Jeter's Is Bigger Than A-Rod's

For all of you wondering-- and who hasn't-- who has the bigger Florida mansion, Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees shortstop wins with flying colors.

When it comes to massive homes with more bathrooms than Yankee Stadium, Jeter's 30,875 square-foot St. Petersburg home dwarfs A-Rod's mere 18,000 square-footer in Miami.

Jeter's Super-sized-McMansion completed construction this winter and was dubbed "St. Jetersburg" by annoyed neighbors who imagined an endless parade of celebrity gawkers driving by the popular New York Yankees player's gated house.  Now that Jeter is single again, expect a lot of female hopefuls to cruise the block.

The house was also the scourge of Yankees owner, Hank Steinbrenner, who directed an ill-timed statement at Jeter during their contract talks this past winter.

"Some of the players are too busy building mansions, and other things," he said.  "And not concentrating on winning."

First time a building was blamed for losing a AL Championship series.

A-Rod has no problem with celebrity-adverse neighbors-- because all of them are already gossip page fodder.

Rodriguez just completed construction on his home on Miami's exclusive North Bay Road and, if he needs a cup of sugar, he can just walk over to Lebron James place or borrow some hedge clippers from Will Smith.

A-Rod's hood is loaded with single-named celebrities like himself.  There is Sly [Stallone], Rosie [O'Donnell] and the most famous one-namer of all-- his old flame Madonna.  Block parties will be a blast and O'Donnell can haul the kegs.

Both players bought their land for about the same price: Jeter for $7.4 million and Rodriguez for $7.7 million, but both have put millions into renovating the properties.

A-Rod's Return to Yankees' Lineup on Friday Still Looks Uncertain

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez had another day to rest his sprained thumb in Toronto, but said  he wasn't sure  he would be playing against the Blue Jays.  Goodbye Cameron.  Helloooo Nunez. 

While the rest of the Yankees spend their last off-day of the regular season prepping for the stretch run, A-Rod said he will will test his swing on Friday and make a decision after that.

Asked by reporters if that means he won't play against the Blue Jays, Rodriguez said, "That depends on how the session goes."

Only yesterday, Joe Girardi was optimistic about A-Rod's Friday night encore.


"We decided  for him to not hit [Wed.]," said the manager.  "We said, you know what, if we can give him two more days before he actually swings on it, it's probably better off for our plans just to put him there Friday."

Contrary to what Girardi said about A-Rod's Friday night return to the lineup yesterday, he has now backed off by saying his slugger is more day-to-day.

"I haven't touched a bat in five days," said Rodriguez.  "Maybe Girardi has more confidence than me."

The third baseman injured his left thumb Aug. 21 against the Minnesota Twins.   He played in nine games since then and is hitting .258 (8-for-31) with two home runs and 4 RBI's over that span.

Rodriguez was expected to miss only three or four games since the digit acted up again Sept. 9.  That is, until it was slow to heal this week.

Girardi planned on using A-Rod if the slugger could swing a bat on Thursday.  He didn't, so it doesn't look good.

A-Rod took ground balls and threw long-toss before Wednesday's game against the Seattle Mariners.

"I was at the point I had to stop because I was unable to do my job," said Rodriguez. "It's not going to feel 100%, but you have to play through it." 

The Yankees play 14 games in 13 days before closing out the regular season-- all against AL East rivals.

For A-Rod, this has been a tough week.  Besides breaking up with his long-time actress girlfriend, Cameron Diaz, the put-offish player was named the sixth "Meanest Major League Baseball Player" in a Sports Illustrated player's poll.

R-Rod Replaces A-Rod As Derek Jeter's Newest Antagonist

After the announcement of Derek Jeter's breakup with his long-time girlfriend Minka Kelly last week, much was made of the actress getting cozy with her "Charlie's Angels" co-star Ramon Rodriguez.

Jeter is used to being in the headlines and has weathered media storms before but this seems different.

Remember Jeter getting dissed by his new teammate in a magazine article like Alex Rodriguez did to the Yankees captain when A-Rod first joined the team.   Unlike that, the breakup publicity has got to be bothering the Yankees shortstop.

Jeter had one of his best seasons after A-Rod was quoted saying things like "He [Jeter] has never had to lead" in the 2001 Esquire piece.  "He" was an All-Star and batted .311 that season.

Since the breakup announcement, Jeter is 3-for-16 with one run scored and his average is heading south of .300.

R-Rod reportedly spent many a long night inside Kelly's film-set trailer lending a sympathetic ear to the heartbroken starlet.  Yeah, I've heard that one before.

All A-Rod did was spend many a long night inside his hotel rooms checking himself out in the mirror.

According to the New York Daily News, R-Rod and Kelly have been spotted in Miami together; while they film scenes for the new television series, which is debuting in the fall.  It is a remake of the iconic '70's series.

Yesterday, the former "Saturday Night Lights" beauty and the 31 year-old R-Rod were spotted huddled together under an umbrella as they headed back to their trailers.

What's really unbelievable is that beefcake Rodriguez is reprising the role of Bosley.  Wasn't he originally played by the character actor David Doyle in the first series?

I bet Jeter wishes the doughy Doyle was still playing the part.

New A-Rod Book to Highlight Slugger's Off-Field Exploits

A new book about Alex Rodriguez will reveal secrets about the New York Yankees slugger he "will certainly not like," according to the New York Daily News.

Noted author, Richard Ben Cramer, is penning a tell-all book about the controversial third baseman and will concentrate on his off-field activities.

The book is "under contract' and set to hit stores in 2014-- just in time for A-Rod's anticipated run at a historic 700 home runs.  He will be 39 years old.

The book is titled "The Importance of Being Alex: A Life With the Yankees."

According to the Daily News, the book will cover A-Rod's rocky relationship with Derek Jeter and A-Rod's admission he used steroids.

Don't forget the gambling and his love life chock full of movie starlets.

The Pulitzer Prize winning Cramer said Rodriguez participated in the project and it will cover all aspects of his 18 year career.

There should be a lot of juicy stuff.

A-Rod's First Swing is a Home Run; Prepares For Yankees Return on Aug. 18

It looks like Alex Rodriguez's surgically-repaired knee has healed very well, thank you.  The New York Yankees slugger smashed a home-run with the first swing of his bat in an organized game since undergoing knee surgery last month.

Tonight, according to the YES Network, A-Rod began his rehabilitation assignment as a DH with the Class-A Tampa Yankees against the Dunedin Blue Jays and got two hits in his first three at-bats tonight.  The team plays another Florida State League game against Dunedin-- an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays-- tomorrow.

The 36 year-old Rodriguez is expected to rejoin the New York Yankees next Thursday at Target Field in Minneapolis to open a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins.

Tomorrow, A-Rod is expected to play third-base for Tampa and, after a possible intra-squad game on Sunday, will head north to join the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees on Tuesday.  The Yankees are optimistic about their third baseman's return to the majors next week.

"That's possible," said GM Brian Cashman.  "We'll take it day by day but that's the rough sketch of the potential that next week looks like."

A-Rod is returning from July 11 surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.  He was in the midst of an 85 at-bat homer-less streak when he was injured June 19 at Wrigley Field.  An attempt to rest the knee without going under the knife proved unsuccessful.

The Yankees have won 20-of-30 games since the slugger went on the DL.  He is batting .295 with 13 homeruns and 52 RBI's in 80 games so far this season.





 

A-Rod Helps CC Become Major's First 10-game Winner of Season

CC Sabathia, the New York Yankees big lefthander, pitched another stellar game and, in the process, became the major league's first 10-game winner this season.  Sabathia (10-4) pitched eight dazzling innings in the Yankees 8-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Alex Rodriguez chipped in with a couple of singles and 3 RBI's.  A-Rod also started a rally-killing double play in the 6th inning that was the only threat Colorado posed to CC all day.

Sabathia tortured the Colorado batters with a fastball consistently in the 96-97 mph range but it was his perfect slider which left the Rockies shaking their heads.  Five of Sabathia's nine strikeouts were of the little burger's namesake.



The big guy also came through in the clutch.  The befuddled Rockies hitters were 2-15 with runners on base.  Sabathia finished the game allowing only one run, one walk and seven hits to go with the nine K's.

Sabathia has been consistent all season.  After a couple of early-season no-decisions, the victory today gave the 2007 Cy Young winner his seventh win in his last eight starts.  He is a sure bet to make the All-Star game.

The win also gives Sabathia his 50th victory in pinstripes in 85 starts.  The leftie matches Chien-Ming Wang as the fastest Yankee pitcher to reach that total in thirty years.

Manager Joe Girardi couldn't stop singing the praise of his workhorse starter.

"CC has won 50 games in the 2 1/2 seasons he's been here," marveled the manager.  "That's just in the regular season."

 This year, Sabathia is continuing that trend.  He has a 3.25 ERA with 93 strikeouts and has allowed 119 hits in 122 innings.

"CC's a great guy to be around," said Girardi.  "He's the same guy every day.  He works quick and teammates like to play behind a pitcher who is quick."

It's also no coincidence that, as the Yankees beat up on the National League during their current intra-league jag, A-Rod has been lighting up every ballpark since Wrigley.  The aching third baseman is on a blazing hot streak and has 10 hits in his last five games while batting a sizzling .556 during that span.  Currently,  A-Rod is the only .300 hitter in the Yankees line-up.

A-Rod also reached base in the seventh on a missed communication between the Rockies' Chris Nelson and Eric Young in shallow right field. 

When asked why he pulled Rodriguez in the eighth, Girardi claimed it wasn't for anything more serious than sore legs.

"A-Rod's a little beat-up," answered Girardi.  "He's been sore since Chicago."

Sabathia also put an end to Troy Tulowitzki's New York City home-run streak.  The Rockies shortstop hit four dingers against the Mets in Flushing last week before jacking one last night against the Yankees in the Bronx.  He was the first visiting player to homer in five straight games since Ernie Banks.

Mark Teixeira chipped in with his 22nd home-run of the season in the eighth.

The Yankees are now 44-31 and could take over first place in the AL East if the Boston Red Sox lose tonight.

Cameron Diaz Looks To Star In Film With A-Rod; We See "Gigli 2"

Hollywood star, Cameron Diaz, and New York Yankees slugger, Alex Rodriguez,  could be making a major film together soon.  If Diaz has her way, the Yankee third baseman, and current flame, will star opposite her as leading man in a romantic comedy.

The Daily Express, a British newspaper, claims the actress is shopping the idea of a baseball-themed rom-com around Tinseltown.

That's pretty funny because only last month at the Super Bowl, camera-shy A-Rod went bonkers after Diaz was shown on the big Jumbotron screen plopping individual kernels of popcorn into his mouth.  I guess love is never saying no when the producer is your girl.

Whether for research or romance, Diaz has been spotted in Tampa watching the Yankees and A-Rod a lot in spring training this year. 

Diaz and A-Rod had been routinely spotted together since last year and, only recently, have made the relationship public domain.  Cam-Rod have now joined the ranks of celebrity couples like "Bradgelina" or whatever they're called.

According to a source close to Diaz, the actress and aspiring producer has been taking more of an interest in the game itself for her film production.

"She's very excited about developing her own projects, and the fact this one is about a baseball player means she has good reason to spend time with A-Rod and the Yankees,' the source said.

"She's even thinking that Alex could star in the movie with her."

Diaz has starred with athletes like Lawrence Taylor in "Any Given Sunday" and Brett Favre in "There's Something About Mary" before; while the closest A-Rod has gotten to a Hollywood set  is dating Diaz and Kate Hudson.

Last year, A-Rod was set to make his acting debut in "Friends With Benefits," but the role never panned out.

Just what the film-going public needs, another vanity project from a self-indulged couple who thinks the public is enamoured with their love affair--in a baseball setting much less.

Couples starring in films together are usually a recipe for disaster.  Breakups are almost as common as  A.J. Burnett breakdowns.

"Gigli," that bomb starring Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck and was even banned in New Jersey, which started that whole annoying conjoined names thing with "Bennifer" is a prime example.  Now if Gigli was about a group of gigolos, A-Rod might be a good leading man.

For every Bogie and Bacall in a "To Have and Have Not", there is a "Eyes Wide Shut" with Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise--otherwise known as Kid-Cruise or Cruise-Man.

If Diaz's project ever gets the green light, maybe Cam-Rod could then remake some of the baseball classics.

"Bang the Drum Slowly," maybe?  No, too suggestive a title for A-Rod.

"The Babe" is a possibility.  It could be about A-Rod's go-go dancer friend in Toronto from way back.

"Pride of the Yankees?"  No way that'll ever happen.

"Bingo Long and the Traveling All-Stars" would work.  Just hire the rest of the Yankee team.  Derek Jeter already showed his acting chops in last year's action comedy "The Other Guys."

What the world really needs is another "Major League."  Hey, you can never get enough of Charlie Sheen these days and the Wild Thing is going to need work pretty soon.