A-Rod: 'I love being in New York; I never want to leave'

New York Yankees fans got a mixed bag of news Thursday. After celebrating a Fourth of July four-game sweep of the Twins, some Yankee Doodles might have choked on their hot dogs when Alex Rodriguez proclaimed he plans on never leaving the Bronx.

"I love being a Yankee," Rodriguez told USA Today, in his first extensive interview since last October. 

          "I love being in New York. I never want to leave."

Not exactly "The Stars And Stripes Forever"  to the Yankee organization's ears, but they may not have a choice except to have the $114 million third baseman in pinstripes playing until 2017.

Rodriguez is rehabbing from his second serious hip surgery since 2009, first with the Class-A Charleston RiverDogs, then with Class-A Tampa this weekend as part of his 20-day rehab assignment following the surgery in January to repair a baseball-sized hole in his hip. He went 0-for-4 in his first two games this week.

He also faces a possible suspension because of his alleged ties to baseball’s Biogenesis drug scandal.