Addiction forced him out of the big league, but recovery changed everything

Early on, around 1970–71, Michael Jackson’s career as a relief pitcher in professional baseball was on the upswing.

This Paterson native posted high strikeout and batting averages in the major and minor leagues for several pro teams, such as the Philadelphia Phillies. Then Jackson started to suffer a series of disappointing setbacks. He spent most of his short career in the minors and didn’t get many chances to pitch when he was a major leaguer.

“Those hurt. I deserved those shots. I was frustrated. My alcohol and drug use continued,” said Jackson, 76, a left-handed pitcher who also played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Kansas City Royals. One night on the road, he drank so much that he blacked out. His last team, the Cleveland Indians, let him go in 1974, ending his career. “My drinking and drugging led to me being released from baseball. I continued them when I got back to Paterson.”

In the late 1970s, Jackson weathered another strikeout in his life: walking out on a drug treatment program. But after years of addiction — even homelessness, he mounted a comeback by entering the Straight & Narrow (S&N) substance-abuse recovery program in Paterson, a part of diocesan Catholic Charities, in 1986. He notched one of his greatest achievements: graduating from the program the following year.

Since 2016, Jackson has been “paying it back” by working part-time with men in treatment at S&N — as a coach of sorts. Three times weekly, he leads “specialty groups,” where he talks about coping skills and wellness, including nutrition. He spoke to The Beacon in the middle of the World Series, which saw his Phillies fall to the Houston Astros on Nov. 5, four games to two.

“I have some regrets. I look at the skills and the opportunities I was given and what didn’t happen because of my addiction. But I also look at my accomplishments,” Jackson said. “I love the good people at Straight & Narrow. I love counseling. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. It feels good to help our clients.”

Born and raised in Paterson, Jackson played for Central High School. After graduating in 1964, Jackson signed with the Phillies and played in the minors for two seasons. In 1966, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving as a paratrooper in Vietnam.

“I started drinking in the military. It took the edge off. But I didn’t touch anything the night before a jump,” Jackson said.

After, Jackson signed with the Red Sox, playing minor-league ball. He earned a spot in the majors. Yet the manager kept him in the minors because his team, the Louisville Colonels, had a shot at winning a championship.

Jackson was traded back to the Phillies, where he again played in the minors. Frus­trated, he started drinking again but didn’t drink before a game. Jackson finally made his major-league debut in Philadelphia on May 10, 1970, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then Jackson spent a season in the minors.

In 1971, Jackson was traded to the Cardinals and then to the Royals. Then he was traded to the Indians but didn’t pitch much. Jackson pitched his final major-league game on July 27, 1973, before being sent to the minors and retiring after the 1974 season.

Returning to Paterson, Jackson worked for chemical companies. Still addicted, he entered S&N in 1986 after having survived near-death bouts with pancreatitis and kidney failure. He graduated the program the following year — “one of the best days of my life,” he said.

“I got in the program because I had enough. I proved that I could do anything I set my mind to,” said Jackson, who started working for S&N hauling recycling. “I also had a spiritual awakening and went back to the [Protestant] church,” he said.

Later, Jackson was encouraged to become a certified counselor and started working for the agency’s now-closed adolescent program in 1989. He also earned his counseling license. Jackson also worked for other local treat­ment programs. Now he works part-time for S&N.

“When I interact with clients, I get bursts of energy,” said Jackson, the father of a son and daughter, who is widowed from his second wife. He tells clients, “In the end, you have to define yourself, starting with a relationship with yourself. I’m proof that you’re never too old to change,” he said.