Action Jackson

Fame hasn't spoiled Denton's humble hometown hero
By Lori Dann
Denton Live Jan-June 2013

The skinny 12-year-old with the confident Ken Griffey batting stance didn’t look like much. But to New York Yankees scout Mark Batchko, the sound emanating from the kid’s bat was unmistakable. It was the spring of 1999, and Batchko was watching a group of older kids play at a ballpark in Fort Worth when the distant ping of Austin Jackson’s first home run caught his attention. Soon there was another, followed by a loud roar. When Jackson smacked a third ball over the fence at the adjacent field, Batchko decided to head over and see what the fuss was all about. “Who’s that kid?” he asked.

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