Reggie Jackson: Former commissioner Bud Selig blocked me from buying A’s

Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson wanted to purchase the Oakland Athletics nearly 20 years ago, but he says then-MLB commissioner Bud Selig got in the way.

Appearing on the “Howard Stern Show” on Wednesday, Jackson revealed his plans to buy the A’s alongside a group of investors, including the founders of Microsoft, Bill Gates and Paul Allen. However, despite having more than enough funding and offering $25 million more than the highest bid for the A’s, Jackson says he “absolutely believes” Selig blocked his attempt.

“He said, ‘Reggie, stay with me, I’ll guide you through, I’ll get this done for you, don’t worry about,’” Jackson said. “Then all of a sudden, it came out that the A’s were sold to a guy by the name of Lew Wolff — Bud Selig’s college buddy.”

A heartbroken Jackson admitted to falling into a six-month depression following the sale of the A’s. Jackson was so put off by how things shook out that he threatened to sue baseball, confirming he still has the 100-page lawsuit filled with evidence, including texts between himself and Selig. However, Jackson never went through with the suit, which he regrets.

“I never filed it,” Jackson said. “I got scared away by some people in baseball. They said, ‘Reggie, the first thing you’ll have to do is resign from baseball, from the Yankees, and you probably won’t get hired again.”