NEW YORK — CC Sabathia‘s celebration was supposed to be entirely about another Yankees great joining the permanent company of Monument Park. Reggie Jackson briefly made the guest list part of the story.
The Hall of Famer and former Yankees slugger posted a congratulatory message to Sabathia following the retirement of the pitcher’s No. 52 at Yankee Stadium. But Jackson initially included a pointed reference to his own absence.
“Sorry I wasn’t there friend. Waiting on an invite!” Jackson wrote in the message, according to Forbes.
That portion did not stay up for long.
Jackson subsequently removed the invitation complaint and left behind a straightforward congratulatory message for Sabathia and his family.
The change did not go unnoticed. Forbes reported that the initial version had accumulated nearly 100,000 impressions before Jackson altered it.
The brief episode left an unexpected question hanging over what had otherwise been a celebration of Sabathia’s place in Yankees history.
Reggie Jackson’s message points to apparent Yankees snub
Jackson’s wording strongly suggested he believed an invitation had not reached him. What remains unclear is why.
There has been no public evidence establishing whether Jackson was formally omitted from the guest list, whether there was a communication issue or whether another circumstance contributed to his absence.
That distinction matters. Jackson did not directly accuse Hal Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman or another Yankees official of deliberately excluding him. His post simply made his frustration over the invitation situation public before he removed that portion.
The timing nevertheless made it notable.
Sabathia’s ceremony brought several recognizable Yankees figures back to the Bronx as the organization formally retired No. 52 and unveiled his Monument Park plaque. Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and other former teammates were part of the celebration.
Sabathia became the 24th Yankees player or manager to have his number retired. Yet Jackson — one of the most famous postseason performers in franchise history — was not there.
Why an invitation appears to matter to Jackson
The deleted portion carries additional weight because Jackson spoke in late May about the importance he places on his continuing connection with the Yankees.
Jackson, who turned 80 in May, told MLB.com that he still feels closely connected to the Steinbrenner family. He specifically pointed to invitations from Yankees principal owner Hal Steinbrenner.
“I get invited to Opening Day by Hal,” Jackson told MLB.com. “I consider those kinds of things an honor when they bring me back to sit with him.”
Jackson also recalled his long relationship with George Steinbrenner and his years working for the organization as a special adviser after his playing career.
That history makes his apparent disappointment over missing Sabathia’s ceremony more than a random social-media complaint.
Jackson played five seasons for the Yankees from 1977-81 and helped New York win consecutive World Series championships in his first two years in the Bronx. His three-home run performance in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series became one of the defining October performances in baseball history and cemented the “Mr. October” nickname.
His Yankees years were also famously turbulent. Jackson clashed with manager Billy Martin, navigated a complicated relationship with captain Thurman Munson and played through the headline-heavy George Steinbrenner era that became known as the “Bronx Zoo.”
Decades later, however, Jackson has repeatedly spoken warmly about his connection to the franchise.
Jackson removes criticism but leaves question
Jackson’s edited message shifted the tone completely. The revised version simply congratulated Sabathia and his family on the number retirement and Monument Park recognition. There was no longer any mention of an invitation.
That removed Jackson’s public complaint, but it did not erase the attention generated by the original post. It also created a striking contrast with Jackson’s comments earlier this year about how much he appreciates being welcomed back by the Yankees.
Sabathia’s ceremony itself marked one of the organization’s biggest alumni celebrations of the season. The former Yankees ace spent 11 seasons in New York, helped deliver the 2009 World Series championship and entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025.
Jackson clearly wanted Sabathia to know he supported the honor. For a brief period, however, he also wanted people to know something else: Mr. October was waiting for an invitation.
