Bo Jackson 1989 AL MVP
One of the few to play MLB and NFL in the same season, wearing the Royals' crown.
Bo Jackson's 1989 season with the Kansas City Royals remains one of the most talked-about chapters in the franchise's modern history—not because he won the AL MVP (that honour went to Cal Ripken Jr. of Baltimore), but because Jackson became a cultural phenomenon by simultaneously playing Major League Baseball and NFL football in the same calendar year, a feat he first accomplished in 1987. His presence in the Royals' outfield and as a designated hitter electrified a fanbase that had grown up on the 1985 World Series title and craved another era of star power. It is an unofficial fan-perspective account and does not represent the official Royals record book.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Outfielder; Designated Hitter
Lore & Background
When the Royals selected Bo Jackson with the first overall pick in the 1986 draft, they were not just picking a baseball player; they were picking a once-in-a-generation athlete out of the University of Alabama. By 1989, Jackson had already established himself as a power/speed outfielder and designated hitter in Kansas City, and the front office made the extraordinary decision to let him suit up for the Los Angeles Raiders in the NFL during the same baseball season—a dual-sport path he had already begun in 1987. The resulting split schedule meant Jackson played a reduced number of games, but when he was in the box, the energy in the ballpark was unlike anything the Royals had seen since George Brett's peak years.
The 1989 season became a national spectacle. Sports Illustrated covers, late-night television segments, and a generation of young fans in Kansas City who had never seen a two-sport star at their local ballpark all converged on the Royals' schedule. Jackson's speed around the bases and his raw power made him a highlight-reel presence even in a limited role, and the club leaned into the novelty, selling special merchandise and promoting his dual-athlete status as a unique selling point for the franchise.
By the early 1990s, the physical toll of splitting two professional sports took its toll, and Jackson's time with the Royals wound down. He was released by the Royals in March 1991 and did not play for them during the 1991 season; his last season with the Royals was 1990. But for a brief, electric window, the Royals were the home team of one of the most physically gifted athletes in American sports, and that memory still colours how fans talk about the late-'80s era of the franchise.
Reader's Guide
The 1989 AL MVP was won by Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles, not by Bo Jackson. This is a common misconception that circulates in fan forums and casual conversation, so it bears correcting clearly.
What Jackson DID do in 1989 was something arguably more remarkable in the public imagination: he played Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals and NFL football for the Los Angeles Raiders in the same calendar year, becoming the last player to do so. The Royals managed his workload, giving him a reduced game schedule so he could also suit up in Oakland.
To the Royals fanbase, Jackson's 1989 season represents the franchise at its most culturally electric in the late '80s. After the 1985 title, the team was in a transitional phase, and Jackson's presence gave the club a marquee star and a national media story that few other teams could match. It mattered less to the standings and more to the identity: for one summer, the Royals were the home of the most physically gifted athlete in America, and that narrative still resonates with fans who were kids in the stands that year.
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