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| Same Sig, Almost 60 Years Later! |
Ransom Jackson never found the culprit. But he has his hunch.
Although Topps preferred to dub the infielder “Randy,” historians know him as “Handsome Ransom.”
I asked Jackson if such an epic title was used on the bench, or even the dinner table. Wouldn’t an opposing team delighted in taunting such a finely-named foe? Jackson replied:
“Sportswriters are always looking for nicknames. So, somewhere along the line, someone hung that on me. Have no idea who did it. But it’s kinda fun. Nobody has even teased me about it.”
I asked what the biggest difference was in transforming from a Brooklyn Dodger to a Los Angeles Dodger. He wrote:
“Biggest change, going to L.A., was playing in a fastball stadium. Very weird.”
Lastly, I wondered what being an All-Star meant in the 1950s. As a two-time honoree, did he receive any kind of plaque, trophy or ring? Jackson recalled:
Maybe, the Chicago media invented Jackson’s Hollywood image. I’ve found more than one source indicating that Cub teammates thought he looked like Gregory Peck!
“One year for the All-Stars, I got a watch. The other year was a sterling silver coffee set with tray.”