Major League Baseball
Grapefruit Notebook league: Jackson claims some ballplayers are taking steroids

By Seattle Times news services

	Karim Garcia
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TAMPA, Fla. — Reggie Jackson challenged baseball's whopping home-run totals, and claimed that some are the result of players taking steroids.

"Somebody definitely is guilty of taking steroids," the Hall of Fame slugger told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for today's editions.

"You can't be breaking records hitting 200 home runs in three or four seasons. The greatest hitters in the history of the game didn't do that," said Jackson, who hit 563 home runs.

San Francisco's Barry Bonds is two home runs shy of tying his godfather, Willie Mays, for third place on the career home-run list with 660. Babe Ruth is second with 714 and Hank Aaron (755) first.

"Henry Aaron never hit 50 in a season, so you're going to tell me that you're a greater hitter than Henry Aaron?" Jackson said. "Bonds hit 73 in 2001, and he would have hit 100 if they would have pitched to him. I mean, come on, now. There is no way you can outperform Aaron and Ruth and Mays at that level."

Notes

• No charges will be filed against New York Mets outfielders Karim Garcia and Shane Spencer in their parking-lot dispute with a local pizza delivery man, police said. Eric Vidal, 20, accused the players of roughing him up last week. He filed a police report, and nine people were interviewed in the investigation into Vidal's allegation of misdemeanor simple battery.

• Gary Sheffield was upset that the New York Yankees said earlier this week that the torn ligament in his right thumb might require surgery. "That was out before anybody talked to me, and it's going to be dealt with," Sheffield said. After a visit to a hand specialist on Tuesday, the outfielder was cleared to resume play. After meeting with Sheffield yesterday, general manager Brian Cashman said the issue had been resolved.
 
• Pitcher Orlando Hernandez worked out with the Yankees yesterday, his first day with the team since agreeing last weekend to a $500,000, one-year contract. Hernandez is coming off shoulder injury and is not expected to be ready to pitch in the majors for several months.

• Florida Marlins 3B Mike Lowell has an inflamed right elbow and will miss this weekend's exhibition games against Houston in Mexico City.

• Injured OF Luis Matos took batting practice while the Baltimore Orioles' doctors awaited results from a bone scan of his right shin.

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