Bo Jackson's epic Reynolds throw celebrates 29-year anniversary
On June 5, 1989, two-sport superstar Bo Jackson made one of the most iconic throws of all time.
Jackson’s Royals were visiting the Seattle Mariners when Jackson threw out Harold Reynolds (now an MLB Network analyst) at the plate from the left-field fence.
Reynolds began the play on first base as Scott Bradley dug in at the plate. Trying to execute a hit-and-run play, Bradley laced a ball off the left-field fence, 316 feet from the plate.
The head start should have been more than enough for the speedy Reynolds to score, but Jackson had other plans. He caught the ball off the wall and unleashed a bullet headed straight to the catcher Bob Boone.
The ball never hit the ground — Jackson had thrown a perfect strike to the catcher from over 300 feet away.
When told that the ball never bounced, Reynolds said, “He ain’t supposed to be able to do that, man!”
The throw kept the game tied (the Royals went on to win 5-3) and went down as one of the greatest outfield assists the game has ever seen.
On Tuesday, Jackson represented the Royals at the MLB draft, and in an interview with MLB Network, he opened up about that iconic play.
.@BoJackson and Amateur Scout Colin Gonzales representing the #Royals in tonight’s #MLBDraft. #RaisedRoyal pic.twitter.com/h0oMItbLba
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 4, 2018
“I was just doing my job,” Jackson said. “Harold and I have been friends, and he told me afterwards when he was rounding third base — because that was the bottom of the ninth inning, and if he had scored, they would have won the game — so he said he was visualizing picking up the newspaper the next morning and it was going to read ‘Reynolds scores the winning run.'”
But Reynolds wasn’t counting on Jackson’s cannon of an arm.
“Instead, the newspaper said two words, ‘The Throw,'” Jackson said. “(Reynolds) has been writhing me for 20 years, and I was just only doing my job.”
Jackson was then asked what he would tell Reynolds if he could go back in time and give him some advice.
“Stop at third, Harold,” Jackson said.
Jackson is still remembered to this day as being one of the greatest athletes to ever walk the earth.
The question now arises, could Jackson be the last great multisport athlete?
Other athletes certainly have tried, including Michael Jordan and now Tim Tebow, but no one since Jackson has proved to be a huge success at both sports.
On Monday, the Athletics used the ninth pick to draft Kyler Murray, an Oklahoma Sooner who is also a standout football player.
Will Murray follow in Jackson’s footsteps? Only time will tell.
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