Jensen, "Jackie" (Jack E.)
b. March 9, 1927, San Francisco, CA
d. July 14, 1982
An All-American halfback as a junior at the University of California in 1948, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Jensen scored a touchdown in the team's 20-14 loss to Northwestern in the 1949 Rose Bowl. He was also an All-American pitcher in baseball, helping California win the 1947 NCAA championship.
He left college after his junior year to play professional baseball and joined the New York Yankees as an outfielder in 1950. During the 1952 season, Jensen was traded to the Washington Senators, and he went to the Boston Red Sox in 1954.
Jensen won the AL's most valuable player award in 1958, when he .286, with 35 home runs and a league-leading 116 RBI. He also led the league in RBI with 116 in 1955 and 112 in 1959, and in triples with 11 in 1956.
Primarily because he feared flying, Jensen retired after the 1961 season. He later coached baseball at California and the University of Nevada and was a minor league manager for a year.
In 11 major league seasons, Jensen batted .279, with 1,463 hits, including 259 doubles, 45 triples, and 199 home runs. He stole 143 bases, scored 810 runs, and had 929 RBI.