Jay Jackson is Genuinely Trying to Change the World
- Jeff Perro
- Jun 8
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 3
"Smiley J" Jay Jackson was born and raised in Greenville , South Carolina. He also attended local Furman University. On the field, his performance at Furman caught the attention of scouts. Off the field, philosophy caught his attention.
On a humid June morning in Morgantown, West Virginia, Jay “Smiley J” Jackson pulled up to a ballpark that felt familiar in its rhythms yet completely new in its meaning. After 17 professional seasons—some triumphant, some heartbreaking, many unbelievable—Jackson was reporting to a baseball field not as a pitcher, but as a coach.
His new title: Pitching Coach, West Virginia Black Bears, MLB Draft League.
“It was technically my first real day,” Jackson said with a laugh. “Yesterday was just guys signing in, handing out gear—nothing crazy. Today, though? Today was the day I finally got to see how they throw, who they are, how they carry themselves. That part was really fun. I liked just watching their energy.”
The roster was incomplete, several arms were still pitching deep into NCAA Super Regionals, but Jackson shrugged off the inconvenience.
“You don’t want to rush those guys,” he said. “They’re pitching in the biggest games of their lives right now. Let them finish. We’ll make do with who we’ve got. That’s coaching.”
This new chapter comes with a revelation Jackson is still processing: he is retired. Officially. After nearly two decades, multiple countries, and more flights than he could ever count, Jay Jackson threw his final pitch.
Yet if you ask whether he’s had time to sit and reflect, he laughs.
“I haven’t had that moment yet,” he said. “One day—I don’t know when—I’ll sit by a fireplace, have a drink, and look up at the sky and say, ‘Damn… I did it.’ But not yet. I’ve been blessed, and I know that. I just haven’t taken that moment.”
Drafted Lower Than Expected, Driven Higher Than Predicted
Jackson’s journey began in 2008, when the Chicago Cubs drafted him in the ninth round out of Furman University. But that ninth-round tag still annoys him a little.
“I went lower than I expected—way lower,” he said. “I was projected anywhere from round two to round four. Ninth round? Nah. Not with the numbers I put up. That humbled me but it also drove me.”
The Cubs, however, wasted no time pushing him. Jackson moved through three levels in 2008, then three more in 2009—a rare, almost meteoric rise.
“Those first two years, I was flying,” he said. “But when I hit Triple-A, it got real. That league will humble you fast. And honestly, after a while, it got a little… dull. Not the baseball, but being stuck. You want that next challenge.”
That next challenge should have been the big leagues. Instead, he waited. And waited.
“You go through that period of thinking, ‘What else do I gotta do?’” he said. “But baseball isn’t just performance. It’s timing, it’s numbers, it’s luck. It’s a numbers game, truly.”
A Strange—but Divine—MLB Debut
When Jackson finally made the major leagues in 2015 with the San Diego Padres, the story was almost comically bizarre.
“The timing was weird,” Jackson said. “Most teams call guys up right after the Triple-A season ends. But they didn’t. A bunch of our guys literally went home—Florida, California, all over. Then the next day they were told, ‘Hey, you gotta fly to Arizona.’”
He shook his head.
“Crazy. Just crazy. I was one of the lucky ones—I stayed in El Paso an extra day. If I had gone home like everyone else, that call-up would’ve been a nightmare for me too.”
And when it finally happened?
“I smiled,” he said. “That’s it. I didn’t scream or cry. Just smiled. It was like, ‘Okay. God works in mysterious ways.’”
The Harsh Math Behind Today’s Baseball Landscape
Jackson has spent nearly two decades inside the baseball machine, and few players speak about its systemic shifts as clearly as he does.
“It’s absolutely true that careers are shorter now,” he said. “Someone showed me the stats—how many guys get to arbitration compared to 20 years ago, how many get five years of service time, eight years, ten years. Every number has dropped.”
Why? Jackson doesn’t dodge the question.
“Baseball is run by businesspeople now, not baseball people,” he said. “And that’s not an insult. It’s just reality. These decision-makers didn’t play the game professionally. They cater more to fans than to the actual fabric of the sport.”
He leaned forward as he said this, his tone sharpening.
“You don’t need to cater to fans by changing everything. If you play the game the right way—fast, aggressive,
smart—fans will come. Fans love baseball. They just want good baseball.”
Finding Stardom—and Stability—Half a World Away
When MLB opportunities dried up, Japan stepped in.
And Japan changed his career.
“I loved Japan. Man, I loved it,” Jackson said, smiling wide. “I had interest from a few teams over there, Hiroshima paid the posting fee, and I went. Best decision. Amazing baseball, amazing people.”
With the Hiroshima Carp, Jackson became a dominant late-inning reliever, winning championships in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
“It was the time of my life,” he said. “And the fans, my God. Hiroshima fans love their team like it’s part of their soul.”
But coming back to MLB wasn’t simple.
“You’d think after those years I’d have teams lined up,” he said. “Nope. I didn’t sign until three days before spring training in 2019. Three days. I had to fly back, pack, get everything together. It was chaos.”
He shook his head again, then grinned.
“That whole story will be in the memoir,” he promised. “There’s things I’ve never said publicly.”
Toronto and San Francisco: “They treated me like family.”
Of all his MLB stops, two fanbases stand out.
“Toronto and San Francisco—those fans treated me and my family beautifully,” Jackson said. “Especially during things we were going through personally at the time. I still get messages from them. They check on us. That means everything.”
He paused for a moment before speaking again.
“You remember the teams you played for. But you remember the people more.”
Nine Innings to Living Your Best Life — A Book, a Curriculum, a Mission
While playing in Japan, Jackson started writing down thoughts, ideas, and principles that helped him survive the highs and lows of a long career.
Those writings turned into a book: Nine Innings to Living Your Best Life.
“It’s not a baseball book,” he emphasized. “It’s for anybody who wants to understand their own mindset, their own reactions, their own habits. It’s something you can pick up on a bad day or a good one.”
Jackson’s voice brightened as he talked about what comes next.
“We’re turning the book into a curriculum for middle school, high school, college, and adults. I want this in classrooms. Kids today deal with pressures we never dreamed of. If I can help them handle that? That’s bigger than baseball.”
He has children’s books in development too.
“Kids remember pictures and simple messages,” he said. “If I can plant seeds early—confidence, positivity, accountability—that’s powerful.”
The S.M.I.L.E Zone — Teaching Athletes the Mental Game
His newest project, The S.M.I.L.E Zone, is a personalized sports-mindset program designed for athletes of all ages.
And yes, the name is a nod to his nickname—Smiley J.
“We keep it limited to 100 athletes because it’s hands-on,” he said. “Each kid gets a weekly call with a coach. We go through a theme from the book, talk about what they’re struggling with, and build them up.”
Participants also get a signed copy of his book and access to Statellite, a training and tracking app.
“It’s not just mental,” he said. “It’s physical too. We want well-rounded athletes who understand their bodies, their emotions, and their minds.”
He added something quietly but firmly:
“Baseball doesn’t teach that enough. Not even close.”
Teaching the Game—and Life—Through a New Lens
As Jackson begins coaching, it’s clear his philosophy extends beyond mechanics and velocity.
“Everyone thinks coaching is about telling someone to raise their elbow or stride longer,” he said. “That’s part of it. But the bigger part? Teaching kids to be accountable. Teaching them to breathe through chaos. Teaching them to handle failure.”
He paused, thoughtful....
“You can’t play this game if every failure feels like the end of the world. My job now is to show them that failure is part of the process. Not the enemy—part of the path.”
He smiled again.
“If they become big leaguers? Awesome. But if they become great humans? That’s the real win.”
A New Season of Life, with a Familiar Purpose
What does retirement feel like?
“I don’t know yet,” Jackson said. “I’m still figuring that out. Some mornings I wake up thinking I gotta go throw my bullpen. Then I remember—I don’t have to do that anymore.”
Does he see his career as an accomplishment?
“Oh yeah, absolutely,” he said. “But I haven’t done that deep sit-down yet. Not that moment where you breathe and say, ‘Look what I did.’ Other people celebrate it for me. But me? Not yet.”
Why not?
“I think because I’m still moving,” he said. “Still building. I haven’t slowed down long enough to process seventeen years of baseball. Seventeen years, man. That’s a blessing.”
But he isn’t searching for purpose. He already knows what it is.
“Helping people,” he said. “Helping kids, helping athletes, helping anyone who needs a little positivity. That’s my purpose now. That’s the next chapter.”
And despite everything he’s accomplished, everything he’s survived, and everything he’s building, Jackson knows one moment still waits for him.
That quiet evening.
That drink by the fire.
That deep breath where he finally acknowledges the magnitude of his journey.
“I’ll have that moment someday,” he said. “And when I do, I know I’ll be proud. Because I lived it. I really lived it.”
This episode is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you find your podcasts.
Catch Up with JP's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catchupwithjp/
Jay Jackson's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaxland58/
Purchase Jay Jackson's book Nine Innings to Living Your Best Life here: https://amzn.to/4jLeXBX
The Brushback Podcast, is a project Jay Jackson's had going since early 2024 with former Seattle Mariners outfielder and current Lancaster Stormers hitting coach Trayvon Robinson. Both were active players when they began the podcast. They'll likely be expanding their podcasting projects by the end of the year.
Purchase Jim Rushford's book, The Pizza Guy Delivers here: https://amzn.to/43fW31a
Purchase Jim Campanis Jr.'s book, Born into Baseball here: https://amzn.to/3FuLWfJ
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