BK Gets the Call!

If the World Series comes back to St. Petersburg for a Game 6 on Wednesday, BK Jackson, the 17-year-old saxophone star who wowed Rays crowds during the ALCS against the Red Sox, will play the national anthem. I just heard from BK's mom, Regina Jackson Underwood, who was ecstatic about the news. "I know it's not right to root for a Game 6," she said, "but if it falls that way, we are definitely excited."

A senior at Tampa's Blake High, BK was hoping to play the World Series, but this time, the decision was up to Major League Baseball, and not the home team, who adores their good luck charm. But passionate word-of-mouth, and strong persuasion from the Rays, obviously did the trick. "You cannot believe the national attention this is going to get him," Underwood said.

As far as I'm concerned, BK is a huge improvement over the Backstreet Boys and Los Lonely Boys, who performed the anthem at Tropicana Field for World Series Games 1 and 2. (LISTEN TO BK.)

A feature I wrote on BK for Sunday's paper went to print before the news broke. You can read that story, in which BK is still waiting for that magic phone call, right HERE. But hey, now you know the happy ending. Congrats, BK. Knock 'em dead.

Photo by Cherie Diez

Comments

[Bassnote]

Rays need to get their act together. Hope they win tomorrow.

[Irene]

Here is the link to the video you were asking about

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=43983547

[SnarkyBark]

What, they went with BK and not Delores Telescope or Savatage? What was MLB thinking???

Congrats BK, blow them away!

[judyboydart@hotmail.com]

delighted with your article and happy to hear BK got his call...but just exactly where are we able to hear the young man play the National Anthem on this blog?? not very clear!

[Bassnote]

Excellent news for the young man, and what a huge opportunity. MLB did something right.