Furious Mark Teixeira blasts third base coach for giving him green light (VIDEO)

Mark Teixeira was so angry with third-base coach Joe Espada telling him to ease up while attempting to score from second base in the eighth inning of Monday night's game against the Rangers, he threw equipment and a garbage can around in the Yankees dugout.

“He said, ‘Easy, easy’ ’’ twice,’’ said the irate Teixeira, who was thrown out at the plate by center fielder Leonys Martin for the final out of the inning after fielding Chase Headley’s single. 

“That can’t happen. I can get hurt not expecting a play at the plate. That’s a big run. There are a lot of reasons that can’t happen. I love Joe Espada, he apologized and it’s over but it was a big mistake.’’

Espada, who is in the first year replacing Rob Thomson as the third base coach, took full responsibility for the play that luckily didn’t get the Yankees slugger injured.

“It was my call. I told him to take it easy. I wasn’t expecting the throw,’’ Espada said. “It was my fault. I try to take care of their legs. There was two outs and he got a good jump. I thought he would score easily.’’

And when Headley saw Teixeira get thrown out he also slammed his helmet to the ground between first and second.

“It was frustrating, I got caught in the moment,’’ said Headley, who had three hits. “It was miscommunication and I reacted. In 162 games it happens, no big deal.’’

Don't mess with Tex.

Chase Headley's slow rolling bunt drives A's infield crazy (VIDEO)

Who says baseballs don’t have a sense of humor — or a little mean streak?

And Chase Headley's bunt during the Yankees' 5-3 win over the A's at to O.co Coliseum Saturday night was proof of that.

Headley laid down a bunt with two outs in the top of the seventh inning before the ball decided to ride the third-base line almost all the way to the bag. The indecisive little guy went fair and then foul again a few times before it finally rested in fair territory and Headley was credited with a hit.

By my count, the ball rolled foul four separate times while all the baffled A's players could do was wait.

Either Chase Headley is a warlock, or the baseballs have finally become sentient: http://t.co/Qn08DzfL4f pic.twitter.com/ZkuxSg2jHi

— Cut4 (@Cut4) May 31, 2015

Headley was eventually stranded on first base when Alex Rodriguez struck out. But I think the ball had the last laugh.

Yankees offer A-Rod Yankee Stadium as forum for apology: Report

It definitely won't go down in the annals of treasured baseball moments in The Bronx but, the New York Yankees have told Alex Rodriguez he can issue his public apology at Yankee Stadium instead of at the organization's spring training home of Tampa, Fla.

In order to avoid the media crush that is sure to surround A-Rod if and when the disgraced slugger delivers an apology prior to rejoining the Yankees, after his season-long drug suspension, the Yankees hope they can turn a three-ring circus into a pony ride by having Rodriguez give the public mea culpa in New York before the team meets in Tampa, according to the New York Daily News.

The 39-year-old Rodriguez met with the Yankees in The Bronx Tuesday and apologized for his actions over the last few years. They included earning a 162-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use; denying using PEDs but then reportedly admitting to federal officials he did use them; and also suing MLB while also alleging the league and the Yankees conspired to void his contract.

Rodriguez has not yet responded to the team's Yankee Stadium offer, said a source.

“He owes it to the Yankees fans who are paying money to see him play next year to explain himself,” one baseball official told The News. “They deserve an explanation.”

The Yankees are expecting Rodriguez to make his return at spring training. He's owed at least $61 million over the next three seasons. It's still unclear whether Rodriguez will have a defined role with the team because the team signed Chase Headley as its starting third baseman this offseason to a four-year pact. 

If A-Rod agrees to the reported apology deal, you know somewhere Lou Gehrig will be rolling in his grave.

A-Rod post photos of himself in batting cage (PHOTO)

Alex Rodriguez took to Instagram this weekend and posted a couple of photos of his favorite subject at work — himself.

The disgraced Yankees third baseman, coming off a yearlong suspension because of his links to the Biogenisis performance enhancing drug scandal, posted a pair of pictures of him taking a few cuts in a batting cage.

“Starting the year in the cage,” was the caption that accompanied the photos.

Starting the year in the cage.

A photo posted by Alex Rodriguez (@arod) on Jan 1, 2015 at 8:20pm PST

And the soon-to-be 40 A-Rod might want to concentrate more on his swing than glove when he hits spring training in a few weeks. Since the Yankees have re-signed Chase Headley to be the everyday third baseman, it looks as though Rodriguez will likely be used primarily as a designated hitter.

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.

Yankees score two runs after ball hits Beltran in the head (VIDEO)

Players wrack their brains trying to figure out a pitcher's rhythm to get runs across the plate. But Carlos Beltran literally used his head to get the Yankees  a couple of scores without a batter even putting a ball into play Monday night.

The odd sequence of events started with Martin Prado at the plate, Beltran on third and Chase Headley at first. Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph throws to second to catch Headley stealing, but Headley puts on the brakes and gets caught in a rundown.

Now the fun starts.

While Beltran strays off third towards the plate, the Orioles start to throw the ball all around the infield and a toss home hits Beltran in the noggin and bounces behind the plate. Beltran scores and Headley circles the bases eventually scoring from first while the Orioles infielders scratch their heads in disbelief.

Yes, it was a heads-up play by the Yankees.

Chase Headley's debut as a Yankee ends with Gatorade shower (VIDEO)

To call Chase Headley's Tuesday anything but extraordinary would would be a gross understatement.

Headley started the day off ready to suit up for the Padres against the Cubs at Wrigley Field when he found out he was acquired by the Yankees and hopped the next plane to New York.

The Bombers' new third baseman wasn't able to get to the Bronx for the start of his new team's game against the Rangers, but he did put on the pinstripes later in the contest — subbing in for Zealous Wheeler in the eighth.

After a round of quick introductory handshakes, and even fewer nondescript at-bats, Headley topped off the long day by lining an RBI single to left to give the Yankees a 2-1 walk-off victory in the 14th inning.

Instantly, talk went from Who's the new guy? to Brian Cashman is a genius! with one swing of the bat.

And, after a game that the Yankees really needed to win, his new teammates expressed their gratitude for the clutch hit by pouring Gatorade — bucket and all — over Headley's ... well ... head.

One could imagine that days just don't get crazier than this.