Rangers Spring break: Early returns reveal Jackson as mane man
Last spring it was Matt West. This year it’s Luke Jackson. The topic? Most impressive head of hair.
Jackson, who is enjoying his first major league camp, has been playing with an impressive head of hair since high school. Almost all of his teammates in the Rangers clubhouse have buzz cuts. The only ones close are reliever Roman Mendez, who sports dreadlocks, and Yovani Gallardo, who is bordering on a mullet.
“I thought it was a little different and kept it going with the long hair look,” Jackson said. “I wouldn’t say I’m the first but there’s not many of us.”
What he really wants is a mustache. But the 22-year-old from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., says it takes him five weeks just to get a little stubble under his nose.
“If I could grow it, I would grow it,” he said. “I want a mustache real bad.”
Does the long hair ever bother him on the mound? No. His cap takes care of that.
“The front part I tuck straight back so it’ll never get in my face,” he said.
No matter the hairstyle, Jackson hopes to get the most out of his time in big-league camp.
“I’m just here with some great pitchers and great coaches and if I can learn every day here I think I’m winning something,” he said.
Ambidextrous duo
Pitchers Martin Perez and Yu Darvish can each throw accurately with either arm. The pair often play catch before games using their off-hand, the right for left-hander Perez and the left for the right-handed Darvish.
Perez’s talent was on display during pitching fielding practice on Sunday. Perez, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is expected back after the All-Star break, was fielding with the appropriate hand but making throws with his right arm.
The club doesn’t want Perez throwing to bases with his pitching arm just yet.
Cover boy
The Rangers 2015 media guide was passed out Tuesday morning with new manager Jeff Banister on the cover, holding a bat in front of the video board that reads “Welcome to Texas.”
Key stat
.474Manager Jeff Banister’s winning percentage as a minor league manager in the Pirates’ organization. He went 299-330 over five seasons.
Quotable
“I like my teammates. It’s a good atmosphere here. I’ve asked him many things about baseball and we’re good friends so we talk a lot.” — Relief pitcher Kyuji Fujikawa on joining the club in the off-season and his friend Yu Darvish
“If he’s not an influence on all of us then we need to reassess what we look for in influences.” — Manager Jeff Banister on third baseman Adrian Beltre
Stefan Stevenson
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Twitter: @StevensonFWST
This story was originally published February 24, 2015 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Rangers Spring break: Early returns reveal Jackson as mane man."