Yankees' Brett Gardner and Brian Cashman both victims of mistaken identity

By Tony Mangia

In two separate incidents Friday, a couple members of the New York Yankees family were both involved in dramatic incidents of mistaken identities by respective authorities hundreds of miles apart, but later absolved of any wrong doing after the infield dirt and exhaust fumes had settled.

Before rightfielder Brett Gardner got tossed out of a game against the Blue Jays up in Canada last night, general manager Brian Cashman was tossed by a swarm of anti-car theft police in Connecticut earlier in the evening — with guns drawn.

Gardner's bust and outburst in Toronto might have been witnessed by fans at the game and watching on the YES Network,  but it was the Yankees general manager's dramatic experience which might have been a little more TV show worthy after he was swarmed by “as many five patrol cars" and "between six and nine police officers” with “guns drawn” in Darien after being mistaken for an "armed car thief,” according to a report from the New York Post.

The only guns showing in the Gardner case were his biceps as he was restrained from going after umpire Chris Segal by Yankees manager Aaron Boone.

Cashman's ordeal began while was driving the vehicle from Yankee Stadium to the Norwalk, Connecticut Police Department on Friday afternoon to have it processed for evidence after he reported it stolen in the Bronx. When he stopped for gas in Darien, he was greeted with a swarm of police officers responding to someone in a white Jeep “that was brandishing a gun in a local doctor’s office.”

Combined with the fact that the NYPD never took the jeep off the "hot car" list, Cashman was told not to "make any rash moves" as he exited his vehicle. Talk about a trading deadline being over, this was one rash decision that even a MLB GM knew not to make.

“And that’s when apparently the circumstances radically changed,” said Cashman. “I had a welcoming committee descend upon me as I pulled out of that gas station … They executed a very tactful interception. They’re clearly very professional and trained and they asked me to turn my car off, exit the vehicle, walk backwards towards them … they were executing their duty.”

After a 15 minute process, Cashman was escorted to the Norwalk Police Department by Darien police in order to avoid a similar situation unfolding down the road. He was assured his vehicle was off the stolen car list.

Gradner's incident with The Man resulted from other player's barking in the Yankees’ dugout over a pair of questionable called strikes by Segal in the fourth inning, the first a strike-three call on Cameron Maybin and the second the very next pitch to Mike Tauchman.

After the Tauchman call, Maybin, seated in the dugout, yelled, “F—ing terrible, let’s go!”

Segal immediately responded: “Time, out, done!” and signaled someone was out of the game. When Boone inquired who had been tossed, Segal replied: “Gardner. He just told me I’m f—ing terrible.”

The obvious misidentification caused a stunned Gardner to emerge from the dugout before he blew up and had to be held back by Boone. Then it was time for Gardner's signature bat-bashing in the dugout.

“I told him I didn’t say anything,” Gardner said. “He told me I did say something. That’s why I got pretty irritated.” Gardner also called Segal “a liar.”

Later, a still agitated Gardner wasn't as diplomatic or forgiving as Cashman for the mishap. Asked if wanted an apology from Segal, Gardie plainly said, "Not interested."

So Mike Tauchman takes a strike...and Brett Gardner gets ejected?

That's what happened, and if this game can get any crazier, you can watch it here: https://t.co/i6xvpsa0pF pic.twitter.com/V5VQ2SHOuj

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 10, 2019

Yankees' media conduct video uses Russell Wilson and Cam Newton as 'right and wrong' way to handle press: Report

The New York Yankees are taking dealing with the press seriously this spring training. And, in an effort to prepare players to meet with reporters, the team’s media training staff is using NFL players and other public examples of how to act and how not to act after a disappointing loss.

Last week the team kicked off the first session of media training that the Yankees do every year for their players, a several-day program filled with demonstrations, guest speakers, and two 15-minute videos comprised of clips from athletes interacting with the media past and present.

According to ESPN, one video this year featured NFL quarterbacks Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers and Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. The video, shown to pitchers and catchers, compared the way Newton handled his team’s Super Bowl loss this year with the way Wilson dealt with his team’s defeat last year.

Newton received widespread criticism after Super Bowl 50, not because his less-than-stellar performance but because he moped at the podium before abruptly storming out of the post-game press conference.

Wilson, by contrast, answered every reporter’s question and took the blame for his team’s loss to the Patriots in February 2015.

It's no surprise Yankees icon — and poster boy for media savvy — Derek Jeter is featured in one video right after a section called "Everything is Fair Game," and says that players have to take the approach that everyone is watching you at all times, on and off the field.

But it is some of the other examples in the "wrong way" category that have people scratching their heads including one clip of ESPN reporter Britt McHenry — who was caught on camera last April unleashing a rant at an employee of a car towing company.

McHenry mocked the teeth of the employee behind the counter and told the person to, among other things, "lose some weight, baby girl."

And, strangely, they included actor Charlie Sheen's dopey tirade five years ago on ABC, calling some people "droopy-armed children."

According to NJ Advance Media, who sat down with Yankees' public relations director Jason Zillo for an exclusive look at the pair of videos and learn some of the ins and outs of how the Yankees train and handle their players' interactions with the media.

General manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi—the driving forces behind the media training, Zillo said—appear on the videos multiple times along with former players Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte, plus current Yanks Brett Gardner and Carlos Beltran, among others.

Some of the most interesting parts of the videos were recent clips from athletes, showcasing both good and bad post-game interviews, according to NJ.com.

And even New Jersey's beloved Lawrence Taylor gets kicked to the bad side.

Good:

— Russell Wilson's admission that he threw a bad pass in the Super Bowl a year ago that lost the Seattle Seahawks the game.

— Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy last fall owning up to the ground ball that went under his glove in the World Series.

— Washington Wizards guard John Wall tearing up in a post-game interview not long after a young friend passed away.

— Pettitte's press conference admitting to HGH use.

— Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh taking blame last month after missing a chip-shot kick to win a playoff game.

— Ron Washington owning up to cocaine use several years ago while with the Texas Rangers.

Bad:

— Cam Newton barely answering questionsto reporters after the Carolina Panthers loss to the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl three weeks ago.

— Ex-Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor aggressively confronting a reporter on the field.

— Dallas Cowboys' defensive end Greg Hardy's "no comment, next question" interview with reporters last fall.

— Former big leaguer Pete Rose lying about betting on baseball.

Says Cashman in the video: After games reporters are going to go into a clubhouse looking to talk about what went wrong. Take responsibility, he says.

Even one-time pariah Alex Rodriguez is used in a clip. And if the Yankees and press are loving A-Rod as much as everyone is reporting this spring, those tapes must be working.

Manhattan bar changes name to 'Daniel Murphy's Pub & Restaurant' during World Series

After Daniel Murphy broke the MLB postseason record for home runs in consecutive games, the Mets second baseman became the most talked about sports figure around New York City bar stools. So it seemed only natural that at least one NYC pub would honor the slugger who was on everyone's beer-drenched tongues.

And with a name like Murphy, what better way to pay tribute than naming an Irish pub after the sports hero.

At least during the World Series.

And this week, one of the most well-known baseball bars in the city announced the name change on their website, as a new banner with Murphy's name was unfurled across the bar's facade.

Foley's owner Shaun Clancy, who is from Ireland and markets his Manhattan restaurant as "an Irish bar with a baseball attitude," said that the fact that Murphy is Irish American made honoring him even more applicable.

"Daniel Murphy is having a month, or two weeks, for the ages," Clancy said.

And while pundits claim chances of the Mets keeping Murphy after the World Series are slim, Yankees fans drowning in their Guinness can only hope Brian Cashman is once again tending bar at the establishment if Murphy stops by.

Photo by Tony Mangia

Who knows? Maybe the GM can give the free-agent Murphy a buy-back and a contract.

CC Sabathia enters alcohol rehab, will miss playoffs: Report

After three straight injury-plagued seasons of increasingly declining pitching — and a couple of out-of-character off-the-field incidents this season — CC Sabathia has reportedly entered a rehab facility for alcohol abuse and will be missing the New York Yankees's first trip to the playoffs since 2012, reported the New York Daily News.

The one-time Yankees ace has checked himself into an alcohol rehab facility Monday, in what is a shocking development that comes one day before the Bombers open the playoffs against the Astros at the Stadium.

In a statement released by the team Monday Sabathia said:

"Today I am checking myself into an alcohol rehabilitation center to receive the professional care and assistance needed to treat my disease.

"I love baseball and I love my teammates like brothers, and I am also fully aware that I am leaving at a time when we should all be coming together for one last push toward the World Series. It hurts me deeply to do this now, but I owe it to myself and to my family to get myself right. I want to take control of my disease, and I want to be a better man, father and player.

"I want to thank the New York Yankees organization for their encouragement and understanding. Their support gives me great stregnth and has allowed me to move forward with this decision with a clear mind."

"As difficult as this decision is to share publicly, I don't want to run and hide. But for now please respect my family's need for privacy as we work through this challenge together.

"Being an adult means being accountable. Being a baseball player means that others look up to you. I want my kids - and others who may have become fans of mine over the years - to know that I am not too big of a man to ask for help. I want to hold my head up high, have a full heart and be the type of person again that I can be proud of. And that's exactly what I am going to do.

"I am looking forward to being out on the field with my team next season playing the game that brings me so much happiness."

Sabathia is expected to be in treatment for a month, a source told the News, which would keep him out of the Yankees’ playoff rotation for as long as the team plays this postseason.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Monday that the team is supporting Sabathia fully as he enters rehab. He said that Sabathia called him around 1 p.m. Sunday and told him of his plan to seek treatment. 

“It wasn’t a phone call I was expecting,” said Cashman. “Wasn’t expecting this type of press conference today.”

Sabathia ran into a bit of trouble during a Yankees road trip in August when TMZ released a video of the lefty involved in a street fight in Toronto.

The video shows the 6-7 Sabathia, wearing bright red shoes, yelling and pointing at someone before a few friends, who are holding him back, get him into a taxi cab.

He also found himself being accused of smoking a blunt when he was photographed lighting up a cigar on an Atlanta balcony this summer.

Sabathia finished the season 6-10 with an ERA of 4.73 in 29 starts, including the final game against the Boston Red Sox when he threw five innings of one-run ball, helping the Yankees clinch their elusive Wild Card bid after losing the previous three attempts.

He has two years and $50 million remaining on the eight-year, $186 million contract he signed prior to the 2009 season.

Alex Rodriguez gets physical from Yankees doctor he sued: Report

One of the more awkward moments in a man's life is having a physician doing a turn your head and cough examination but, imagine what its like when the doctor squeezing your boys is someone you sued for malpractice?

Ouch Doc. Isn't that just a little too tight?

That kind of unit-shrinking doctor’s visit took place Monday in Florida when Alex Rodriguez got a physical examination from Yankee team physician Christopher Ahmad. That's the doctor whom A-Rod sued in 2013 for malpractice as part of his desperate "see you and everyone else in court" bid to avoid a MLB ban for steroid use.

For more than nine months in 2013 and 2014, Ahmad endured a highly-publicized lawsuit in which Rodriguez accused him of hiding the MRI results of a torn labrum in A-Rod’s left hip — of performing his duties “carelessly, unskillfully, negligently and not in accordance with accepted standards.”

And there he was Monday, bent over an examination table, his pants around his ankles and Ahmad snapping on the rubber gloves.

The Yankees sent Rodriguez to Ahmad, after A-Rod unexpectedly appeared early at the team’s spring training facility in Tampa without informing the team that he was arriving three days early. 

Rodriguez, who sued then-commissioner Bud Selig, MLB, the Players Association and Ahmad, dropped all of his lawsuits last year and has admitted to the doping charges.

And last week, Rodriguez issued a handwritten apology letter to a list of those he claimed he was sorry for attacking and maligning as he battled his MLB suspension for violating the game's drug policy — "To Major League Baseball, the Yankees, the Steinbrenner family, the Players Association and you, the fans, I can only say I'm sorry." — with no mention of Ahmad.

Somewhere Brian Cashman is smiling.

Yankees players will welcome A-Rod back says ex-teammate: Report

Love him or hate him, Alex Rodriquez will be back with the New York Yankees next season and, if you believe ex-teammate David Phelps, the team will be more than happy to see old A-Rod.

According to Phelps, in a report from the New York Daily News’ Mark Feinsand, the disgraced slugger's transition back into pinstripes may go smoother than first imagined.

At least in the locker room:

“One thing that starts all at the top with (manager Joe Girardi) and goes all the way to the bottom is that the team is a family,” Phelps said. “The issue isn’t going to be player-to-player or coach-to-player. The circus is going to be what’s portrayed in the media, but that’s New York.

“It’s something you have to get used to playing there. I don’t think there’s going to be an issue between the players. He’s going to want to come back and help them win a championship.”

The Yankees dealt Phelps, Martin Prado and cash considerations to the Marlins on Friday, receiving Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Jones and Domingo German from Miami. Phelps, who went 15-14 with a 4.21 ERA during the past three seasons, serving as a swingman between the rotation and bullpen.

Phelps credited A-Rod with helping him make the transition to the big leagues back in 2012, going so far as to say:

“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today," he said. "He’s an incredible teammate who went out of his way early in my career to help me out. My first couple outings, I’d be in the dugout or in the clubhouse and he would come over and pick my brain; things like, ‘Why did you throw this pitch in this situation?’” he said.  “Even when we were rehabbing in Trenton a couple years ago, he pulled me over and we talked about the business side of the game, protecting players’ rights, that kind of stuff. He’s incredibly intelligent on the field and with the business side of baseball. He has a lot to offer younger players.”

All good and well for Phelps but it remains to be seen where the soon to be 40-year-old A-Rod will fit in with the Yankees on next season's roster. Mixed signals sent from manager Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman — combined with some off-season moves — have Rodriguez anywhere from platooning at first and third all the way to warming the bench as a DH.

Spring training starts in a couple of months. It'll be fun to see where the $61 million pariah ends up.

A-Rod's weight might be an issue for Yankees: Report

When it comes to where Alex Rodriguez will fit in after returning to the Yankees, the organization's wait-and-see attitude might now become more weight-and-see.

Reports are circulating that the disgraced slugger has packed on a few pounds during his suspension.

Brian Cashman, who has been busy trimming the fat from the Yankees' payroll and hasn't seen A-Rod in a while, said the 39-year-old third baseman is working to get to his goal weight.

Yankees strength and fitness trainer, Matt Krause, did visit Rodriguez in Miami Wednesday, said Cashman. And the verdict?

“Alex is working hard and continuing to get ready for spring training and moving in the right direction,” the Yankees general manager said.

Cashman wouldn’t say what Rodriguez’s goal weight was. He also wouldn’t say whether A-Rod was heavier or lighter than he should be or how close he was to the weight.

"Alex texted me yesterday," Cashman said. "I said, 'All things good with you,' and he said, 'Yup.'"

But Krause did visit Rodriguez last month to set up a program.

“Matt is doing all the physical assessments, weight and all that stuff, and [Alex], like all our players, has a report weight that we are hopeful that they hit. He’s approaching that, he’s not at the spring training weight that we desire just yet, there is progress,” Cashman said. “He continues to tweak, and Matt continues to tweak his conditioning program. They are building a relationship, they don’t know each other. Matt is not only checking on Alex, he’s seen (catcher Brian) McCann, (left fielder Brett) Gardner, (center fielder Jacoby) Ellsbury, he’s seen all our guys.”

On Tuesday, manager Joe Girardi said he’s seen video tapes of Rodriguez hitting, running and lifting weights and added that A-Rod looked healthy.

Cashman said he hasn’t seen those videos.

Blue Jays 'love' Yankees' David Robertson: Report

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing back closer David Robertson in 2015. But since it's starting to sound like the GM feels his team now has enough bullpen depth to handle the workload, it might be a long-shot that Robertson still suits up in the Bronx next season.

And the closer might be packing some long johns too.

According to the N.Y. Post, the Toronto Blue Jays  “love”  Robertson and might be willing to give him the long-term contract the Yankees refuse to do.

Casey Janssen saved 25 games with a 3.94 ERA for the Jays last season, but he’s a free agent and Robertson is the top reliever on the market. Robertson had 39 saves with a 3.08 ERA for the Yankees last season but rejected the club’s $15.3-million, one-year qualifying offer in search of a long-term commitment.

Robertson is reportedly seeking “Jonathan Papelbon money” — somewhere in the neighborhood of four years and $50 million. The Yankees would obviously be interested if he reduced his asking price. 

And since Robertson hasn't budged, the Yankees just might let him get it elsewhere.

After signing left-handed reliever Andrew Miller to a four-year contract worth $36 million Friday, it lessens the Yankees' need for a top reliever who could close games.

In return for Robertson, the team signing him would give the Yankees their top pick outside of the first 10 choices.

While Cashman didn’t close the cage door on Robertson’s return, the team has left it open just enough for him to fly north.

Brian Cashman spends night sleeping on NYC street for homeless charity (PHOTO)

Brian Cashman has probably lost more than a few hours of sleep pondering life with Alex Rodriguez for the next three years, but at least he did it from the cozy comfort of his own bed.

On Thursday night though, the Yankees general manager joined hundreds of executives nationwide by participating in the annual "Sleep Out" organized by Covenant House, sleeping on the streets of Manhattan as if he were homeless.

And if he was denied any sleep on the sidewalk slab, at least this was for a good cause.

#Yankees GM Brian Cashman is sleeping on the NYC streets tonight to help homeless youth: http://t.co/HZJwYv7xSI pic.twitter.com/K3EYlAnbq9
— Newsday Sports (@NewsdaySports) November 21, 2014

This was Cashman's fourth year participating in the charity event, so he bundled up for the night knowing the temperatures would be hovering around the mid-20s. 

Covenant House is non-profit that manages shelters for homeless youth in 21 cities across the country.

Cashman told MLB.com that one night on the street helps puts things in perspective:

"I have no idea how any human being possibly can do it for one night, let alone weeks on end," He said. "It's a disaster. There's no way to simplify it. That's why obviously for those who are less fortunate, if we can get people to raise funds here and contribute to Covenant House, they've got programs to put people back on the right track and be a safe harbor."

The Yankees GM told MLB.com that $1.6 million was raised in New York alone — making it about $5 million raised nationally.

Cashman and Girardi divided on A-Rod's role with Yankees: Report

Publicly, the New York Yankees have been putting on a unified face in accepting the return of Alex Rodriguez and the remaining three-year, $61 million contract he hauls into spring training — namely, a blank stare.

Probably because there is little they can do about A-Rod putting on pinstripes in 2015 and the less talk of the admitted steroid cheat, the better.

But behind the scenes, manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman are reportedly at clear odds about what Rodriguez's role with the team will be when he is back, according to the N.Y. Post.

Girardi sounds excited to see what Rodriguez can offer the Yankees at third base and even spoke with him last month about taking some reps at first base during spring training.

“We’re preparing him to play third base, but I think you have to see,” said Girardi. “Obviously, we believe there’s going to be some DH days in there. You’ve got to see where he’s at. I mean, he is going to be 40. He hasn’t played a whole lot in the last couple of years. But our hope is that he comes back and is a very productive player for us.”

Cashman, on the other hand, seems bent on getting a third baseman, meaning A-Rod is likely ticketed for a full-time designated hitter role and made it clear at this week's general managers meeting in Arizona that third base is prime for the taking.

“If I signed a Chase Headley, he would be the starting third baseman,” Cashman said on Day 2 of the meetings. “If I traded for a third baseman that was an everyday guy, that would be the move I would be making.”

Meanwhile, Girardi said he has kept in touch with Rodriguez via phone, text and email this offseason. The manager claimed he may even go visit A-Rod this offseason to gauge how he’s doing physically, although like everybody else, he has no idea what to expect from the aging, embattled slugger.

And Cashman?

“Alex obviously is going to come in and compete,” Cashman said. “Compete for at-bats, compete for a position; simple as that. When we last saw Alex he was playing third base, that was a little over a year ago. Obviously he’s looking to compete for an everyday position at third, maybe fight for at-bats at the DH spot.”

The Yankees seemed impressed by what they saw from Headley during his two months as a Yankee last season, making him an ideal candidate to return at third. And since they reportedly have no intention of pursuing Pablo Sandoval, Headley looks like Cashman's top choice.

And considering how much time Mark Teixeira has missed due to injury over the past few seasons, it sounds like the Yankees will need a spare first baseman/DH to fill in.

So when push actually comes to shove between Cashman and Girardi, the soon-to-be 40-year-old A-Rod might fit the bill in that capacity.

Hal Steinbrenner: Yankees expect a 'fit' A-Rod back next season: Report

The New York Yankees seem to be softening their stance on Alex Rodriguez these days — just a little.

With the reality of A-Rod's 162-game suspension ending after this season finally setting in, Hal Steinbrenner said for the first time that the Yankees fully expect him back in uniform for 2015.

"That's what he's planning for,'' Steinbrenner said. "And that's what we're planning for.''

Rodriguez, who turns 40 next July, is owed $61 million by the team over the next three seasons. He has struggled to stay on the field in recent seasons due to hip injuries.

Steinbrenner, who was in Baltimore for the quarterly owners' meetings, took a few minutes to discuss his struggling Yankees and the future of A-Rod, who is serving his Biogenesis-related suspension.

Although Steinbrenner said he has not spoken to Rodriguez, he did hear a positive report from the owner's brother-in-law, Felix Lopez, a Yankees executive who bumped into A-Rod in New York recently.

"He says he looks good,'' Steinbrenner said. "He's fit. Alex is a hard worker. Alex will be ready. And we'll just have to go from there. See how he does. See how he responds to playing every day in spring training.

 "Point is, he's in good shape. And that's not surprising.''

And, from Steinbrenner's perspective, having the pariah back in pinstripes might not be such a bad thing right now.

After watching the team's playoff hopes hang by a thread and given his disappointment with this season's underperforming and very expensive roster, even a substandard A-Rod in the lineup must look pretty good to George's son at the moment.

"The offense has been a bit frustrating,'' he said. "They've been inconsistent. They know that. That's got to change — quickly. But having said all that, we're there. As we were last year at this time. The question is where are we in a month? It's up to them.''

He also left open the possibility that the team's finish could determine the fate of Brian Cashman, whose contract is up at the end of this season. Not counting the 1994 strike season, the Yankees haven't missed the playoffs in consecutive years since 1993, and Steinbrenner spent nearly $500 million to make sure it didn't happen again.

He was asked if he had made any decisions yet regarding the general manager.

"No,'' Steinbrenner said. "We're so busy right now trying to figure out who's going to be playing in any given game. We'll be talking about that soon enough. But you know me, we have enough things to worry about during the season. That's where our focus needs to be.''

And Cashman's fate?

"Let me get to October,'' Steinbrenner said. "Hopefully, the end of October, the beginning of November, and we'll go from there.''

Hal is suddenly sounding more like his late dad these days.

Yankees don't sign Mariano Rivera's son: Report

The Yankees announced Saturday that draft pick Mariano Rivera Jr., the son of their retired legendary closer, did not sign a contract before Friday's deadline.

The team had selected Rivera Jr., a righthander from Iona College, in the 29th round of the June amateur draft. Rivera Jr. has decided he will return to school for his junior year.

The Yankees did sign 27 of the 38 other players they took in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft.

"He just wanted to continue where he's at currently," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "It's not something that he wants to pursue just yet. I think Mariano and the family feel like some more seasoning in the college ranks will benefit him more."

As a sophomore, Rivera Jr. was 2-6 with a 5.40 ERA in 13 games. He struck out 50 in 70 innings.

"He wasn't a courtesy draft," Cashman said about the storybook family connection. "We would have signed him if he had the interest in starting his pro career now."

Tanaka might miss All-Star Game due to Yankees' slick rotation maneuver: Report

For all you baseball fans who never had a reason to hate the Yankees — and there are a few of you — here's a new one.

Even die-hard Bomber fans might be a little miffed at the Yankees organization after reports surfaced the the team was maneuvering their starting rotation so that their break-out Japanese pitcher, Masahiro Tanaka, might miss the All-Star game.

The Yankees have aligned their starting pitchers so that Tanaka — who was almost a sure bet to start the annual classic —  would have to skip making the trip to Minneapolis, according to Joel Sherman of the N.Y. Post.

The slick move theoretically benefits the Yankees while likely hurting Major League Baseball — who would love to showcase the $155 million headliner and drive up TV ratings here and in Japan.

Sherman wrote:

With an off-day Thursday, the Yankees could skip the struggling Vidal Nuno and have Masahiro Tanaka start the opener of a three-game series against the Red Sox in The Bronx.

Instead, citing the long season and seeing a chance to give extra rest to Tanaka and the rest of the rotation, the Yankees are going to stay in order and have Nuno start against the Red Sox, though he has the worst home ERA in the majors at 7.09 (minimum 35 innings) and has given up the most homers (13) at home — 11 to righty hitters. So, if you can get a future bet in on Mike Napoli hitting a homer Friday, go for it.

It means Tanaka will start Saturday, then July 3 at Minnesota, July 8 at Cleveland and July 13 at Baltimore. And you know what July 13 is? The last day of the first half. Only twice in the last 20 years — Randy Johnson in 2000 and Brad Penny in 2006 — has a pitcher started the final Sunday of the first half and then also Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

The chances are slim to none that the Yankees let Tanaka become the third starter.

 Unlike last year, when the losing Mets used Matt Harvey’s innings cap and a mild blister on a finger as excuses not to let him start the Saturday before the break so he would be available to start the All-Star Game at Citi Field, the Yankees are in the mix at the top of the AL East.

There is a possibility Tanaka could start and be limited to 15 pitches or an inning. But the strongest likelihood now is the player who would draw the most interest if he started — here and, particularly, back home in Japan — probably will get named to the AL team and then replaced, not to even perform in the game.

“We can skip the fifth man to maximize short-term, but that is not in the individual’s best interest,” said GM Brian Cashman.

Sorry baseball fans. You're welcome Yankee haters.

CC Sabathia out until at least July: Brian Cashman

Things already looked pretty bleak for the New York Yankees starting rotation even before CC Sabathia received a stem cell treatment injection in his inflamed right knee from Dr. James Andrews late last week.

The Yankees were informed that even if the process worked on the "degenerative changes," it would be a minimum of six weeks before the slimmed down lefthander could return. Now the team has resigned themselves to that fact.

“It will be no sooner than six weeks from now,” Cashman told the N.Y. Post in discussing a potential return date for the 33-year-old workhorse.

Sabathia was to stop using crutches Monday and begin therapy in a pool Tuesday, according to Cashman. The hope is to steadily build strength in the knee and then put Sabathia through an abridged spring training to get him back on the mound.

“Our dialogue with Andrews has been good and the small sample of stem cell procedures, the results are very successful,” Cashman said. “But he has to be pain free before strengthening, so there is a way to go. Because he is a starter it will take longer. I have no idea how long it will be and if it will be successful. We are hoping it is six weeks to a major league return.”

Not that the Yankees haven't become accustomed to bad news on the medical front.

 With Ivan Nova out for the season following Tommy John surgery and Micheal Pineda out until the middle of June, pinning a winning season on a rotation which now includes David Phelps, Vidal Nuno and Chase Whitley joining Masahiro Tanaka and Hiroki Kuroda looks like a stretch.

And Cashman is reportedly thinking trade but "nothing has materialized."

"Generally at this time of year, nothing materializes," Cashman said. "We will keep an eye out to see if something does."

Experienced hurlers like the Phillies' Cliff Lee or the Cubs' Jeff Samardzija are rumored to be high on the list of potential acquisitions using catcher Gary Sanchez and pitchers Dellin Betances or Adam Warren as trade bait.

Girardi and Yankees file a protest about ESPN dugout camera: Report

Joe Girardi believes ESPN was out of line and took it out on the mobile camera the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" network had perched on the dugout railing during Wednesday night's game against the Red Sox.

After Michael Pineda was ejected for having pine tar on his neck, the camera swung around and focused in the tunnel. There, Pineda was engaged in a discussion with trainer Steve Donohue and pitching coach Larry Rothschild. A peeved Girardi swatted at the prying camera to turn it back around.

After being accused of trying to damage the camera, the Yankees formally protested the invasion of privacy to MLB and ESPN.

"That camera's purpose is for the field and the dugout, not shooting up into the tunnel for private situations," GM Brian Cashman said.

"I think MLB is going to have a problem with ESPN going into the tunnel," Girardi said. "I didn't break the camera. I just kept it from going into the tunnel. You guys are acting like I ripped it apart."

Girardi said he'd be upset if he was disciplined for touching the camera.

"If I'm going to get fined for that, I'll have a real problem with that," he said. "If I really was going to tear up the camera, I would have tore it up. I was just trying to get it from being in the tunnel."

Jay Z's demands blow up Cano's bid to join Mariners: Report

It appears the negotiations in Robinson Cano's talks with the Seattle Mariners came to an abrupt end Thursday, and it seems Cano's rapper-turned agent Jay Z might have been the red light.

Word out of Seattle is that the Mariners were expecting Cano to accept their original $225-million, nine-year offer, but the talks collapsed after Jay Z and CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen upped the ante, sources told the New York Daily News.

When Jay Z demanded 10 years and $252 million – the same deal Alex Rodriguez took more than a decade ago when he left the Mariners for the Rangers — Mariners chairman/CEO Howard Lincoln apparently “exploded,” according to one of the sources, ending the meeting.

 “It doesn’t look like we’re getting him,” a Mariners source said, adding that Seattle did not seem inclined to reignite talks with a player that clearly didn’t want to go there. 

Cano and Jay Z flew up from Los Angeles for the meeting and, apparently, there was high expectation from the Mariners that both sides were close to a deal.

Cano, the top free agent available this year, now finds himself back where he started: without a second team bidding for his services and the Yankees waiting in the wings as his lone suitor.

Throughout recent weeks of this process, Cano has reportedly been traveling with Jay Z during parts of his tour.

“It makes you wonder whether this guy wants to be a rap star or a baseball player,” a baseball official said.

The Mariners’ original $225 million offer had dwarfed the Yankees’ current seven-year offer of $165-$170 million, leaving Seattle more than $50 million ahead of the Bombers, who are believed to be willing to go as high as $175 million.

That would have matched the average annual value of Seattle’s nine-year offer, though it would have been two years and $50 million behind the Mariners overall.

As of late Thursday, the Yankees had not heard anything from Cano’s camp since earlier in the week, though a team source said it was likely because of the huge gap that remained between the two sides.

An industry official told the Daily News earlier this week that a $200 million offer from the Yankees was “never going to happen,” adding, “If that’s the offer and he wants to go there, he’s going to be a Mariner.”

Cano’s father, Jose, hasn’t been impressed by the Yankees’ pursuit of his talented son this offseason.

"The Yankees don't seem to want him," Jose Cano said on Thursday.

Brian Cashman confirmed that he’s met in recent weeks with both Van Wagenen and Jay Z, whose Roc Nation Sports inked Cano as its first client back in April.

One American League executive wasn’t surprised to hear Seattle pushed its offer past $200 million, as the Mariners are desperate for a big-name signing to spark the sagging fan base. But apparently, even the Mariners were drawing the line on Cano and Jay Z's overplayed hand.

Brian McCann gets Yankees onesies as part of his new deal (VIDEO)

It looks like the New York Yankees are giving Brian McCann a little more than just $85 million with his new contract. At his official introduction on Thursday, GM Brian Cashman presented McCann's wife Ashley with a couple of onesies for their one-year-old Colt and three-month old Colbie.

You can never have enough catchers on the roster.

Brian Cashman: Yankees 'can't replace' A-Rod, want him back

The consensus among Yankees fans is that the team would be better off if Alex Rodriguez's suspension is upheld — sidelining the maligned player all of next season and keeping his bloated $25 million salary from making it almost impossible for the Yankees to get below the $189 luxury tax threshold.

That's what the fans believe.

Speaking on ESPN Radio's "The Ian O'Connor Show" Sunday, Brian Cashman reiterated that it would more difficult to find a productive third baseman to replace A-Rod than it would be to keep the payroll under the luxury tax threshold — even with his budget-busting $25 million payout.

"If it comes down to, would we want the player we signed to be playing that position without any problems? Absolutely, no question about that," the Yankees general manager said. "I think if people think there's some sort of benefit by losing that talent, I mean, you can't replace it. It's not like, all right, well, Alex is gone. If he winds up getting suspended and it's upheld, how do you replace that? It's not easy.

"It's not like, all right, we'll take that money and go in this direction. I think ... our fan base saw when we lost significant players at various positions, it was not easy to plug holes because the talent just doesn't exist."

The numbers speak for themselves. Limited by injuries, the 38-year-old Rodriguez hit .244 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs in 44 games for an anemic Yankees team last season. His 654 career homers leave him six shy of Willie Mays' career total and a $6 million bonus negotiated into his 10-year, $305 million deal signed after the 2007 season.

"It’s not like going down to a Home Depot and pulling something out that you need that’s broke and you’ve got to fix it," Cashman said of the possible void at third base.

Rodriguez’s appeal of his 211-game PED suspension is expected to resume later this week.

A-Rod gets second opinion; MRI doesn't show quad strain

Alex Rodriguez thinks he’s healthy enough to play, as does a doctor who examined his MRI exam results, but the Yankees star still travelled to Tampa to rehab his quad injury Wednesday, while the team is set to continue their series in Texas.

The doctor who gave a second opinion on A-Rod’s Grade 1 quad strain Wednesday said that he appears to be healthy and there is no strain.

"He asked me to look at and I spent about 20 minutes going over it, particularly on the quadriceps muscle and to be perfectly honest I don’t see any type of injury there," Dr. Michael Gross chief of orthopedics at Hackensack Medical Center said in an interview on WFAN.

The Yankees third baseman, believing that the team is misrepresenting his quadriceps injury simply to collect insurance money, had the second opinion on his injury to confirm he is healthy.

"To be perfectly honest,'' Gross told WFAN host Mike Francesa, "I don't see any sort of injury there.''

Dr. Gross said that a strain of that level is sometimes difficult to decipher on an MRI, but he did talk to Rodriguez over the phone.

"I asked him if anything hurt and he said to me, 'No.' If there’s no pain to me then there’s no injury," Dr. Gross said.

"I asked him, do you think you're fit to play. And he said, '100-percent'"

Rodriguez, who's earning $28 million this season, was scheduled to be activated Monday for the first time this season after undergoing January hip surgery. Yet, the Yankees ordered him to undergo an MRI in New York where he was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strained quadriceps, keeping him sidelined at least another week to 10 days.

The Yankees have not determined whether they will attempt to send Rodriguez on another rehab assignment, but he is adamantly opposed to go on another 20-day assignment, according to a person close to Rodriguez but unauthorized to speak publicly.

Rodriguez's medical status has been an ongoing point of contention. When Rodriguez tweeted news he was cleared to begin a July rehab assignment, it elicited a profane response from general manager Brian Cashman. Club president Randy Levine has vehemently denied insinuations the club prefer he be declared physically unfit to play.

"We do want him back," Levine told USA TODAY Sports two days before Rodriguez's quad injury emerged. "We just want to make sure he's ready to come back. If he's healthy, he's coming back."

And the plot thickens.

A-Rod's comeback stalled; Headed back to Tampa because of Grade 1 quad strain

It seemed like it was all coming back together for Alex Rodriguez and he was only a weekend away from rejoining the Yankees in Texas Monday night.  On Sunday, things fell apart once more for the rehabbing A-Rod and now it's not whether the troubled Yankee third baseman will play for the Bombers this season, but if he’ll ever suit up for the club again.

In an ominous sign for the Yankees’ $275 million superstar, Rodriguez traveled from his final scheduled rehab game in Scranton to New York, where an MRI taken on his left quadriceps revealed a Grade 1 strain, according to a team press release. 

Instead of making his highly publicized return to the Yankees in Texas Monday — something Yankee GM Brian Cashman said Friday was the team’s "expectation ... as long as we get through the weekend OK" — Rodriguez remained on the disabled list and will head to Tampa. 

"I am extremely disappointed with the results of the MRI and am hoping to be back as soon as possible and continue with my goal of coming back and helping the Yankees win a championship," Rodriguez said in a statement.

Rodriguez sustained the injury while sliding into second base on Friday night. He played as the designated hitter the next night. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Yet he sounded positive on Sunday morning. He said he expected to "strap it on Tuesday."

The Yankees weren't so optimistic later that afternoon.

"He’s going to be out for a while," said manager Joe Girardi after an 8-7 loss to Boston in 11 innings. 

"So we’ll just deal with it, and continue to play."

Rodriguez’s 20-day rehabilitation assignment expired on Sunday. He cannot play in minor-league games. The Yankees could petition Major League Baseball to allow Rodriguez to begin another 20-day assignment, because of the new injury.

But for now, he’ll be relegated to simulated games at best. For the Yankees, Rodriguez remains a $100 million problem. What, exactly, does he have left? Girardi admitted to pondering the question.

"I think we’re all a little anxious to see how he looks physically, and how he’s moving," Girardi said. "Was this surgery as successful as the other one [before the 2009 season]? From the other one he came back great, and moved fine."

"I am anxious to see him," added Girardi. "He hasn’t played in a while, and he’s almost 38. You kind of want to see what you’ve got."

The injury is the same kind that sent Derek Jeter back to the DL after a one-game comeback. The Yankees captain is still nursing a Grade-1 quadriceps strain experienced in his first game back on July 11 and the team doesn't want to see a repeat scenario with A-Rod.

"You hope for the best,” Jeter said. “I don’t have enough information on that. I hope he doesn’t have what I have."

You can't blame Girardi for suddenly developing a case of quadrophobia.

"We’ve had to deal with it all year," Girardi said. "So it’s not like it’s not par for the course."