Former Shaw High School star to pitch for USA Baseball team at Olympics in Tokyo
Former Shaw High School star Edwin Jackson, who set the Major League Baseball record for playing on the most teams, will add another uniform to his historic collection.
Jackson has been selected to play for the United States baseball team at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. Team USA’s first game in the six-nation baseball tournament is scheduled for July 30 against Israel.
USA Baseball announced the 24-player roster Friday. Jackson is one of 12 pitchers on the team and one of 14 members with major league experience. MLB forbids anyone on a 40-player roster in the majors from being eligible for the Olympics.
Jackson helped Shaw win the 2001 Georgia High School Association Class AAAA baseball state title, sweeping crosstown rival Columbus High in the best-of-three championship round. In 2015, Shaw named its baseball field in his honor.
After the Los Angeles Dodgers picked Jackson in the sixth round of the 2001 MLB draft, he became the ultimate journeyman, playing for a record 14 teams in 17 seasons.
Along the way, Jackson was an All-Star with the Detroit Tigers in 2009, pitched a no-hitter with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010 and won the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.
Jackson, 37, compiled a record of 107-133, with a 4.78 ERA in 412 games, including 318 starts. He last played for the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers in 2019.
Another athlete from the Columbus area will compete in the 2021 Olympics. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sandra Uptagrafft of Phenix City is on the women’s sport pistol team.
