Joe Maddon Wanted To Try Bo Jackson Out As A Pitcher

Bo Jackson’s raw athleticism and supernatural gifts on both the football and baseball fields were indescribable, and one ‘outside-the-box’ coach at the time wanted to see how far he could stretch them.

Angels manager Joe Maddon, who spent three decades in Anaheim in various roles with the team dating back to 1975, remembers seeing Bo Jackson’s tremendous arm strength and wondering to himself: Bo can do everything, so why can’t he pitch?

Jackson was a left fielder for the Angels in his last professional MLB season. The two-way athlete, who played at Auburn in college, was known for throwing out baseball runners from tremendous distances. One 1985 scouting report called Bo Jackson “the best pure athlete in America today.”

In eight seasons in the MLB, Jackson never pitched an inning, but he did finish with 598 hits, 141 home runs, and 82 stolen bases. Not bad for a professional football player.