MLBTabloid Fodder

The Yankees Have Told Reggie Jackson To Stay Away From The Team Because He Hurt A-Rod’s Feelings

Reggie Jackson has been asked by the Yankees to sit the next few plays out, according to multiple reports coming out of the Bronx.

Mr. October, who serves as a special advisor to the team and is a fixture on the field during batting practice, has been asked to stay away from the club and its players indefinitely, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney and the Daily News’ Christian Red.

The reason for the Jackson embargo? These comments, which he made to Sports Illustrated, and which entered the news cycle right as the Yankees began their most recent set at Fenway.

“Al’s a very good friend. But I think there are real questions about his numbers. As much as I like him, what he admitted about his (performance-enhancing drug) usage does cloud some of his records.”

The comments were published Thursday, and there was enough anger within the Yankees’ organization (again, a set with the Red Sox isn’t the best time for this type of thing to come out) for the team to ask him to stay away.

But, no worries for fans of inter-generational team harmony: it sounds more like a timeout than anything else.

“A cooling off period, but not a death penalty,” a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking called it when speaking to ESPNNewYork.com’s Andrew Marchand.

A-Rod, who’s become close with Jackson since his arrival in New York, sounded a little hurt by Reggie’s comments, but dealt with it in a very A-Rod way.

“With friends like that who needs enemies?” A-Rod said through a forced smile.

Jackson has since spoken with Rodriguez (and Yankees manager Joe Girardi) and apologized. No word on whether or not that apology has put a dent in A-Rod’s double-reinforced wall of passive aggression.

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