Grant Jackson, Pirates' winning pitcher in Game 7 of 1979 World Series, dies at age 78

With a signature smile and flashy style, what he called a “jive-time” fastball and the unwavering confidence to come out of the bullpen and throw scoreless innings, Grant Jackson made believers out of relievers.

The left-hander left a legacy in Pittsburgh as the pitcher who earned the victory against the Baltimore Orioles in Game 7 of the World Series to clinch the world championship for the Pirates.

“Yeah, I got to throw the last pitch,” Pirates closer Kent Tekulve said, “but that ball, before it got to me, had a whole lot of Grant Jackson’s fingerprints on it for what it took to get to that last inning.”

Jackson’s former teammates were stunned to learn of his death Tuesday morning at Canonsburg Hospital from complications of covid-19. He was 78. Jackson is survived by his wife, Millie (Milagro), daughters Debra and Yolanda, son Grant Jr. and 10 grandchildren. A private service is scheduled for Saturday.

Nicknamed “Buck” by his father because he ran like a deer, Jackson compiled an 86-75 career record in 18 major league seasons. A native of Fosteria, Ohio, who played at Bowling Green, Jackson began his pro career in 1965 with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he was an All-Star in 1969. He pitched for the New York Yankees, Pirates, Montreal Expos and Kansas City Royals before finishing his career with the Pirates in 1982. He also spent three seasons as the Pirates bullpen coach.

For the Pirates, it marked the loss of another member of their last World Series champions. Jackson was among the former Pirates players who returned for a reunion on July 20, 2019, at PNC Park, as the club honored the 40th anniversary of their world championship.

We are very saddened to relay the news of the passing of former Pirates pitcher Grant Jackson.

Grant was the winning pitcher of Game 7 of the 1979 World Series & remained an active member of our Pirates family. Our deepest condolences to the Jackson family. He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/w4CzUrLLIr

— Pirates (@Pirates) February 2, 2021

“This pandemic has affected every family throughout our community, and the Pirates family is no different,” Pirates president Travis Williams said in a statement. “As the winning pitcher for the Pirates in Game 7 of the 1979 World Series, Grant was a World Series Champion and All-Star, who remained dedicated to the Pirates and the City of Pittsburgh since his retirement in 1982. He was an active board member of our Alumni Association who was always willing to help make an impact in our community. More so than any on-field accomplishment, Grant was a proud family man. … He will be missed.”

Jackson had a reputation for taking young players under his wing and giving them tips on how to be a professional ballplayer. One of those he befriended was outfielder Omar Moreno, to the point that their families now consider each other relatives. A despondent Moreno declined an interview but released a statement on behalf of his family.

“The Moreno family’s heart is broken,” Moreno’s statement read. “ ‘Buck’ was like a father to me. He was a great friend and confidant. His words of wisdom made a difference in so many aspects of my life. He taught me the value of being genuine and sincere. As a teammate, he always made sure to bring us together. He taught me how to study the game. How to love it and live it. He taught me to always be straightforward and transparent with players when coaching and teaching baseball. He was full of wisdom.

“Outside of the field, my family and I knew a side of ‘Buck’ that many didn’t know. I knew him as person, he was a one a kind extraordinary human. To my adult children, The Jackson’s have always been “Grandpa Grant, Grandma Millie and cousins Yolanda, Debbie & Grancito. Our playing days and after retirement family memories are endless and they will forever be missed. Buck saw me and treated me like a son. He would constantly tell me that I needed to perfect my golfing because it was a great way for me to network. Buck taught me to be a Winner, to think like a Winner and act like a Winner. His friendship meant everything to me. He will be greatly missed.”

Rest in peace my good friend. You will be miss?#GrantJackson #WeAreFamily pic.twitter.com/gCT538t8w7

— Omar Renan Moreno Q (@OmarMoreno79) February 2, 2021

Not only did Jackson bring valuable veteran leadership but also a razor-sharp sense of humor that kept the team loose. Not only did he warn fellow pitchers to keep the ball out of the corners at Baltimore before the World Series but also knew how to keep the clubhouse chatter going.

“Buck was really smart,” former Pirates pitcher Jim Rooker said. “There were a lot of guys who just pitched. The catcher told them what to throw. But Buck always had a plan going out there. He knew to think ahead a little bit. He always had a Plan B, always ready for something.”

What stood out to Tekulve was Jackson’s quick wit.

“You didn’t see it a lot. It would be a lightning bolt that came out of nowhere,” Tekulve said. “He’d say something that would rip everybody apart. He never made one person laugh. When he came up with something, it had the whole group laughing. It was his way of keeping himself loose and everybody around him loose.”

In an interview with the Baltimore Sun in 2018, Jackson explained his “jive-time fastball” this way: “What’s that? Here’s a fastball, hit it if you can catch up with hit.”

He also showed some of the swagger that made him a Pirates favorite: “For 18 years in the majors, every time someone rang the bell to get The Buck ready, I answered.”

Not only did Jackson bring valuable veteran leadership but also postseason experience. He pitched in three World Series — with the Orioles in 1971, the Yankees in ’76 and the Pirates in ’79 — but his greatest claim to fame was being the winner of the clinching game for the Pirates against Baltimore on Oct. 17, 1979 at Memorial Stadium.

The moment overshadowed his incredible postseason performance, as Jackson didn’t allow a run in six postseason appearances in ’79. He gave up only two hits and three walks while striking out four of the 24 batters he faced in both the NLCS against the Cincinnati Reds and the World Series against the Orioles.

“He was beaming with confidence,” former Pirates pitcher Don Robinson said. “He knew he was going to go into the game and get them out. When you see that, it pumps you up. You knew if he could do it, you could, too.”

In Game 7, Jackson replaced Robinson after the 22-year-old reliever had walked pitcher Scott McGregor to put runners on first and second base with two outs and the Pirates trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Four days later, Robinson required surgery on his right shoulder.

Jackson threw 2 2/3 hitless and scoreless innings of relief, starting with getting Al Bumbry to pop out to foul territory on the third base line. Jackson retired the side in the sixth and seventh, then got Rich Dauer to pop out to start the eighth before walking Lee May and Bumbry. Tekulve replaced Jackson and got the final five outs for the save, as the Pirates padded their lead with two runs in the eighth for a 4-1 victory.

“The majority of what I did was with a decent amount of wiggle room,” Tekulve said. “Buck, on the other hand, didn’t have room for that one mistake to make. He handled it perfectly. And it wasn’t by mistake. He was that good.”

Jackson was 29-19 with a 3.23 ERA in 278 games over six seasons with the Pirates, including an 8-5 record with a 2.96 ERA and 14 saves and 29 games finished in 72 games in ’79. Those statistics are only part of the reason why Tekulve takes exception with calling Jackson a setup man. Jackson also paid close attention to Tekulve’s mechanics and often pointed out potential flaws before opponents could spot them.

“We really were more 1 and 1A,” said Tekulve, who had 31 saves in ’79. “This wasn’t your typical setup guy. He wasn’t just holding up leads for me to finish at the end. He was finishing games a lot of the time. I think he was very unappreciated, his contribution to that ’79 team. It was really a different type of relationship production-wise and personally. He was producing more than most setup guys and coaching me to keep myself together. His fingerprints were all over that ’79 bullpen.”

Upon learning of Jackson’s death, a stunned Rooker went into the office of his Jacksonville home and looked at a framed photograph of the 1979 World Series champions. A smiling Jackson was sitting at the end of the second row, gold chains exposed beneath his V-neck jersey. Since wining the Pirates’ last World Series, Willie Stargell, John Milner, Bill Robinson, Jim Bibby, Bruce Kison and, now, Jackson are among those who have died.

“It seems like every other year, another one goes,” Rooker said. “There’s never a good side to something like this because it’s such a tragedy but you try to find something good. It gives you a warm feeling that Buck was part of the team that helped make us World Series champions. We had guys who knew how to do the job, and Grant was one of them.”