Best Of The Oakland Athletics: Top 10 Utility Seasons
By Phil Watson
1. Reggie Jackson, 1972
| Year ▾ | Age | G | PA | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 26 | 135 | 573 | 72 | 132 | 25 | 2 | 25 | 75 | 9 | 8 | 59 | 125 | .265 | .350 | .473 | .823 | 149 |
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/16/2014.
STARTS: 92 in CF, 43 in RF
GAMES: 92 in CF, 43 in RF
Jackson spent much of his season in center field after younger George Hendrick struggled to replace the traded Rick Monday and was still good enough to earn his second straight All-Star berth and his third overall, starting in right field, while helping Oakland to its second straight division title.
He was fifth in the AL with a 5.7 Offensive WAR, seventh with a 149 OPS-plus and 10th with 84 Runs Created, while his 5.6 WAR was sixth among AL position players. Defensively, Jackson led AL outfielders with nine errors and five double plays.
Jackson was fourth in the league with 125 strikeouts, fifth with 25 home runs and 52 extra base hits, sixth with 20 at-bats per homer, seventh with eight hit by pitches, eighth with a .473 slugging percentage and ninth with an .823 OPS, 236 total bases and 75 RBI.
In the ALCS against Detroit, Jackson was 5-for-18 with a run, a double, two RBI, two stolen bases, a walk and six strikeouts, but missed the World Series after tearing a hamstring on a play at the plate in Game 5.