8THE GIFT AND THE CURSE

THE GIFT
and

THE CURSE





THE GIFT AND THE CURSE
THE JEFF JACKSON STORY

Published by
1st Round Sports
Entertainment Consulting, LLC

Copyright © 2018 by Author Jeff Jackson
All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. All reasonable steps have
been taken to contact copyright holders of material used in this book. The
publisher would be pleased to make suitable arrangements with whom it has not

been possible to reach.
This book is a work of non-fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations,

places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s personal
experience and/or memories.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact:
Email: [email protected]

(www.thejeffjacksonstory.com)

Book and Cover design by Jeff Jackson
Back Cover Photograph by Amy Stone

www.amystonephoto.com

First Edition: May 2018

THE GIFT and THE CURSE is a book that would not have
been possible to write if it wasn't for God, my family, friends,
and coaches that have contributed to my baseball career and

helped shape and mold my life in one way or another
throughout my years. I would like to take this time to

acknowledge and thank them for their guidance, support, love,
and friendship.

First and foremost I would like to thank My Heavenly
Father God for always watching over me and giving me
strength, guidance, protection and loving me unconditionally.
To my mom for always believing in me and encouraging me to
be the best person that I can be. To my siblings Keith, Katrice,
and Shonica thanks for always being there for me no matter
what, negative or positive. To my children Jeff Jr. and Asia

thank you for loving me unconditionally and showing me what
true love means. To the mothers of my two children, Maarha
and Theresa, I want to especially thank you for the memories,
and also raising our kids with lots of love and compassion.

To my friends, Patrick Magee and James Webb, thanks for
discovering me and teaching me how to play the game of
baseball. To the coaches that inspired me to be a great player,
as well as a man. I would like to thank Mr. Haley, Johnny
Burchett Sr., Coach Hamp, and Coach Frank for all that you
taught me about the game of baseball, as well as life.

To my friend Nancy for your friendship and support
throughout the years..... Last but not least to Dana for helping
me write this book. Thanks for all the long hours you spent on
this project and your time and patience with me during this
process...



DEDICATED TO
To My Entire Family and Friends

In Loving Memory of
Kenneth Rhymes



Chapter 1 Acknowledgements ………………. 7
Chapter 2 Introduction ………………. 13
Chapter 3 The Beginning of Baseball ………………. 15
Chapter 4 The Little League World Series ………………. 21
Chapter 5 A Star Was Born ………………. 37
Chapter 6 Life Changing Experience ………………. 57
The First Day On The Job ………………. 65
Chapter 7 The Wooden Bat, the Wrong ………………. 73
Chapter 8 Swing?
Chapter 9 Home Sick ………………. 83
Chapter 10 My Good Luck Charm ………………. 87
Chapter 11 My First Love ………………. 95
Chapter 12 Confusion ………………. 103
Chapter 13 Bad Shoulder ………………. 117
Chapter 14 Rule 5 Draft ………………. 123
Chapter 15 A Bad Attitude ………………. 129
Chapter 16 The Explosion ………………. 135
Chapter 17 Game Over A Peaceful Exit ………………. 145
Chapter 18 Encore ………………. 149
Maahra - My Lifesaver ………………. 155
My WHY ………………. 163



For many years, I heard the jeers. I read the newspaper
articles. I even got the calls about the books and newspaper
articles that told their rendition of what they considered to be
my truth and failure. I shook my head at the falsehoods that
they spread in the media. I humbled myself to any truths. I hid
from the notoriety when it became unbearable. I swallowed the
pain, and I proceeded.

For years, I let the media recount to the world what they felt
they knew about me and my career, but after retiring, I had to
do some major soul searching in order to get back to a happy
place. It took me a long time to come to the point, at this place
and time, in which I could finally tell the people what
transpired over the course of my career. So many years have
passed, and now I have finally reached the point that I am
ready to indeed share my story.

I am Jeff Jackson; Philadelphia Phillies Former 1st round
draft pick.





that told her that the surgery would not be necessary and that I
would eventually grow out of the abnormality as I got older.

I spent my early childhood with a severe case of
asthma, having difficulty breathing. I would have to take a
'time out' to catch my breath when playing outside, and if I
went too hard, I would vomit. I eventually taught myself
how to breathe properly, relax and pace myself while playing
outside with the other kids in the neighborhood. Somehow, I
would miraculously grow out of asthma and handicaps that
the hole in my heart first presented as a newborn.

When I was 7, my family and I moved to the Fernwood Area
in South-side of Chicago. I remember we moved in the
winter because the weather prevented us from going out.
B By Spring, I began to plant myself on the front porch,
as every new kid would to begin meeting people and
making friends in the neighborhood. One day, a group of
about 8 or 9 boys was walking down the street
carrying baseball equipment in their hands; they stopped
in front of me. The leader of the group was a guy named
Patrick Magee. He walked up to me with his group in tow.

"What's up Little Man?", he asked.
“What's up?”
“You new around here?”
"Yes", I replied.
“What you doing?”
“I'm just sitting here doing nothing...what's up with you
guys?”

THE JEFF JACKSON STORY
“Well we finna go play baseball across the street, you wanna
come?”

"I don't know how to play baseball."
"Well come on anyway, I will teach you."
And teach me, Patrick did.
That day I would play my first game of baseball, and also
gain a mentor and friend, Patrick Magee. He was the guy who
officially introduced me to baseball. From that point on, I
began to hang out with Patrick and his little brother, Alanzo,
every day. Patrick had taken me under his wing, and the rest
of the kids in the neighborhood who played baseball. Baseball
began as a way for me to be accepted. I didn't know it was
there to shape the pattern of my life.
Patrick and a guy named Jimmy Webb were pivotal to my
immediate grasp and love for baseball.

Patrick, Alanzo and I pictured after receiving our All-
Star jacket and trophy at the 1983 JRW Banquet

17

THE BEGINNING OF BASEBALL

They both had little brothers "Shaun Webb" and "Alanzo
Burton" around my age, who played baseball, and whom I
befriended. I remained close to Patrick and Jimmy because of
my friendship with their little brothers. They both helped to
increase my skills in baseball, by teaching me what they knew.
Patrick, in particular, worked with me for about 3 years, and I
caught on pretty quickly by playing in neighborhood pick up
games, and playing with the Fernwood Park Expos.

However, by the time I was about 10, Patrick had thought I
was ready to play for Mr. Haley. Mr. Haley was the founder of
Jackie Robinson West Little League and coach for the
Dodgers, or better known as the Infamous 'Haley Dodgers',
that met up at Mount Vernon Park in my neighborhood on the
south side of Chicago. In little league, if you played for Mr.
Haley, it's like playing for the Chicago Cubs. He had the best
players, and if you played on his team, you had to be a darn
good athlete!

Mr. Haley Founder, and President of Jackie Robinson
West Little League and coach of the Haley Dodgers

18

THE JEFF JACKSON STORY
So, Patrick proceeded to take me, his little brother Alanzo and
a couple of other kids from my neighborhood to try out for the
team the day before the season opener. Mr. Haley was
impressed with all of us and the way we played so he placed us
on his team "The Dodgers". When Mr. Haley found out I was
only 10, the youngest one out of the crew, he got excited
about having me on his team for the next 3 years. He
was so impressed with my ability that he made me the
opening day starting pitcher on "Parade Day" which was a
very big deal in the Jackie Robinson West League!

Coincidently, that was the day I would begin to make a
name for myself throughout the league, by pitching a shutout
and winning the game. Being lO yrs. old playing on "The
Haley Dodgers" was rare, if at all.

Photographed in my Dodgers uniform
before a game on "Parade Day"

19





the team! It was the first time that Jackie Robinson West made
it to The Little League World Series.

It was my very first experience away from home, signing
autographs, riding an airplane and traveling state to state. I
just remember having a lot of fun that summer but we lost
that year. Without the social media that there is now,
only baseball enthusiasts knew of our plight. In 1983,
Jackie Robinson West was on the map and so was I.

After that amazing season and experience, I would go on to
play on four more state championship All-Star Teams and play
in the Junior League World Series as a 13 year old.
Nevertheless at 11 years old, I was already being
introduced to the media. A sports writer named Chevy
Cook, made that a reality, he followed the team around
reporting on our games. I was beginning to make a name
for myself around the league, my nickname was “All-
World”. They called me that because I was on that first
Jackie Robinson West team to make it to the Little League
World Series; as well as, on the Jr. League World Series
team. I really never paid attention to any of the press or
notoriety, it was just baseball.

My mind did not associate all that was going on with
a career at this point necessarily. It was just a game the boys
in my neighborhood played. It was what we did to pass time,
so I did it. I think my early notoriety, the special treatment,
and attention that I began to receive at a very early age,
made me somewhat oblivious to it and nonchalant...

That would be a “gift and a curse”.

THE JEFF JACKSON STORY

Jeff "All-World" Jackson at age 11

I would always appear self-assured and in control. which was
the blessing. Yet, later, I would lose the ability to understand
the significance of the gift I had been given.

Perhaps, it was a family trait to be so nonchalant. My family
never made a big deal of any of my baseball success, even
after I signed my professional contract with the Philadelphia
Phillies. It wasn't that they were not supportive or happy for
me - they indeed were!

They let me lead and make my own decisions, and I assured
them I could. They didn't treat me any different whether I was
playing baseball or not I still had to take out the trash and
clean my room. When I signed to play professionally, it was
my friends who began to treat me a little differently, never my
family. In fact, they say one can gauge their success by
how others treat you. My friends were the only ones letting me
know I was somehow in a separate space.

23

*
*
*

THE JEFF JACKSON STORY

News Article written by Chevy Cook

25

THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES

ll-12 yrs. old Little League World Series
Team photographed at Mt. Vernon Park

13 yrs. old Junior League World Series
Team photographed outside of City Hall

26

THE JEFF JACKSON STORY

14-lS yrs. old 1986 Senior League All-Star
Team visit to Mayor Washington office

13 yrs. old 1986 Senior League All-Star Team
visit to Mayor Washington office

27

THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES

lit OCAOOOtft.NOt• ...,, ...... It. lt&I

JRW advances to World Series

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Jackie Robinson West
roundup

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13 yrs. old Jr. League team advance to the World Series

11 & 12 yrs. old Little League team advance to the World Series

28

































THE JEFF JACKSON STORY

JEFFREY JACKSON
1989 Gatorade Circle of Champions
National High School Baseball Player of the Year

Official Publicity Photo For Gatorade Player of the Year

45