(maybe he’s hanging out with the wrong people?)
On the same morning the Tallahasee Democrat’s Randy Beard writes of efforts to increase baseball’s black talent pool, Reggie Jackson, repeatedly rebuffed in his attempts to acquire a piece of franchises new and otherwise, is fed up. From the Journal News’ Peter Abraham.
“All ownership should not be white,” Jackson said. “There should be a cross-section. Every Fortune 500 company isn’t run by a white person. Why is every baseball team? Why don’t more people ask that?”
Jackson twice tried to buy the Athletics, once with the intention of moving them to Las Vegas. He also tried to get involved with the Dodgers and Angels when they were made available, and he made an unsolicited offer to purchase the Twins. He claims the investors he represents have enough financial capital to purchase any team in the game.
“It’s not a financial issue,” he said. “You can always find people who want to buy into a team. It’s getting in the door that’s tough.”
Jackson accuses commissioner Bud Selig of blocking his entrance into the game’s penthouse suite.
“There’s one guy with one key,” he said. “One guy, one key. That says enough. I’ve talked to Selig on several occasions. Nothing comes of it.”
Jackson did not get involved with the sale of the Washington Nationals despite the city’s large black population. He believed Selig would guide the team to the ownership group of his choice. Ultimately, two competing ownership groups merged, and the Nationals will be owned by Ted Lerner and run by Stan Kasten, a Selig supporter who ran the Atlanta Braves for 17 years.
“Everybody saw that coming,” Jackson said. “Of course Kasten gets the team.”