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Austin Jackson News & Rumors

Tigers put Austin Jackson on disabled list; Ryan Raburn returns
May 25
Detroit News
 
"Instead of going to Minnesota with the team, Austin Jackson headed back to Detroit to have his persistent abdominal strain checked out. The difference as of Thursday, though, is Jackson is on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 17. The Tigers made the move following their 2-1 loss to the Indians as a way of activating Ryan Raburn from his three days on the bereavement list. In another move, the Tigers activated right-hander Luis Marte from his injury-rehab assignment and optioned Luke Putkonen to Toledo."
Tigers must decide whether to put Austin Jackson on DL
May 24
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Detroit Tigers might have to make a decision soon about whether to put center fielder Austin Jackson on the disabled list. A number of factors are coming together to necessitate such a decision: • Jackson today will miss his seventh straight game because of an abdominal strain. There's no indication he's on the brink of returning. • Ryan Raburn is due to return from the bereavement list Friday. The Tigers will have to take a player off the roster to make room for Raburn when he returns. • As long as Jackson is on the active roster but can't play, manager Jim Leyland is operating with one fewer player on the bench than normal. That limits his ability to make late-inning moves."
Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson remains on the mend
May 23
Detroit News
 
"Austin Jackson sounded hopeful about starting on Tuesday night. He really did. Not just hopeful, but encouraged it might happen. That was before he tested his nagging abdominal strain on the field during Tigers' batting practice at Progressive Field, though, and quickly discovered it still wasn't going to happen. After the game, Jackson's mood was down. He didn't even sound hopeful about avoiding a trip onto the disabled list. "It's still not where I need it to be," he said. "It's still grabbing when I twist my body — plus you use those muscles to run. It's just still there.""
Ailing Tigers Austin Jackson, Jose Valverde hoping to return soon
May 20
Detroit News
 
"Tigers manager Jim Leyland said before Saturday's game the Tigers could be getting back to full strength soon. With center fielder Austin Jackson (mild abdominal strain) and closer Jose Valverde (back strain) out, the Tigers have had to look to others to fill their roles. Jackson has missed the last three games, Valverde the last four. "Valverde is day-to-day, but he is going to throw (Sunday) and see how he feels. If he feels great, he may be available (Sunday)," Leyland said. "I doubt that. I think it'll be Tuesday in Cleveland. He's a gamer; he's a tough guy. If he throws and tells me he's ready, he may go (Sunday)." Leyland, meanwhile, said Jackson is improving but he doesn't want to"
Tigers' Austin Jackson could miss two more days with abdominal strain
May 18
Detroit News
 
"Austin Jackson's abdominal strain did not improve overnight. In fact, he said it was still tight and that it had stiffened up. And from the sound of it, he could take at least two more days to see when he can return to the lineup. "I didn't really think it was going to feel any different today," Jackson said. "It just happened last night. Tomorrow or the next day, after a couple of days rest, I'll get a better feel for it." When asked if he thought one more game out might be enough, Jackson said, "I'm not sure. I have to see how it feels every day. There is a lot more room for it to improve. It's still pretty much the same.""
Tigers' Austin Jackson puts up star numbers
May 16
Detroit News
 
"If his April-May behavior continues, there could be an All-Star Game in Austin Jackson's future. The Tigers center fielder is having one of the best, and steadiest, springs of any regular in the Tigers lineup. He had a triple and a 422-foot home run Tuesday and is now hitting .323. Jackson has at least one hit in 14 of his last 18 games and is hitting .379 during that span, with two homers, one triple, and six doubles. Jackson, 25, has exceptional speed in center and, in his third season with the Tigers, appears to have shaken off his sophomore slip-ups and settled into a more seasoned version of the rookie who first showed his skills in 2010."
Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson is faster to first base, too
April 17
Detroit News
 
"Have you noticed the added benefit of Austin Jackson's new stance at the plate? Added, that is, to the fact that he went into Monday night's 3-2 victory over the Royals having reached base safely at least once in each of the Tigers' first nine games, had scored at least one run in seven of the nine games, was second in the American League with a .512 on-base percentage, and was tied for second with 10 runs scored. Want more? Jackson also was third in the AL with a .412 batting average, fourth with seven walks, tied for fifth with 14 hits and was eighth with a .647 slugging percentage. Plus, he sweetened most of the above stats by hitting a leadoff home run against the Royals."
Austin Jackson turns words into winning actions for Tigers
April 6
Detroit News
 
"The more he swings like that, the less he'll have to talk about it. Eventually. But Austin Jackson knows it's a "process," and though he's only beginning his third season in the major leagues, he already knows how tedious those can be. So, yes, he knew what to expect late Thursday in the Tigers clubhouse. Even after he'd sent the largest Opening Day crowd in Comerica Park history home happy with a 3-2 victory — collecting three hits, scoring a necessary insurance run in the eighth inning and then singling in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth — he knew the media's questions would inevitably focus on the oft-discussed mechanics of his swing."
With new swing, Austin Jackson aims to be Tigers' table-setter
April 4
Detroit News
 
"Picture this. It's near the end of January and Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson is back home in Texas. He's been up to Detroit for the annual caravan, and while there, Jackson not only spoke at length with hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, but began to implement some adjustments in his swing and stance. "We had the same vision," Jackson said. "It's something we both wanted to change.""
Austin Jackson puts his foot down for Tigers
March 19
Detroit News
 
"Somewhere near the top of the Tigers wish list in spring training was a bounce-back signal from Austin Jackson. He needed to hit. He needed to chop down on strikeouts. It was essential the only appealing choice as a Tigers leadoff hitter perform as if he and a role that can't be overestimated were a fit. So far, Jackson resembles that 2010 rookie center fielder who hit .293 and ranked as a long-term ignition switch for manager Jim Leyland's lineup. In yet another Tigers victory - the Tigers are 12-1-3 this spring — Jackson had a booming sacrifice fly to center field and an RBI single as part of a 15-hit lashing of the Nationals, 11-7, on Sunday at Space Coast Stadium."
Jackson is taking the time to learn the art of bunting
March 8
Detroit Free Press
 
"In addition to working on a new batting stance, Austin Jackson is working on his bunting. "Today Jackson's not playing," manager Jim Leyland said before the Tigers faced the Braves on Wednesday at Joker Marchant Stadium. "He's going to sacrifice bunt 40 times." Leyland said a group of hitters gets extra work in each day. Jackson will get more bunting work in today in Lakeland while the Tigers travel to Port Charlotte to play the Rays. "Tomorrow he's not going on the trip," Leyland said of Jackson, the club's leadoff hitter. "He's going to base-hit bunt 50 times. So we're always trying to do some extra work with guys.""
Tigers hope to find the real Austin Jackson
December 6
Detroit News
 
"The way Tigers manager Jim Leyland sees it, he's seen two Austin Jacksons. "I saw a guy two years ago that every time he put the ball in play, he got a hit," Leyland said Monday on Day 1 of baseball's Winter Meetings, where the Tigers had yet to make a significant move. "And this year, I just think he hit too often too far in the hole (0-2 and 1-2 counts). "We just think that somewhere in between there, you've probably got the real Austin Jackson." Jackson, 24, was a big hit his first year in Detroit (2010),hitting .293 and finishing second in the American League rookie of the year voting. This year, he regressed. Home runs were up (10, from four) and so were RBIs (45, from 41), but so"
Tigers' Alex Avila, Austin Jackson Gold Glove finalists; not Jhonny Peralta
November 1
Detroit Free Press
 
"Two Tigers could be announced as American League Gold Glove winners tonight -- Alex Avila at catcher and Austin Jackson in centerfield. But the Tigers' Jhonny Peralta won't win the Gold Glove at shortstop despite making only seven errors. In a news release Monday, ESPN announced the three Gold Glove finalists at each position in both leagues. Avila and Jackson are the Tigers' only finalists. The winners will be revealed in a 1-hour show scheduled to begin at 10 tonight on ESPN2."
Tigers' fate could hinge on Austin Jackson
October 9
Detroit Free Press
 
"Jim Leyland has said many times this season that anytime Austin Jackson gets on base it is "good tonic" for the Tigers. Perhaps no one in baseball gets from first to third more quickly. Jackson turns singles into doubles as well as anyone -- he did this in the fifth inning of Game 5 against the Yankees. Jackson scored on that hit, an insurance run that proved to be the difference in the game. Yet he struggled in the opening-round series, going 2-for-16. The centerfielder has put together an inconsistent season in his second year with the Tigers. But he played well in Detroit's lone trip to Texas this summer. The Tigers took two of three from the Rangers in June. Jackson went 7-for-16 with"
Tigers CF Austin Jackson becoming a seasoned hitter
September 4
Detroit Free Press
 
"Ned Yost became the Kansas City Royals' manager early last season, during Austin Jackson's rookie year. During the many Tigers-Royals series he has managed since then, Yost has seen Jackson grow noticeably as a hitter. "He used to be a guy that if you got ahead in the count, you knew you could bury him with sliders," Yost said. "That doesn't seem to me to be the case now. "He's becoming a much tougher out than he used to be.""
Austin Jackson homers, Doug Fister shuts down Rays
August 26
Detroit News
 
"Without their best hitter, without their hottest hitter, and with banged-up regulars like Brennan Boesch also missing in action, the Tigers nonetheless found a way to win Thursday at Tropicana Field. With a little baserunning help from the Tampa Bay Rays. They did it with that old staple, pitching, as Doug Fister put together a seven-inning performance that showed why the Tigers were so eager to grab him from Seattle in last month's deadline trade. Fister pitched seven innings of shutout baseball, while Austin Jackson's leadoff home run and fifth-inning sacrifice fly supplied all the offense necessary in a 2-0 victory over the Rays. "We got through a series we were very concerned about,"
Austin Jackson overshadows Magglio Ordoñez's defensive play in Indians win
August 13
Detroit Free Press
 
"Tigers centerfielder Austin Jackson's spectacular catch in the sixth inning Thursday night robbed Indians catcher Carlos Santana of a hit and helped Justin Verlander to the 100th victory of his career. And it overshadowed the defensive play by rightfielder Magglio Ordoñez that manager Jim Leyland called the "biggest play of the game" before Friday night's game against the Orioles. After Lonnie Chisenhall led off with a single, Lou Marson hit a liner that second baseman Carlos Guillen appeared ready to catch. But Chisenhall couldn't start to second until he saw the ball get through, and Ordoñez forced Chisenhall at second. "I'm surprised nobody asked about it because that"
Austin Jackson's catch of the day keeps Tigers' Central lead at 3 games
August 13
Detroit News
 
"It's the AJ hat trick - a great catch in three consecutive cities on the road. Austin Jackson did it again on Friday night. He hauled back a ball that was over the fence at Camden Yards, robbing Adam Jones of a home run in the eighth that would have been the tying run. Instead the first-place Tigers prevailed 5-4 to maintain a three-game lead over the second-place Cleveland Indians, who beat Minnesota. Jackson took a home run away from Alex Gordon in Kansas City on the first stop of this three-city trip. He went back to the fence to grab Carlos Santana's long drive in the sixth on Thursday night in Cleveland - and now this catch. The Tigers won all three games by one run. In fact,"
Austin Jackson's squeeze bunt, leaping catch key Tigers' win
August 12
Detroit Free Press
 
"The centerfield fence at Progressive Field is 400 feet from home plate. At both ends of that 400-foot spectrum Thursday night, Austin Jackson came through for Justin Verlander. In the batter's box, Jackson squeezed in a run to cap a three-run second inning that gave Verlander a 4-0 lead. That lead likely would have been gone in the sixth if not for Jackson's latest spectacular play. With one out and a runner on first, Carlos Santana drilled Verlander's pitch to center. Jackson retreated and made a leaping catch at the wall. It didn't appear the ball would have cleared the wall, but if Jackson hadn't caught it, Travis Hafner -- who doesn't have a lot of speed -- would have had a chance to"
Tigers' Austin Jackson unavailable for defensive duties, might see DL
July 18
Detroit Free Press
 
"Austin Jackson isn't ready to hit, and now the Tigers plan on eliminating him from late-inning defensive replacement duty until his left wrist gets better. Since hurting the wrist, Jackson has batted just once, July 7 at Kansas City, and was pulled after one at-bat. On July 8 he entered the game as a defensive replacement and did the same July 10 at Kansas City in the eighth inning before the All-Star break. "Right now I don't even think I'll be a defensive replacement," said Jackson, who missed Sunday's game against Chicago. "It is better, but I don't want to have a setback. We're going to try to rest it." Manager Jim Leyland said the club hasn't made a decision on whether to put Jackson"
Tigers might place Austin Jackson on DL
July 18
Michigan Live
 (scroll down)
"Leyland confirmed that Austin Jackson (left wrist soreness) is currently not available as a defensive replacement due to the possibility that he might have to go on the disabled list. Players can be placed on the disabled list retroactively, so playing Jackson an inning or two in the outfield would restart the clock on his time off should the Tigers need to place him on the disabled list."
Austin Jackson hopeful wrist injury will not force him to go on disabled list
July 17
Michigan Live
 
"Austin Jackson was in the starting lineup at one point Friday afternoon. A day later, Jackson spoke of the possibility that his injured left wrist could eventually land him on the disabled list. "I think right now we just want to go day-to-day and see how it feels," Jackson said. "I definitely don't want to go on the DL if I can get it better by just a couple days of rest. But you've got to do what you've got to do with the situation. If it turns out I have to go on the DL to get more work done to it, then so be it. That's what I've got to do." Jackson said he felt great following a team workout Thursday night at Comerica Park, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland had him in the starting lineup"
Tigers' Carlos Guillen returns; DL for Austin Jackson?
July 16
Detroit Free Press
 
"Even as Carlos Guillen ends his season-long stay on the disabled list and rejoins the Tigers today, it's possible that centerfielder Austin Jackson is now headed to the disabled list. The Tigers announced after Friday night's game that Guillen has been activated. Manager Jim Leyland said Guillen will start today at second base and will play there at least somewhat regularly. Jackson missed his fourth straight start Friday because of soreness in his left wrist. He was in the original starting lineup, then was scratched. The four-day All-Star break didn't clear up Jackson's problem. "I'm a little concerned, obviously," Leyland said. "He didn't feel quite right. We're going to play it by ear"
Sore wrist might keep Tigers' Austin Jackson out of action until after All-Star break
July 8
Michigan Live
 
"Austin Jackson left the game early Thursday night. There's a chance he won't be back until after the All-Star break. Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland removed Jackson from the game after two innings due to left wrist soreness. The wrist has bothered Jackson on and off for some time. "We've already had it checked out," Leyland said. "It's nothing serious." Leyland said he discussed the injury with Jackson earlier in the day during batting practice. "He said, 'I can use my legs, I can bunt, I can get on,' but after I saw his first at-bat swinging, I could tell he was in some pain," Leyland said. "The All-Star break's coming up. I'm just going to watch him real close.""
Tigers' Austin Jackson gets day off; Brandon Inge also sits
June 28
Detroit News
 
"By the time they reach the All-Star break, the Tigers will have played 37 games in 38 days - and the one off day in that stretch started with a cross-country flight from Los Angeles that didn't get into Detroit until 2 a.m. Thus, you can expect manager Jim Leyland to juggle his lineup occasionally to keep guys fresh, like Monday night. Austin Jackson and Brandon Inge were both out of the lineup against the Blue Jays Monday. Andy Dirks will replace Jackson, hitting first and playing center field, and Don Kelly will play third base and bat second in place of Inge. "Donnie's been swinging it pretty good and I don't want him getting cold," Leyland said before the game. "He's done a good job"
Tigers leadoff man Austin Jackson's turnaround at plate was elementary
May 15
Detroit News
 
"Short answers say it all sometimes When asked Saturday why Austin Jackson is hitting better now than he did through the first month of the season, manager Jim Leyland replied, "He's putting it in play on a more consistent basis." Nothing more than that? Nothing more than that. And not much more than that, according to Jackson. "Staying positive," he labeled as the reason for the turnaround. "It's a big challenge when you're not doing your job, but I stayed positive I'd get through it." Which it appears he has. In the first inning of these last two games against Kansas City, Jackson has led off by homering on Friday, and singling to trigger a three-run inning on Saturday. After the Tigers'"
Austin Jackson on a roll; clutch hitting propels Tigers
May 10
Detroit Free Press
 
"For most of this season, manager Jim Leyland and general manager Dave Dombrowski have talked about the importance of Austin Jackson. "He's our catalyst," Leyland likes to say. On some nights he is more than that. Monday at the Rogers Centre, in the series finale against the Blue Jays, the Tigers put runners at the corners in the fourth inning. The Tigers had already put two runs on the board to tie the game. Jhonny Peralta smacked a line drive right at the shortstop for the first out. Alex Avila drew a walk to load the bases. Ryan Raburn struck out swinging for the second out. Suddenly, Toronto ace Brandon Morrow looked like he was about to get out of the inning in a way that could give"
Has Austin Jackson finally come out of slump?
May 9
Detroit Free Press
 
"Sometimes fixing a swing requires more time on the brain than on the body. This is the case for centerfielder Austin Jackson, who is beginning to resemble the gap-hitting speedster he was a year ago. It's early yet, as Tigers manager Jim Leyland pointed out Sunday afternoon after Jackson put together another solid day at the plate, "let's not push it ... on and off the bandwagon. We've just got to watch it." Leyland was cautious about Jackson after the Tigers beat the Blue Jays for the second straight day, 5-2. He was hopeful, too. "He got three hits (Saturday) and it kind of went unnoticed. He got three hits again (Sunday). Hopefully, that is a sign of things to come," Leyland said. "(If)"
Jackson, Raburn on pace for 200-strikeout seasons at plate
May 8
Michigan Live
 
"Mark Reynolds is the only player in major league history to strike out 200 times in a season, and he did it three consecutive years for the Arizona Diamondbacks with totals of 204 in 2008, 223 in 2009 and 211 in 2010. The Detroit Tigers have two players on pace to strike out more than 200 times with 20 percent of the 2011 season in the books. Center fielder Austin Jackson, who struck out 170 times as a rookie, leads the majors with 45 and would finish with 221 at his current pace. He would challenge Reynolds' record of 223 if he stays up all season and doesn't improve. Though, he likely will get a chance to regroup in Toledo if he doesn't begin making contact more regularly this month."
Austin Jackson, Scott Sizemore help Tigers snap skid
May 4
Detroit News
 
"Austin Jackson was asked last week how it was going to feel to ride the bus. He took it to mean he was being sent to Toledo No, Austin, the bus ride to Cleveland. The Tigers were taking the bus to Cleveland. But that's how clearly he could envision being sent out. So on a night when a second baseman just back from Toledo got three hits in a 4-2 victory over the Yankees - and make no mistake, Scott Sizemore's contributions were huge - an outfielder who thought he was heading in the opposite direction had the biggest postgame smile. "That felt good," Jackson said after the Tigers ended their seven-game losing streak. What felt good? "Running around the bases felt good," he said. His"
Austin Jackson shows signs of coming out of slump
April 25
Detroit Free Press
 
"A year ago, everything seemed to come easy for Austin Jackson. He finished his rookie season hitting .293, scored 103 runs and finished second in the rookie-of-the-year voting. In the outfield, he showed incredible range and speed, helping cover ground with some of the Tigers' corner outfielders a bit slower. Jackson has still played well defensively in centerfield, but his hitting has struggled. It may be starting to come around. While the average remains extremely low at .193, he had his second and third two-hit games of the year on Saturday and Sunday, with Sunday's single and double making it Jackson's first time this season with four straight games with a hit. "Really I believe in"
Austin Jackson's rough patch is a 'test'
April 19
Detroit Free Press
 
"Begin with Austin Jackson, because he's where the Tigers' offense is supposed to begin. "He's going to be fine," manager Jim Leyland said Monday afternoon. "He's a little frustrated right now. That's understandable. "We've got to get him going. He's our catalyst. But I don't want to put all that pressure on him talking about it every day. I don't think that's fair to him. "He went through a few (tough) periods last year, but nothing like this." Jackson entered Monday night with a .175 average for the first 2 1/2 weeks of the season. He was tied for second in the league in striking out; he led the league in whiffs last year. "It's a test, like it was for (Justin) Verlander, (Rick) Porcello"
Tigers leadoff man Austin Jackson still searching for his swing
April 19
Detroit News
 
"All his important numbers are down. His batting average, on-base percentage, slugging - everything. Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson went into Monday night's game against Seattle searching for answers. There have been times Jackson's thought he found them - better results on better swings. There have been other times, too many times, when his timing has been off. The strikeouts? They're still there. Jackson has struck out as many times (19) through 57 at-bats in 16 games this season as he did in 58 at-bats through 13 games last year. But the hits have been missing. Jackson went into the series opener against the Mariners hitting .175, compared to the .328 at a comparable time last"
Austin Jackson 'battling' his way through a slump
April 18
Michigan Live
 
"Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland decided to have second baseman Will Rhymes lead off Sunday. Slumping Austin Jackson dropped down to second in the batting order for a change of scenery with hopes of better results. Jackson had batted first in the order in all 153 previous starts in the majors, but entered the game batting .170 and hitless in his 13 previous at-bats. "We wanted to change it up for him a little," said Leyland, adding that he came up with the idea along with hitting coach Lloyd McClendon. "But we need him to hit lead off for us. I don't think that's something we'll use very often." Jackson struck out his first two times up before grounding out against Oakland A's starter"
Slumping Austin Jackson loses leadoff spot for Tigers
April 18
Detroit Free Press
 
"The questions get louder about how much outfielders Austin Jackson and Magglio Ordoñez will contribute to the Tigers this season. Jackson continues to seek consistency at the plate; Ordoñez can't play every day because of his surgically repaired ankle. Manager Jim Leyland dropped Jackson to second in the batting order today and batted Will Rhymes leadoff. Leyland emphasized that Jackson remains the leadoff hitter. He said today's change atop the order represented a one-day adjustment. Leyland said of Jackson: "We need him to hit leadoff." Jackson struck out twice today in the 5-1 loss to the A's, giving him 19 strikeouts in 57 at-bats — the second-most strikeouts in the American League."
Magglio Ordoñez, Austin Jackson have work to do
April 18
Detroit Free Press
 
"Magglio Ordoñez isn't an everyday player right now, but he hopes to be soon. Austin Jackson isn't an accomplished bunter right now, but he hopes to be soon. If each can achieve his respective goal, he will have moved closer to filling the vital role he holds on this season's Tigers. Ordoñez returned to the lineup Saturday night after missing four games because of trouble related to his surgically repaired right ankle. With a day game after a night game Sunday, manager Jim Leyland didn't start him in the hope the ankle will be strong enough for Ordoñez to play two of three in the Seattle series that opens tonight. That fits the pattern this season -- Ordoñez has played about half the games."
Austin Jackson digging out of slump
April 12
Detroit Free Press
 
"There's nothing like being called into the office on your day off. Some people might buck the notion. But Austin Jackson seized the opportunity. Tigers manager Jim Leyland had planned to give his struggling centerfielder the day off Monday in the series opener against Texas at Comerica Park. But when the Tigers needed a pinch-hitter down two runs late in the game, Jackson delivered. Left-handed reliever Darren Oliver took over for starter Alexi Ogando in the eighth, so Leyland sent in Jackson, a righty, to hit for lefty Don Kelly. Jackson led off the inning with a slap single to rightfield. The rally never materialized and Jackson was stranded on first in the 2-0 loss. But now, suddenly,"
Slumping Austin Jackson doesn't start, so he can work on swing
April 12
Detroit News
 
"Austin Jackson and his .184 batting average got a rest Monday, as Don Kelly started in center field instead and Will Rhymes led off. Jackson did appear in the 2-0 loss to the Rangers as a pinch-hitter, singling in the eighth inning, raising his average to .205. Jackson will be back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Texas Rangers, manager Jim Leyland said. Leyland and Jackson agreed, however, that a day of working on his swing - instead of struggling with his swing - could be useful. "Obviously, he's our regular center fielder," said Leyland, "but I kind of slept on it and decided to get him away from it for a day. He's been fighting it a little bit - swinging a little"
Tigers' Austin Jackson off to slow start at plate
April 11
Michigan Live
 
"Detroit Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson is off to a rough start after finishing runner-up for the American League's Rookie of the Year award last year. He is batting .184 with a .244 on-base percentage after nine games. "Right now, he is swinging at too many balls," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said after Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals. "That sums up the situation for me. He's probably over-anxious to get some hits, but he's a grinder and he'll come out of it." Jackson has 14 strikeouts. It's early, but he is on a pace for 252 after leading the league last year with 170 strikeouts. "You're kind of anxious when you want base-hits," Jackson said, "and you might end up"
Austin Jackson in skid at bat; Jim Leyland: 'He'll be OK'
March 28
Detroit Free Press
 
"Spring training is winding down, and Austin Jackson isn't playing his best baseball. Jackson walked twice and scored twice in Sunday's 8-4 win over Houston, but the second-year centerfielder has struck out nine times and is hitless in his past 17 plate appearances. He said over the weekend his "timing is definitely not there right now." "Some days are better than others, but as of late the timing has definitely been off," said Jackson, who fanned 170 times in 2010. "That's one thing that you battle with during the season, and you want to try to get it out of the way right now. "It's tough because you can do a lot of tee work and soft toss and hitting off coaches, but there's nothing like"
Bulked-up Austin Jackson determined to hit better
February 24
Detroit News
 
"Those biceps on Austin Jackson's arms look more like a mountain range. They're bigger, more so than a year ago when Jackson was impressing everyone with a physique that seemed too sturdy and mature for a man who had just turned 23. "Just had to get stronger so my body can withstand a full major-league season," Jackson said Wednesday, sitting inside Marchant Stadium's clubhouse following the Tigers workout. Jackson, now 24, is 10 pounds heavier and is running head-on into expectations he won't match his sterling rookie year of 2010. Loads of critics say he will slide like an overpriced stock. Not everyone expects him to match his .293 average, nor are the bettors buying into ideas Jackson"
Tigers' Austin Jackson infected by Texas' Series fever
December 1
Detroit Free Press
 
"Baseball forever contains coincidences, ironies and overlays, and here arrives yet another. Detroit Tigers centerfielder Austin Jackson is from the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and continues to live there. And it's a player from his hometown team, reliever Neftali Feliz of the Texas Rangers, who beat him out for the American League rookie of the year award. On the day he learned Feliz had won the award, Jackson didn't sit around and mope. He went furniture shopping for the house he recently bought and moved into. Jackson didn't attend any of the Rangers' games this postseason in their first World Series year. He didn't want to deal with the huge crowds. But, as he related in a telephone"
Tigers CF Austin Jackson isn't Rookie of the Year, but Texas GM still likes him
November 29
Detroit Free Press
 
"In June 2007, Texas general manager Jon Daniels traded slugger Mark Teixeira to Atlanta and received five players, all young. In the past two years, two of those players have put Daniels on both sides of a classic question: When it comes to rookie of the year, do you choose a position player who excels or a ninth-inning closer who gets a lot of saves? Last season, Elvis Andrus became the Rangers' full-time shortstop, batted .267 and fielded wondrously. But he finished second in the rookie of the year voting to Oakland reliever Andrew Bailey. This season, Texas had the top rookie reliever: Neftali Feliz. Like Bailey a year ago, he beat out a position player for rookie of the year, the"
Tigers' Austin Jackson misses award, but sunny seasons are ahead
November 16
Detroit Free Press
 columnist Michael Rosenberg
"I would like to muster up some outrage on behalf of Austin Jackson. But I can't. Jackson had a very strong rookie season, and in some years he would have been an easy choice as American League rookie of the year. But Rangers right-hander Neftali Feliz was a dominant closer for a playoff team. He had a 2.73 ERA and allowed fewer than one baserunner an inning -- an extraordinary performance. Feliz deserved this award, for the same reason I think Miguel Cabrera should edge Feliz's Texas teammate, Josh Hamilton, for the MVP award: Rangers Ballpark is a hitter's paradise. That helped Hamilton and hurt Feliz. Feliz's road numbers are simply outrageous: 1.27 ERA, nine hits allowed in 281/3"
Tigers 'true' rookie Austin Jackson settles for runner-up in AL voting
November 16
Detroit News
 
"Amazingly, in the first 64 years of the rookie of the year award, the Tigers never had a player finish second in the voting. They have won know, though there are those who will argue they still shouldn't. Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson was beaten by Rangers closer Neftali Feliz in voting announced Monday by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Feliz received 20 first-place votes, Jackson the other eight. Feliz, the flame-throwing right-hander, had a phenomenal season. Can't dispute that. His 40 saves set a major league rookie record, opponents hit just .176 against him, and he struck out more than a batter an inning. "He had a very dominant season," Jackson said Monday"
Austin Jackson loses AL Rookie of the Year award to Neftali Feliz
November 15
Detroit Free Press
 
"Texas reliever Neftali Feliz has beaten out Detroit Tigers centerfielder Austin Jackson for the American League rookie of the year award, it was announced this afternoon. San Francisco catcher Buster Posey won the National League award. The voting for the awards was done by 28 members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Feliz won by a wide margin. He received 20 of the 28 first-place votes. Jackson got the other eight and finished second. Tigers outfielder Brennan Boesch received three third-place votes. He finished in a three-way tie for fifth. Each of the 28 voters votes for three players. The Rangers came out this year on the right side of the rookie duel between a reliever"
Austin Jackson second in AL rookie of the year voting
November 15
Detroit News
 
"Austin, we have a problem. Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson was beaten out for American League rookie of the year by Rangers closer Neftali Feliz, the Baseball Writers Association of American announced Monday. In the end, voters decided Feliz, who set the rookie saves record (40) and limited opponents to a .176 batting average and .246 on-base percentage, was more deserving than an everyday player who hit nearly .300 all season and played dazzling defense. Feliz might've been helped by the fact his team made the playoffs, Jackson's did not. While votes were due in before the postseason started, playing for a contender always seems to provide a boost to award candidates. Feliz became"
Tigers' Austin Jackson has good chance at AL rookie award
November 14
Detroit Free Press
 
"The American League rookie of the year, voted on by 28 members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, will be announced at 2 p.m. Monday. If Tigers centerfielder Austin Jackson wins, he will complete a chain of connections that began before he was born. In December 1984, the Chicago White Sox traded big-name right-hander LaMarr Hoyt to the San Diego Padres in a seven-player deal. Hoyt was one year removed from a 24-win season and the American League Cy Young Award. The team and Hoyt (13-18) dropped off badly in 1984, and the White Sox dealt him. For Hoyt, the White Sox received a four-man package. It didn't include any big names, but it did include two players who had never played"
Small poll says Austin Jackson will be top rookie, Miguel Cabrera won't be MVP
November 11
Detroit News
 
"Miguel Cabrera plowed into a locomotive, a Rangers outfielder named Josh Hamilton who might well have knocked from the tracks Cabrera's bid to win an MVP award. Austin Jackson perhaps had better luck. The AL rookie of the year will be announced Monday and, if a sampling of opinions holds any clue, Jackson's magic act with the Tigers could give him an edge over another Rangers star, closer Neftali Feliz. National baseball writers from Boston, Chicago, and Dallas - all of whom have voted in the past for MVP and rookie of the year winners but didn't vote in those categories in 2010 - were polled Wednesday. Hamilton was a unanimous pick as MVP, with Cabrera second by two and third on"