Reggie Jackson Gets Furious At An Autograph Seeker While At The Hall Of Fame In Cooperstown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWd7crhu34M

The Hall of Fame inductions will occur Sunday in Cooperstown, NY, with many former hall members in attendance. Joining them will be countless fans and people seeking to see the heroes and legends of yesteryear, including former Athletic and Yankee notable Reggie Jackson. But if the video above proves anything it’s that you do not want to test Jackson’s kindness when seeking an autograph.

A man allegedly had requested an autograph from Jackson on several occasions prior to this incident on Friday night, prompting the Yankee great to vent in his frustration in the profane rant seen above and continued below via The New York Daily News.

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USA Today caught up with Jackson to get his side of the events and to address the claims that he had shoved one of the people attempting to get his autograph during the incident:

“Absolutely not,” Jackson said. “I would never touch a fan. I would never touch a person. I just wouldn’t do it.”

“I used profanity. I told him no autographs, but I do not touch him.’’

He then took the moment to explain what had happened leading up to the incident seen in the video:

“We were quietly having dinner at the restaurant,’’ Jackson said Saturday, “and by the time we were getting ready to leave, it piled up pretty good with people. So we tried to go out the back, and as we went out at back, there was a deluge of people outside.’’

Jackson recognized one of the autograph seekers. He had already obtained Jackson’s autograph earlier in the day at their golf outing and tried to get a second one, Jackson said, which led to an exchange on the golf course.

“I told you, I want to sign autographs,” Jackson said that he told him, “and you’re screwing it up for everyone, but no more.”

Jackson has had no trouble signing autographs in the past, but it is another reminder that there are plenty who take advantage of certain events and opportunities in order to score the autographs for sale. It also highlights that ballplayers are still regular people at the end of the day and will snap at you if they don’t like what you’re doing.

I’d rate this outburst fairly low on the list of baseball’s greatest, like Tommy Lasorda or Goose Gossage, but it is pretty good for a profane rant in a parking lot.

(Via USA Today / New York Daily News / Bleacher Report / TMZ)