKIE JENSEN and what could have been. by yankee-statman

View this thread on: hive.blog |  peakd.com |  ecency.com
sports · @yankee-statman · (edited)
$7.18
This "almost great" ball player performed in THE ROSE BOWL and a WORLD SERIES. JACKIE JENSEN and what could have been.
Welcome Steemian friends. Let's take a look at Jackie Jensen. He should have been a big star. And it could have happened in New York. To be a baseball history buff, particularly of the Yankees one has to wonder what could have been in the case of Jackie Jensen.

Before Bo Jackson there was Jackie Jensen. Let's not get carried away here, but Jensen a star halfback for the California Golden Bears in 1948. He starred in a Rose Bowl and would have been an NFL star.  He left college in 1949 and signed to play baseball with Oakland of the PCL (minor leagues).

![Jensen, Jackie f.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNUFPMx3NXaCLTcy82E17zw1B3bbGLcpqPsrexghrdgSj/Jensen%2C%20Jackie%20f.jpg)

![53jensen2.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQXLxHxrmvo1JeQS3nFBi2o7iu1nTuvnnyWZNn7gLkwsv/53jensen2.jpg)

Above photos: google.

Above Jensen is seen with Billy Martin with whom the Yankees bought together in 1950 and brought to New York.

See the photo below (google) of Jensen and Mantle.

![$(KGrHqV,!lcE5uuJrLD)BOmJw9uj8g__60_35.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPCFi1quYoa7u9au7c2D5wEkMK146rhtffsR1gC6W4vrh/%24(KGrHqV%2C!lcE5uuJrLD)BOmJw9uj8g__60_35.JPG)

Above see Mantle and Jensen, 1951.

Jensen had a great arm, better than Mantle, ran almost as fast, had tremendous power and the Yankees gave him away for a decent player, Irv Noren in 1952.

Jensen had 2 good years for Washington, the to Boston where he had six great years, 5 knocking in over 100 runs. He won An American League Most Valuable Player award in 1958.

![6433_jackie_jensen_signed_ball.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmU2zbNp98podGsnc8skiLPmCDmWCaFHp8RjcLQNQfmycc/6433_jackie_jensen_signed_ball.jpg)

Above: google.

Jensen above made the cover of Sports Illustrated in June, 1958.

In 1960 Jensen decided not to play, came back in '61 and retired for good in '62. 
Jensen had an intense fear of flying and had lots of therapy to no avail. It affected his career. When baseball expanded to the West Coast he could take the air travel no longer, even with hypnosis.

Jensen died of a heart attack in 1982 at age 55. 

In 1956 Jensen appeared as himself on an NBC TV show The Jackie Jensen story. The Jensen story in my opinion is not so well known. He was one of America's least known great athletes.

Thanks for the visit...UPVOTE and FOLLOW.
👍  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
properties (23)
authoryankee-statman
permlinkthis-almost-great-ball-player-performed-in-the-rose-bowl-and-a-world-series-jackie-jensen-and-what-could-have-been
categorysports
json_metadata{"tags":["sports","life","photography","blog","story"],"image":["https://steemitimages.com/DQmNUFPMx3NXaCLTcy82E17zw1B3bbGLcpqPsrexghrdgSj/Jensen%2C%20Jackie%20f.jpg","https://steemitimages.com/DQmQXLxHxrmvo1JeQS3nFBi2o7iu1nTuvnnyWZNn7gLkwsv/53jensen2.jpg","https://steemitimages.com/DQmPCFi1quYoa7u9au7c2D5wEkMK146rhtffsR1gC6W4vrh/%24(KGrHqV%2C!lcE5uuJrLD)BOmJw9uj8g__60_35.JPG","https://steemitimages.com/DQmU2zbNp98podGsnc8skiLPmCDmWCaFHp8RjcLQNQfmycc/6433_jackie_jensen_signed_ball.jpg"],"app":"steemit/0.1","format":"markdown"}
created2018-04-24 01:58:39
last_update2018-04-24 02:36:51
depth0
children0
last_payout2018-05-01 01:58:39
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value5.968 HBD
curator_payout_value1.210 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length2,308
author_reputation11,527,600,073,486
root_title"This "almost great" ball player performed in THE ROSE BOWL and a WORLD SERIES. JACKIE JENSEN and what could have been."
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id51,780,051
net_rshares1,046,853,694,282
author_curate_reward""
vote details (36)
Help/Feedback