Danny Jackson
A left-handed pitcher whose career spanned 15 seasons, peaking with a World Series win and a near-perfect Cy Young campaign.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American baseball player·Birthday: January 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Danny Jackson's major league journey was a testament to durability and moments of sheer dominance. The hard-throwing left-hander broke in with the Kansas City Royals, but it was with the Cincinnati Reds that he authored his defining chapter. In 1990, he was a central figure in one of baseball's most surprising champions, winning two games in the NLCS and starting Game 4 of the World Series sweep over the heavily favored Oakland A's. That season was the apex of a career that saw him wear seven different uniforms. Jackson was a workhorse, twice leading the league in starts, and in 1988 he finished a close second in the Cy Young Award voting after winning 23 games. His style was aggressive and straightforward, challenging hitters with a sharp slider and fastball. While injuries later tempered his effectiveness, his legacy is that of a fierce competitor who, at his best, could carry a pitching staff and shine on the game's biggest stages.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Danny was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Danny Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Danny's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a World Series championship as a key starting pitcher for the 1990 Cincinnati Reds.
- Finished as the runner-up for the National League Cy Young Award in 1988 after posting a 23-8 record for the Reds.
- Pitched a no-hitter for the Kansas City Royals against the Chicago White Sox on September 5, 1987.
- Led the National League in games started in both 1988 and 1990, demonstrating remarkable durability.
Did You Know?
He was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the first round (1st pick) of the January 1982 MLB draft.
Jackson was a two-time All-Star, representing the Reds in 1988 and 1990.
He played for seven different MLB teams over his 15-year career.
In his near-Cy Young season of 1988, he also led the NL in winning percentage (.742).
“I just wanted to be a consistent pitcher who gave his team a chance to win every time out.”
