Billy Martin Is Critical of Jesse Jackson : Former Yankee Manager Says Politics Has No Place in Baseball

Former New York Yankee Manager Billy Martin spoke out against Rev. Jesse Jackson Tuesday, saying the unofficial candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination “has no right” to bring politics into baseball.

Martin made the comments about Jackson at a book signing session in the afternoon, then repeated his feelings between innings of the telecast of the Yankees’ game against the Baltimore Orioles.

“Politics don’t belong in baseball and Jesse Jackson has no right to bring it in,” Martin said.

Jackson had delivered an ultimatum to major league baseball, saying its owners and operators have until next Monday to work out a comprehensive plan to bring minorities into the front office. Jackson’s ultimatum came after former Dodger vice president Al Campanis had said on national television that blacks lacked the “necessities” to handle management-level positions in baseball.

“All he talked about was blacks and Hispanics,” Martin said of Jackson. “What about American Indians, Japanese, Chinese, females? Jesse Jackson should stick with religion and keep politics out of baseball. A man or woman should earn a right to be in baseball and not be given the right because of color or creed.”

If baseball fails to meet Jackson’s deadline, certain selected baseball teams could expect pickets, boycotts and other economic reprisals from civil-rights activists starting July 4, Jackson said.

“The time for polite conversation and no results is over,” Jackson said. “We get along fine, but the issue is not attitude. It’s the lack of a plan, the lack of commitment.”

Jackson attended a meeting of owners in Philadelphia earlier this month at which affirmative action programs were discussed.

“Every single team will have a fair employment plan in place,” Commissioner Peter Ueberroth said after the meeting, adding the programs would be evaluated by Jackson, civil rights activists and a group of former players at a meeting in Chicago next week.