Major League Baseball Player. Nicknamed "Handsome Ransom", for ten seasons (1950 to 1959), he played as a third baseman with the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians, and was the last player to hit a home run for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Born Ransom Joseph Jackson, Jr., he participated in golf during his years at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. After graduation, he served in the United States Navy V-12 Officer Program during World War II, while attending Texas Christian University. He played football and baseball on the collegiate level, and was a talented football halfback in addition to being outstanding at baseball. In 1945 while with TCU he helped the school go to the Cotton Bowl, where they lost to Oklahoma A&M. He transferred to the University of Texas for 1946, and helped them make to the Cotton Bowl, where they defeated the University of Missouri (thus being the only college player to play in two consecutive Cotton Bowls with two different schools). He was signed by the Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1947, and made his major league debut on May 2, 1950. He became the team's starting third baseman, and was a National League All-Star in 1954 and 1955. Acquired by the Dodgers in a December 1955 trade that sent Don Hoak, Russ Meyer and Walt Moryn to Chicago, he helped Brooklyn win the National League Pennant the following season. In the 1956 World Series that pitted the Dodgers verses the New York Yankees, his participation was limited to three pinch-hitting appearances as the Yankees defeated Brooklyn 4 games to 3. On September 28, 1957, in an away game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium, and in the shadow of the Dodgers impending move to Los Angeles, California, he hit the last home run for Brooklyn before the franchise relocated. After a year and a half in Los Angeles he was traded to the Cleveland Indians. In May 1959 the Indians traded him back to Cubs, while whom he finished the season, then retired. In 955 career regular season games, he compiled 835 hits with a .261 lifetime batting average. After retiring from baseball, he worked in the insurance industry. In 2016 he published an autobiography of his playing days called "Handsome Ransom Jackson: Accidental Big Leaguer".
Major League Baseball Player. Nicknamed "Handsome Ransom", for ten seasons (1950 to 1959), he played as a third baseman with the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians, and was the last player to hit a home run for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Born Ransom Joseph Jackson, Jr., he participated in golf during his years at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. After graduation, he served in the United States Navy V-12 Officer Program during World War II, while attending Texas Christian University. He played football and baseball on the collegiate level, and was a talented football halfback in addition to being outstanding at baseball. In 1945 while with TCU he helped the school go to the Cotton Bowl, where they lost to Oklahoma A&M. He transferred to the University of Texas for 1946, and helped them make to the Cotton Bowl, where they defeated the University of Missouri (thus being the only college player to play in two consecutive Cotton Bowls with two different schools). He was signed by the Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1947, and made his major league debut on May 2, 1950. He became the team's starting third baseman, and was a National League All-Star in 1954 and 1955. Acquired by the Dodgers in a December 1955 trade that sent Don Hoak, Russ Meyer and Walt Moryn to Chicago, he helped Brooklyn win the National League Pennant the following season. In the 1956 World Series that pitted the Dodgers verses the New York Yankees, his participation was limited to three pinch-hitting appearances as the Yankees defeated Brooklyn 4 games to 3. On September 28, 1957, in an away game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium, and in the shadow of the Dodgers impending move to Los Angeles, California, he hit the last home run for Brooklyn before the franchise relocated. After a year and a half in Los Angeles he was traded to the Cleveland Indians. In May 1959 the Indians traded him back to Cubs, while whom he finished the season, then retired. In 955 career regular season games, he compiled 835 hits with a .261 lifetime batting average. After retiring from baseball, he worked in the insurance industry. In 2016 he published an autobiography of his playing days called "Handsome Ransom Jackson: Accidental Big Leaguer".
Gravesite Details
Buried with his wife.
Family Members
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