Royals to Induct Two-Sport Icon Bo Jackson Into Team Hall of Fame
This summer, the Kansas City Royals will honor one of baseball’s unique talents.
The Royals will induct left fielder Bo Jackson into their Hall of Fame on June 29 when they play the Cleveland Guardians, the team announced Wednesday morning.
Jackson, 61, played for Kansas City from 1986 to ’90. He hit .250 with 109 home runs and 313 RBIs for the team, reaching the All-Star Game in 1989.
However, numbers do not do justice to Jackson’s cultural impact as one of America’s last great multisport athletes.
Like other two-sport athletes before and after him, Jackson’s mere aura won him legions of fans. In an oft-repeated anecdote, legendary scout Buck O’Neil said he heard a sound off the bat watching Jackson that he “hadn’t heard… since Babe Ruth or Josh Gibson.”
While playing for the Royals, Jackson also played four years for the Oakland Raiders—reaching the Pro Bowl in 1990. He had the longest run in the NFL in three of his four gridiron seasons before a hip injury ended his football career.
Additionally, Jackson memorably starred in the “Bo Knows” Nike ad campaign during his playing days, in which he demonstrated his acumen in baseball, football and myriad other sports.
