DBWI: Reggie Jackson left the Yankees after 1981?

I just listened to a radio interview of Reggie Jackson who threw the ceremonial first pitch today at Yankee Stadium.

During the interview, Reggie admitted that he was this close to not re-signing with the Yankees after they won the 1981 World Series. Had they lost that World Series to the Dodgers, he definitely would have left. Instead, he signed a new contract to continue wearing the pinstripes for another three years and became the highest paid baseball player at the time.

Of course, the Yankees repeated as World champs in 1982 and 1983. In 1984, the Yankees fell to third place and George Steinbrenner fired manager Yogi Berra and re-hired Billy Martin. Reggie had enough and signed a two year deal with the Kansas City Royals. They won their only World Series title in 1985. By 1986, Reggie struggled at the plate while being the full time DH. He played his last season in 1987 with the A's.

Had Reggie chose to leave New York in 1981, would the Yankees still have won those titles in 1982-1983 or if he had signed with the Angels (where he would certainly have ended up), would he have led them to the World Series?
 

JoeMulk

Banned
Then you probably wouldn't have the Yankees making it to the 1986 world series. They might still be a solid team but not pennant material. Hell Don Mattingly would probably have a better reputation since he wouldn't have made that fatal error costing the 86 world series to the Mets.
 
Then you probably wouldn't have the Yankees making it to the 1986 world series. They might still be a solid team but not pennant material. Hell Don Mattingly would probably have a better reputation since he wouldn't have made that fatal error costing the 86 world series to the Mets.

Hey, that was not Mattingly's fault. He's unfairly blamed for that. He was World Series MVP in '83, ALCS in MVP in '86, and he was MVP in '85! 9 Gold Gloves, 7 All-Stars, 4 Silver Sluggers, a batting title, and he's in Cooperstown! But everyone always just remembers Game 6. Yes, he missed the ball that Wilson hit. But the Yankees just simply blew Game 7, I mean they utterly fell apart. They stunk from beginning to end, and essentially handed the Mets to the Series. So don't blame Mattingly.

Aside from the fact that Reggie gets played as the reincarnation of Ruth and Jesus himself every freaking World Series, or anytime the Yankees are in the postseason (Far too often for this fan), and struck out way too much, he was a pretty good ballplayer. I don't think that Jackson made much of an impact on the '85 Royals, as that team was loaded anyways.

And also, I do think that if Reggie had left after '81, he would have ended up in LA. If not New York, than Los Angeles is the best place for someone with an ego and a desire for celebrity like Reggie.
 
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