“Nobody had any interest in what I had to say about free agents or about players or about the organization,” Jackson said.

The decision was brewing for a “couple of years” as his role diminished, Jackson said. Ideally, he wanted to be a voice for decisions around the team’s pipeline for major league talent. Who would replace Gleyber Torres, for instance, at second base five years from now?

“In my interactions and conversations with Brian, we couldn’t get on the same level, couldn’t get on the same wavelength,” Jackson said. “I never really had input with what the roster would look like or what our minor league system would look like — players that we’d look forward to fill gaps, if you will. It’s not like I needed to have final decisions on anything but certainly I wanted to have input.”

In five seasons with the Yankees, Jackson won two of his five World Series and earned his second World Series MVP in 1997, hitting home runs in four consecutive at-bats during the series. He hit .281 with 144 home runs and 461 RBI with the Yankees during the regular season.

Now, Jackson said he helps more on the major league side with the Astros for Crane, an owner he respects for his ability to combine a desire for winning with the way he treats people and appreciates diversity.

Still, even after his departure from the Yankees, Jackson said he has a “family relationship with the Steinbrenners” and he could “go back there tomorrow” if he really wanted.