Reggie

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Reggie is the 2023 documentary of one of baseball's most outspoken and successful players of all-time, Reggie Jackson. Jackson originally started in the Kansas City Athletics organization, the team that eventually became the Oakland Athletics, but his path to Kansas City was not a bed of roses. Jackson, a black man, faced much racism through his journey in the minor leagues even while being shielded by white teammates and friends. The story was much the same for the very talented outfielder when he reached Kansas City, where some of those same teammates and friends tried to shield him from racist culture but Jackson was still subject to racism from late 1960's American society. In 1968 the team moved west to Oakland and within a few years started having tremendous success on the diamond making it to three consecutive World Series championships winning all three!! Jackson was the key contributor to all three of those championships, gaining national fame for doing so but like with many superstars of his era - such as pitcher Nolan Ryan of the then California Angels - the Oakland A's owner did not want to pay Jackson the big bucks so he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. Jackson spent one year in Baltimore before he signed a three million dollar contract with the New York Yankees taking them to two World Series winning them both!! American society was changing in the late 1970's and Jackson was changing with it becoming more outspoken as America's shift to equality for all. Free agency for all baseball players was born in the mid 70's and player's now ballooning salaries struck accord with Jackson and had him speaking out on many of these issues. Jackson still discusses many of these issues in his current job as a special advisor to the owner of the Houston Astros, the currently World Champions of Major League Basbeall today!! Reggie, the documentary, is very well done. It takes you through the highs and lows of one of the most successful players ever to play the sport!! The testimonials are well done and you get a great sense of appreciation for what Jackson has had to go through as a person and what he accomplished as a player on the field. 7 out of 10 stars!!

A cool documentary of the professional life and career of Reggie Jackson through his words and eyes. This is an interesting look at the evolution of Jackson's career in respect to role and life of blacks in baseball and the civil rights moment in the United States. Jackson was a controversial player and still a controversial figure, but a colorful one, no doubt. If you were a lover of the Oakland A's of the early 1970's, or the New York Yankees of the 2nd half of that decade, then this is an extra special look at the man. The filmmaking is not great but the subject matter makes it worth watching.

Being a lifelong Yankee fan I looked forward to this documentary. Reggie gave us fans one of the greatest memories in Yankee histroy with his 3 HR game in the WS. All great stuff. However, like some reviewers stated, where's the joy in Reggie? Winnig 5 world championships and MVP awards had to bring some pleaure. Where also is the interviews with any of the Yankees on those late 70 teams? It would have been nice to hear from a few of them, good or bad. Not that I doubt for one second the hardships endured by Black Americans at the time. Tragic as that is, Reggie seems to have enjoyed a successful career and a good life, evident by his house and collection of expensive cars. He seems like he's still angry and was dealt the short straw. Not sure if that's the case. He obviously worked hard to accomplish what he did and deserved the accolades and recognition but.....he was outspoken and did, at least appear, to alianate some of his Yankee teamates. Where was a segment on the emotions shared by the Yankees and Reggie following Munson's death? I was at the game the day after. It was a sad, sad, place to be. It was great seeing the enduring friendships he has with his Oakland A teamates but, the only Yankee in the video was Derek Jeter who was not part of the "Bronx Zoo". That being said...thanks Reggie for providing lasting memories to all Yankee fans.

Didn't expect much at first, so I was pleasantly surprised at the tone and style. As an older man, his reflections and self awareness are really poignant at times. Told in first person. Through all of his famous ego, it was all about searching for dignity, acceptance and respect - his insecurity he reveals conversationally is pretty moving. Especially as he vasciallated from being hated and shut out to being loved. Also great to see other famous players in the conversations. Wish there had been more teammate stories and some more laughs to break up the hard parts, but otherwise it's an unusually moving sports documentary.

Fastball is without a doubt the best best Baseball documentary if not the best documentary ever made. Facing Nolan becomes a great companion to that title for reason I won't get into here. Reggie was a personal hero of mine growing up and his jersey was the first I ever wore as a child. I thought I was familiar with his story, but learned a lot here. I found this piece to be moving, informative and enlightening, however, I also found it somewhat depressing. It certainly paint a picture and drive home a message that it was a difficult time for black athletes. At the same time, the absence of laughter just left me with a burden I didn't plan to carry. Maybe we needed stories from Reggie's kids, or lighthearted interviews from his glory days. Seeing people like Dr. J, added a human element, but I needed more of that. Would have been nice to see a Ken Griffey as well, assuming there is a relationship there. I saw what the film maker tried to do, but their was no joy in this movie and no matter what the struggle way, it appeared to me, Mr. Jackson had plenty to celebrate.

I read one of his earlier books and was a big fan growing up. I didn't know some of the rough patch he had early in his career with racism, but I don't think he had it half as bad as Hank Aaron or Jackie Robinson. What set him apart was not racism, but his ability to speak up and he opened up the doors for getting higher salaries, as I recall him having the 2nd biggest contract, next to Catfish Hunter. With that said, today's players have him to thank for. I thought him not being able to buy a team is a bit of sour grapes, as he should be thankful for the opportunity he had, fame, wealth, etc. I thought he should have reflected more on the good memories that he had playing the sport, as fans, we thought he was living the life that we all dreamed of.

"Reggie is a guy that can carry a whole ball club". That would be Reggie Martinez Jackson, Hall of Famer and scalding, home run hitter. Jackson won 5 World Series titles, was a 14-time All-Star, and played for 4 different MLB teams. Oh and he also had a bit part in 1988's The Naked Gun. "I must kill... the Queen". Oh Reg, you slay me, you really do. With tons of interviews from Jackson's family, his major league colleagues, and major league players he currently mentors, 2023's Reggie is more than just about baseball. It's inching dramatis personae. There's racial oppression and monetary slavery involved and that all started from the beginning of this dude's storied career (1967-1987). In truth, I found Reggie to be a documentary that's a little off the cuff but effectively raw. I mean when you hear Reggie Jackson speak it almost feels like he didn't even know the cameras were rolling. It's as if he were talking to one or two people in the room, not a mass audience. Reggie is directed by Alex Stapleton, a woman who intersperses Jackson's likeness with his archived highlights of massive long balls and clutch performances. The whole effect is chronological and exhilarating, with Alex's subjects (mainly Jackson) being mildly angry and rightfully so (revert back to second paragraph). Bottom line: Reggie is candid, resenting, and opinionated. A little self-serving? Perhaps. A little bit of a platform for a guy who hasn't swung a bat in decades? Sort of. Oh well. They say as a human you are the only one who can represent yourself and Jackson does it better and with more bravado than most. I mean he wasn't a producer on this and always gives off that love or hate feel but Stapleton renders the former slugger well on both counts. "Mr. October" shines here in March.

At the start of this documentary a calm, conversational Reggie Jackson says he's nervous about the film because he has no control over it. He needn't have worried. It's more a story about his career-long pursuit of diversity in baseball, all the way to the ownership level, than about his good guy/ bad guy reputation as a player. He's surrounded in this effort by friends, including Henry Aaron, Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers and Julius Erving. No contemporaries from his Bronx Zoo Yankee years are interviewed, so we don't get differing points of view about Reggie's clashes with Thurman Munson, Billy Martin, Mickey Rivers and others. Reggie credits several players on the Oakland Athletics for helping him withstand mid-70s racism, but fails to mention coaches, veteran players or mentors who improved his game other than Joe DiMaggio. The facts about slow acceptance of Black players, managers, coaches and executives are true. It's also fair to say that Reggie confessed to being too aggressive at times in the media. Still, the lack of critics in this two-hour project unfortunately make it more boring than it should be.