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.

Derek Jeter love-fest almost turns into all-out brawl (VIDEO)

The night started out nice enough with Derek Jeter adding a few more gifts from the Tampa Bay Rays to his Farewell Tour collection. Before the game, the organization gave him a $16,000 donation to his Turn2 foundation, a Don Zimmer jersey, and a pinstriped kayak.

Then in the eighth inning, Rays pitcher Steven Geltz chipped in with a fastball to Jeter's elbow.

Jeter took it in stride, but umpire Rob Drake decided to warn both sides — bringing both managers out to argue. That's when frustrated Joe Girardi went a little overboard and got tossed. 

Then, in the bottom half of the same inning, Yankees reliever David Phelps decided to give Jeter a little present of his own by throwing a brushback pitch at Kevin Kiermaier. That obligatory gift caused both benches to clear.

No punches were thrown, but words were exchanged before Phelps and Yankees bench coach Tony Peña Sr. were ejected.

After the game, Rays manager Joe Maddon didn't fault Girardi.

"Understand the Yankees frustration, but there was no intent. It's baseball," he tweeted.

Understand the Yankees frustration, but there was no intent. It’s baseball.
— Joe Maddon (@RaysJoeMaddon) September 17, 2014

No. It's Derek Jeter's last few weeks of playing baseball.

Derek Jeter's mental lapse contributes to Mariners win (VIDEO)

Derek Jeter's reputation for giving foul balls to little kids in the stands is pretty well documented, but this charitable intention gave the Mariners a triple and helped contribute to a Yankees loss Monday night.

Jeter's rare mental lapse was scored as a "triple to shallow left," but that's really understating what happened after he was ready to give what he thought was a foul ball to a little fan.

Kyle Seager of the Mariners hit a pop up down the left-field line. Jeter, who was playing near third base in a shift, and left fielder Brett Gardner gave chase, with Gardner attempting a sliding catch. The ball popped out of his glove and bounced into Jeter's hands, who almost caught it. When the ball hit the ground, Jeter nonchalantly jogged after it, his back to the rest of the field.

Then Jeter spotted the young fan in the stands and almost handed him the baseball.

"It's a good thing I didn't," the brain-frozen Jeter said.

The Jeter gaffe was a big reason David Phelps allowed a leadoff triple in the fourth inning of Monday's 10-2 loss to the Mariners at Yankee Stadium.

"It never even crossed my mind it was fair," Jeter said.

Phelps said later he thought he might get in trouble for yelling "Throw the ball!" at Jeter from near the pitcher's mound.

But Jeets said he wished the entire stadium was screaming at him.

"I wish the fans would have yelled," Jeter said. "But they wanted the ball."

Phelps — who now has the rare distinction of telling the Yankees Captain what to do — said he didn't fault Jeter.

"I was just hoping he didn't toss the ball into the stands," the pitcher said later. "It looked like a foul ball."

Yankees put Jeter on 60-day DL, officially ending his 2013 season: Report

Any hopes of another Derek Jeter comeback this season were quickly dashed Saturday morning when, according to the New York Yankees official Twitter page, the team activated David Phelps and put the shortstop on the 60-day disabled list. The announcement of the moves eliminate the slim chance of Jeter returning to the lineup in any capacity for the rest of the regular season or in postseason play if the team makes the playoffs.

A year after playing in 159 games and leading all of baseball in plate appearances (740), at-bats (683) and hits (216), Jeter's 2013 season comes to an end after just 17 games, spread over three attempts to return from the disabled list due to complications arising out of the broken left ankle the Captain suffered in Game 1 of the 2012 ALCS against the Detroit Tigers.

Sadly, the uncertainty is finally official.

#Yankees reinstate RHP David Phelps from 60-day DL; transfer SS Derek Jeter to 60-day DL.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 14, 2013

Yankees rookies dress up as 'Star Wars' characters

The New York Yankees rookies prepared for the final road trip of the season by dressing up as some of the best-known characters from the "Star Wars" films after Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Oakland A's.

This year's hazing of first year players may be a tongue-in-cheek attempt at humor because the team is universally known as "The Evil Empire."

Last year's rookies had to dress up as pop stars.

There were no booming strains of "The Imperial March" when the players posed for cameras but there was Adam Warren as Hans Solo, David Phelps as Princess Leia, Cody Eppley as Luke Skywalker and Melky Mesa as Darth Vader.  Mesa probably wishes he had that mask and helmet to hide his face after missing third base Saturday but that episode seems like it's in a galaxy far away right now.

New assistant trainer Mark Littlefield and Hiroki Kuroda's translator, Kenji Nimura, dressed up as the smallest Chewbacca and biggest Yoda ever, respectively.

New York is battling Baltimore for the top spot in the AL East, so Yankees fans are hoping the Force, or at least some power in the middle of the lineup, is with them.