Jeff Jackson, Had Confidence - 3080

After being taken by the Phillies fourth overall in June 1989, The Philadelphia Daily News wrote, Jeff Jackson had all the confidence in the world.

By late July, though, things weren't working out as Jackson had hoped, according to The Philadelphia Daily News. At rookie Martinsville, the top pick Jackson was hitting just .180.

"Just keep working, things will turn around," Jackson told The Daily News, confident he could do just that. "I figure I've hit rock bottom; I've got nowhere to go but up. That's what I keep telling myself."

For Jackson, though, he was never able to turn it around. He eventually played nine seasons as a pro, none above AA.

Jackson's pro career began that year in 1989, taken by the Phillies as a 17-year-old, out of Simeon High School in Chicago.

In selecting Jackson fourth overall, the Phillies showed their confidence in him. After his selection, Jackson expressed his confidence to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"It may sound cocky," Jackson told The Inquirer, "but I don't really feel pressure. When I play baseball, I just go out and play hard, play my game, have fun. I'm confident in my ability to compete, so the other stuff really shouldn't matter."

Sent to rookie Martinsville, Jackson eventually hit .227 over 48 games. For 1990, he played at short-season Batavia. The results, though, were the same. He hit just .198 over 63 games.

By the start of 1993, Jackson had played in four minor league seasons, none with a season average above .227. In 36 games at AA Reading in 1992, he hit just .185.

"I can't blame anyone but myself for my troubles," Jackson told The Inquirer in February 1993. "I had been a high school superstar, and I went from there to really struggling my first year of pro ball. That took a lot out of me. I couldn't cope."

Jackson played that season back at Reading, then part of the next. Then he was done with the Phillies. He ended up playing three more seasons, mostly in independent ball, ending his career.

• Philadelphia Inquirer, June 7, 1989: Draft Pick's Talent Isn't The Question
• Philadelphia Daily News, July 26, 1990: Jackson Hasn't Been A Hit
• Philadelphia Inquirer, Feb. 25, 1993: For Jackson, Time To Prove He Belongs In The Big Leagues

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,194
Made the Majors: 680 - 57.0%
Never Made Majors: 514-43.0%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 293
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 174