I applaud the effort, but isn't this a bit like trying to sue a rag mag for libel? You try to shut some loud mouth up and it backfires.

This is what Reggie said, for the record:

""Al's a very good friend," Jackson said of the New York Yankees third baseman in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. "But I think there are real questions about his numbers. As much as I like him, what he admitted about his usage does cloud some of his records.""

Not exactly inflammatory rhetoric.

"Al's a very good friend," Jackson said of the New York Yankees third baseman in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. "But I think there are real questions about his numbers. As much as I like him, what he admitted about his usage does cloud some of his records."

Not to be pedantic, but A-Rod doesn't actually have any records yet, does he? Unless they are obscure ones that nobody cares about.

Not exactly inflammatory rhetoric.

Yes. But didn't Reggie recently call Bobby Richardson a bubble-assed, Meinhardt Raabe wannabe?

Or was that me?

Doesn't he hold the all-time grand slam record? That would qualify as obscure in my opinion, but I can't think of any others either.

I know everyone hates A-Rod and all, but he does seem to take the high road in commenting on various controversial issues. When he was asked to comment after being needled by Dallas Braden's grandmother, he said, "Uncle!"

His records as in the quantified totality of his achievements, not necessarily the top marks he holds in any given categories.

A-Rod's the kid at school that everyone picks on. Torre took shots at him in his book, the NY media takes a lot of shots at him (Mike Lupica seems to take a cheap shot at him at least once a month, either in print or on the Sports Reporters). And, just like in the schoolyard, they all take shots at him because there is never any repercussions for doing so. (Lupica's the worst about it on Sports Reporters. I just think of the second dorkiest kid on the playground piling on because he's thankful someone else is getting picked on this time.)

I don't think anything Reggie said was that awful. I really want to believe this was a great chance for the Yankees organization to stand up for their player and they weren't going to let it pass.

A-Rod hold numerous "by age" records. Most HR by age 24, 25, ..... 36, for example.

I wouldn't rush to make this all about A-rod - the article says "Alex Rodriguez and others". He also slagged off a bunch of HoFers as undeserving in that article.

is this some blowback for reggie's comments about HOFers? not that he said anything about any yankee hofers, but maybe the yank brass are hearing some gripes about what a bigmouth jackson is.

7 - That'd be his record.

No, the comments aren't inflammatory, but if he's essentially a spokesmodel, he should learn his lines.

A cooling off period, but not a death penalty,

What a shame.

"Al's a very good friend,"

Al...?

You can call him Al.

I know everyone hates A-Rod and all, but he does seem to take the high road in commenting on various controversial issues. When he was asked to comment after being needled by Dallas Braden's grandmother, he said, "Uncle!"

Soon after the Mound Incident, Braden pitched his perfect game.
A-Rod was asked to comment, and said something like, "Really? He did? Well, I guess I'd better stay off his ####### mound, then."
That was pretty solid, I thought.

From the LoHud Yankees Blog:

In vaguely related news — only because he was there to throw out a first pitch – Reggie Jackson told reporters in Kansas City that he is not actually banned or suspended from the Yankees, rather he and the team came to a mutual agreement that he would be a distraction over the weekend in Boston.

A-Rod's the kid at school that everyone picks on.

Huh, really? At my high school, the kid who was 6'3" 200+ lbs and was a star athlete was definitely NOT the kid people picked on. He may have been a d*ck, but always had plenty of followers. A-rod's complete lack of social skills would seem to be related to the fact that he was, well, really awesome at baseball from a very young age and thus didn't suffer through the usual disenchanted youthful phase that the rest us basement dwellers had to endure.

"I would make it my business to be a distraction."

A-rod's complete lack of social skills would seem to be related to the fact that he was, well, really awesome at baseball from a very young age and thus didn't suffer through the usual disenchanted youthful phase that the rest us basement dwellers had to endure.

Wouldn't that describe most major league ballplayers, not just the inner circle Hall of Famers?

Dick Groat (#5) has it almost right. ARod recently TIED Lou Gehrig for the most career grand slams, which means that he probably will hold the record outright when he retires. That's pretty impressive, really. Gehrig got a lot of slams because, if there were two men on when Babe Ruth came up, the opposition would often pitch around him, even to get to Lou. ARod isn't hitting behind Babe Ruth, although the hitters in front of him have admittedly been pretty good. Other than that, he does hold some serious age-related records (cokes to all above) and likely holds some records for offense at shortstop, particularly some season power records at the position. - Brock Hanke

And the Rod's response this time (said jokingly) "With friends like that, who needs enemies,". He may be socially inept at times, but he does have some very good responses at times.

as ARod said "with funds like that, who need animus?"

Huh, really? At my high school, the kid who was 6'3" 200+ lbs and was a star athlete was definitely NOT the kid people picked on.

Indeed.

It's as if we were talking about one of those heartwarming stories in which the basketball team's autistic mascot is put in the final ballgame of the season & hits 5 straight 3-pointers. Except that he comes back the next year & does so consistently, earning a starting position & then a college scholarship & ultimately professional fame & fortune.

That's A-Rod, I guess.

Especially if the autistic kid pretends that he's a centaur.