Jackson, White Sox Are Encouraged by His Return to the Batter’s Box : Baseball: He gets two hits and drives in two runs during doubleheader for Class-A Sarasota, Fla.

It seemed to Juan Quero, a 21-year-old pitcher with the Charlotte Rangers of the Florida State League, that no matter where he had been recently, people were stopping him and offering their sympathy.

“They say, ‘Oh, you’re the one who’s going to have to face Bo Jackson in his first game,’ ” the Venezuelan said through an interpreter Sunday. “I’ve heard so much about him this week that I thought he was going to score a touchdown off me or a three-point basket.”

Jackson did neither against Quero or any of the Charlotte pitchers, but he did enough during the course of a day-night doubleheader with the Sarasota White Sox that he could be activated by the parent Chicago White Sox after the next step in this rehabilitation assignment--four games with the double-A Birmingham Barons.

“With the progress he’s making, I’m confident he’ll help us in September,” White Sox General Manager Ron Schueler said after Jackson made contact in each of seven at-bats Sunday, got two hits, drove in two runs and was timed to first base in less than 4.3 seconds.

“A month ago he was on crutches,” Schueler said of the hip injury that threatened Jackson’s career. “This is very encouraging, very satisfying. His bat and running speed are only going to get better.”

Jackson said he was happy with his performance. He called it a foundation on which to build, but said that he would consider himself “back” only when he returned to the major leagues.

He refused to address his football future during two news conferences Sunday, but told ESPN he hopes to play if the doctors permit it.

“There’s room for improvement, but I was glad to be out there swinging a bat again,” he said after going to the plate competitively for the first time since he ended the 1990 season with the Kansas City Royals and suffered the hip injury in a January playoff game with the Raiders.

“It was fun in a way that reminded me of when I was young and out stealing bicycles,” he said of his return to game action. “Once you do it, you never forget. You just have to stay polished.”

As Jackson acknowledged, this wasn’t polished, but it was far more than many medical experts thought he would ever do again.

“I’m 50 to 60% (of what I was), but I’m still improving,” Jackson said. “With the healing process, my speed will come. My left leg has been dormant for seven months. It will get stronger. I’m not concerned.”

Against Quero and three successors in the first game, Jackson grounded out to third base, lined out twice to right field and beat out a slow grounder to third.

Wearing a special shoe to take the pressure off his left hip, Jackson said he thought the ball was foul and didn’t begin running hard until he was three-quarters of the way to first base.

The belated hustle came with the score tied, 2-2, in the eighth inning of a game scheduled for seven and led to the decisive third run, scored after Jackson was lifted for a pinch-runner.

Schueler and personnel director Larry Monroe timed Jackson in 4.25 seconds on that eighth inning hit after clocking him at 4.5 seconds when he ran to first hesitantly on his initial grounder to third.

Jackson routinely broke 4.0 before his injury, but Monroe said the 4.25, an average time for right-handed hitters, was the day’s most positive development.

“Don’t forget,” Monroe said, “he didn’t dig in until he knew the ball was fair. Ron and I looked at our watches and were shocked. I mean, 4.25 is an indication of how far he’s come.

“Who knows how fast he would have run if he knew how solid the footing was (in the wake of Saturday night and Sunday morning rain) and had the confidence of having broken from the box eight to 10 times?”

Jackson, again serving as designated hitter, ran hard and well in the second game as well.

The Class A White Sox lost, 9-4, as their celebrity DH grounded to short, rammed a hard single to deep short and flied to center.

Jackson said he was just trying to put the ball in play, that he is not ready for any highlight film.

He said he would not know how prepared he is to face major league pitching until he faces that pitching and recognizes that he needs to strengthen his legs another 25% before returning to the outfield.

Crowds of 4,459 and 5,684 cheered Jackson, and he said he owed thanks to fans who expressed their support through “tons of letters” and also to critics, who motivated him.

“I’m not back to where I want to be, but all anyone has to do is say I can’t do something and I become determined to prove I can,” Jackson said.