I had an inkling I'd hit one. In the fifth, Jackson lined Elia Sosa's first pitch into the rightfield stands. I hit another fastball. In the eighth, before the fans had much time to wonder whether Jackson could hit another home run, he pounded Charlie Hough's first pitch 440 feet into the centerfield bleachers. Just time the ball.
People say that the best man, the best team, wins.
And he went on to do it. He had been an acknowledged superstar in Oakland, but when he refused to sign a contract in 1976, Charles O. Finley, the Athletics' cantankerous owner, traded him to Baltimore. He reported to the Orioles but still refused to sign. For a while, the Reggie Bar was pretty popular. Conflict among the demanding Steinbrenner, volatile manager Billy Martin and the players was a constant.