Impossibly young looking Lou Jackson had three cups of coffee as an outfielder in the bigs. He debuted with the '58 Cubs with 35 at-bats including his only homer, was recalled in September of '59 and then headed back to a journey through the minor leagues. He played in the Reds and Braves organizations before he re-emerged with the Orioles in 1964. Just a handful of at-bats later Lou was out of the majors for good.
He ended up playing in Japan following his stint with the Birds and a couple of seasons with their AAA Rochester farm club.
I can't sum up Jackson's Japanese career as well as his Bullpen page on Baseball Reference:
In '68, Jackson collapsed at home plate one day. He struggled statistically that season, hitting .219/.269/.367. The next year he died of pancreatitis. An alcoholic, he was known as a hustling, defensively-minded outfielder.WTH? That doesn't warrant a bit more elaboration? Guess not.
Anyway, Jackson DID appear to lead a grueling life while his career whizzed past. Want proof? Compare his visage above with this pic:
Is that the same guy?
My scan cut off the left side of this card so it's better than it looks. One of my better Rookie Stars cards.
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