TIME TO GET REGGIE BACK INTO THE MIX

You can’t keep a legend away too long.  With all the stuff he said about who should and who shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame and about Alex Rodriguez and PEDs last year, it almost made sense that the Yankees asked Reggie Jackson to take a temporary leave of absence.  I could see how it was a distraction then. After all, this is Reggie we’re talking about and sometimes you just don’t know what Reggie will say next.  That being said, it’s Reggie Jackson, a Yankee icon, a baseball staple and you can’t keep a legend down too long.  Plus, let’s be honest, when it comes to PEDs and the Hall of Fame, everyone has a point of view and if that means Reggie wants to chat about it, let him.  I will say this though, you don’t bite the hand that feeds you and that’s what Jackson did.  But, as far as I’m concerned, his penance is over.

So what should happen now? Well, I say bring Reggie back.  With all the chatter about Alex Rodriguez working out in New York and NOT Tampa, read HERE, it's the perfect formula to have Reggie show up in Florida this week.   Sure, there is no doubt  that every smart sports writer out there would try and catch Reggie in his next misstep, but the reality is Reggie is great for the New York Yankees.  He’s excellent with the players, his presence alone is captivating and it’s just good for baseball to see the guy there.

Has Reggie finally learned his lesson? Damn right he has, but this is Reggie we’re talking about.  When he threw Alex under the bus, I never thought of it as an “Alex” issue.  I thought of it as a Yankee issue.  I felt like in that Sports Illustrated article, read HERE, he should have just kept his opinion to himself when it came to the Yankees players. Why? because he was the Yankees employee.  A tough situation for Jackson, after all , he’s a Hall of Famer and he’s being put on the spot about who should get elected based on PEDs use and performance.  Sure, opinions on the issue from a Yankee great are welcome, but there’s a line and Reggie crossed it, a sports writer trap and essentially Reggie stirred the wrong drink so to speak.

But all that’s over now.  Apology made, apology accepted and now it’s 2013 after Reggie’s been away for the remainder of 2012.  Bottom line, there’s baseball to be played and when the rest of the Yankees come to Spring Training, Reggie needs to be there.  The time is now and I’m looking forward to seeing him... are you?

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