A-Rod being cut from animated Yankees' film at a big cost

The New York Yankees might have just found one way to rid themselves of Alex Rodriguez — the editing room.

Rodriguez, who did his own voice work as the cartoon version of himself in the upcoming animated Yankees film "Henry & Me," will be removed from the film's final version due to fears from investors that the third baseman — who is currently appealing a 211-game suspension for his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs— will hurt the marketability and profitability of the children's picture.

Though the producers and Yankees ownership gave their full support to the film and in February,  Hank Steinbrenner — who voiced his father's role — gave a big thumbs-up to A-Rod's part in the production. They can still offer their opinions about whether Rodriguez should be included in the final version. But the ultimate decision falls upon a group of eight or nine investors, who despite being fans of Rodriguez, believe that the controversy surrounding him will detract from the family-oriented film centered around perseverance and belief.

"We have investors that we have to answer to, just like the Yankees," said executive producer Ray Negron, a longtime Yankees adviser, whose children's books served as the inspiration for the film. "If ownership decides that this is a direction that we have to go, meaning our investors, we have to listen to ownership. That's just the way it is. It works just like a team. It's the same thing."

In a screening shown to a small group of reporters on Wednesday morning in Midtown Manhattan, Rodriguez was still in the film, hitting a home run with the help of the main character Jack, a boy battling cancer, and later visiting the protagonist in the hospital.

Rodriguez originally was cast in the role to replace Hideki Matsui, who had joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2010, but the retired Japanese star will be brought back to replace Rodriguez.

Though Rodriguez only has a few lines in the approximately one hour film, he is featured in 49 sequences. Producer Joseph Avallone said the editing process to remove Rodriguez will take four to six months and "cost a fortune."

"I love Alex Rodriguez, but I love kids more, and at the end of the day, we don't want to get caught up with everything that's happening right now," Negron said. "This is too important a message of what we're trying to relay to kids and we don't want to get caught up with that.

"We'll need to raise more money, but it's worth it if it means getting a good product out to the kids."

Negron later said that Rodriguez knows, "we have to do what we have to do," and "he'll understand" but that the Yankees slugger had not been informed of any changes yet.

The film, which chronicles the Yankees history and features team stars from the past and present, was originally going to be released in 2010, but will now hit a small number of theaters, primarily in New York, in April. It will then be released on DVD.

It stars Richard Gere, Chazz Palminteri and Paul Simon, along with Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, Bernie Williams, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and now, Matsui. Each actor in the film agreed to donate their salary from the film to their individual charities. And $2 from each DVD sale will also go to charity.

There's always "Adult Swim" Alex.

Matsui signs one-day contract and retires as a Yankee

Hideki Matsui signed a one-day minor-league contract with the New York Yankees early before Sunday's tribute honoring the popular former player with a Bobblehead Day against the Tampa Bay Rays. Shortly after, Matsui then signed his retirement papers during a pre-game ceremony on the field so he would retire as a New York Yankee.

The pre-game festivities included a video tribute to Godzilla on the Yankee Stadium center field video board, a ride in a golf cart down the third base line, and a matted and framed 2009 No. 55 Yankees jersey presented to Matsui by Derek Jeter. His mother and father joined the 2009 World Series MVP on the field. Matsui capped off the ceremony by throwing out the first pitch.

Hideki Matsui signs 1-day contract with #Yankees: pic.twitter.com/cjfLJHcNYq
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 28, 2013

Matsui played 11 seasons in MLB, seven with New York. The left-handed slugger hit .282/.360/.462 with 175 home runs.

Yankee fans might be even happier than Matsui that he retired in pinstripes. He is still one class guy.

Hideki Matsui gets his own commemorative stamp collection

Nippon TV is selling a Hideki Matsui commemorative retirement stamp collection that will have 20 stickers featuring the Japanese slugger from his playing days in Japan and the U.S.

The man called Godzilla — who won three Japanese World Championships and a World Series in 2009  with the New York Yankees— will be immortalized on the 20 stamps, 10 postcards and a special holder, according to the official website. The set will be made available in Japan.

The set of No. 55's memorabilia will cost you 5,500 yen — coincidentally.

The collection covers his whole career as a pro — and I mean whole. There are even two stamps showing Matsui in a Tampa Bay uniform — a team for which he played 34 games and hit two of his 507 professional home runs.

Hideki Matsui goes to Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays have purchased the contract of designated hitter Hideki Matsui from Triple-A Durham.

The former-New York Yankees outfielder and DH— who went by the nickname Godzilla— was a fan favorite for six years in the Bronx before being released in 2010.  His quiet demeanor and consistent play were rewarded by two MLB All-Star selections and a World Series title in 2009— when he was named the series MVP.

Matsui, who turns 38 on June 12, played 13 games with Durham after signing a minor league contract with Tampa Bay on April 30.  He joined the Rays' roster prior to tonight's game against the Chicago White Sox.

The Japanese slugger had a splendid career with the Yankees before going to the Los Angeles Angels (2010) and the Oakland A's (2011) following a 10-year career with the Yomuri Giants of Japan's Central League— where he was considered more God-like than Godzilla.

When he returned to Japan for the Yankees season opening series against Tampa Bay in 2004, he was mobbed wherever he went.  His Yankees teammates were unaware of his popularity in Japan and found themselves in awe of his celebrity and the amount of hysteria he generated in his home land.

To make room for Matsui on the roster, the Rays optioned outfielder-designated hitter Stephen Vogt to Durham and transferred outfielder Brandon Guyer from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

Matsui hit 33 home runs and knocked in 150 runs during the past two seasons.

Cue up Blue Oyster Cult down at the Trop.

15 Year-Old Refuses To Return Hideki Matsui's 500th Home Run Ball

Reversing a chapter from Christian Lopez's book on what to do after you catch a historic ball hit by a professional baseball player, a 15 year-old kid refused to hand over Hideki Matsui's 500th career home run ball back to the player.

Maybe this kid is still holding a grudge against the Japanese because the of the women's soccer team shocker over every teenage boy's fantasy pin-up Hope Solo and the American team in the World Cup.

More likely, he is holding out for some sort of huge payday.

Lopez was the young cell phone sales man who caught Derek Jeter's milestone, and long awaited, 3,000th hit.  After Lopez snagged the home run ball in the centerfield stands, he immediately handed it over to the New York Yankees organization.  In return he was rewarded with signed memorabilia, season suite tickets and a $15,000 IRS bill.  Experts claim the ball could have been worth up to $250,000.  Cynics called Lopez a sucker.