Derek Jeter

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Bobby Valentine is man enough to admit he was wrong. The Red Sox manager said yesterday he didn't believe the Yankees practiced that famous Derek Jeter flip play in the 2001 playoffs. But bullpen coach Gary Tuck, a former Yankees coach, confirmed that the Yankees indeed do work on the triple cut-off. "Total mistake on my part because they do practice it, that's for sure," Valentine said. "It's hard to practice that because why are we going to practice a bad throw?

On Tuesday night, after another mediocre game at the plate, Alex Rodriguez insisted he was ready to go on a tear. He knew what he was talking about. A-Rod gave Will Smith a rude welcome to the major leagues Wednesday night, hitting two homers off the rookie to back another strong start for Andy Pettitte and lead the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 8-3. "I said it with conviction not because it was going to sound good here in my locker but because I felt it," Rodriguez said.

Derek Jeter is hitting the way he did in his prime and CC Sabathia looks more like his old self with each outing. No wonder the New York Yankees are starting to get on a roll. Jeter had four hits to stretch his hitting streak to 13 games, Sabathia (2-0) pitched a season-high eight innings, and Alex Rodriguez belted a three-run homer - No. 632 in his career - in a 7-4 victory over the Rangers Monday night in Arlington, Texas. "I keep kidding him that it's like 1999 again - three hits every day. He's amazing," Rodriguez said of the 37-year-old Jeter.

BALTIMORE - From a business point of view, the Red Sox have handled it right. They have been going year-to-year with David Ortiz, which, given the DH market and the fact that he is now 36, is the right thing to do. But there's more to it with Ortiz. He can't be treated like any other DH or like any other 36-year-old. He is different. We all know it and the Red Sox know it. He is this team's goodwill ambassador, its most emotional player. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

NEW YORK – There comes a point with every player when the age starts creeping up, when the questions get louder, when the end seems closer. That was the story in the first half of 2011, when Derek Jeter was struggling at .257, coming off his worst year as a professional in 2010. It was, perhaps, time to think about a new shortstop with the Yankees, a new man atop their order. It was time to think of a post-Jeter future, all while Yankees teammates and fans held their breath for a milestone that seemed to take forever to arrive.

By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff PHOENIX - The big topic of discussion here is whether Derek Jeter should come to the All-Star game even though he's decided not to play. The "yes he should come" side of it is that Jeter has a great opportunity to represent what is good with baseball as a goodwill ambassador for the game. Other "injured" players have elected to attend including his New York counterpart Jose Reyes. Jeter stroked his 3,000th hit Saturday. Predictably, the All-Stars have bailed Jeter out. "Derek Jeter has been the ultimate ambassador...

Derek Jeter kept swinging, from the first pitch to the final out. Eager to make history and put the hoopla behind him, Jeter quickly doubled for his 2,998th career hit. That was all he got Thursday night as he grounded out the next four times up in the New York Yankees’ 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. “After the first one, I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t think it was attainable today,’’ Jeter said. Jeter swung at all 11 strikes he got from starter Jeff Niemann and reliever Kyle Farnsworth while going 1 for 5. Jeter hit a liner to...

BALTIMORE - From a business point of view, the Red Sox have handled it right. They have been going year-to-year with David Ortiz, which, given the DH market and the fact that he is now 36, is the right thing to do. But there's more to it with Ortiz. He can't be treated like any other DH or like any other 36-year-old. He is different. We all know it and the Red Sox know it. He is this team's goodwill ambassador, its most emotional player. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff FORT MYERS, Fla. —Bobby Valentine is man enough to admit he was wrong. Bobby V said yesterday he didn't believe the Yankees practiced that famous Derek Jeter flip play. But bullpen coach Gary Tuck, a former Yankees coach, confirmed that the Yankees indeed do work on the triple cutoff. "Total mistake on my part because they do practice it, that's for sure," Valentine said. "It's hard to practice that because why are we going to practice a bad throw?

Fenway Park holds a unique place in New England history. Here's a book excerpt from John Powers. Dan Shaughnessy writes that today is a day to celebrate Fenway Park. The Red Sox notebook has the Sox needing a win and plenty of other updates. The minor league notebook has Pawtucket well-armed to help the Sox. Michael Vega has that story. Derek Jeter leads the Yankees into Fenway. Amalie Benjamin has that story. Chad Finn writes in the sports media column that Peter Gammons should be charged with an error.

BALTIMORE - From a business point of view, the Red Sox have handled it right. They have been going year-to-year with David Ortiz, which, given the DH market and the fact that he is now 36, is the right thing to do. But there's more to it with Ortiz. He can't be treated like any other DH or like any other 36-year-old. He is different. We all know it and the Red Sox know it. He is this team's goodwill ambassador, its most emotional player. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

Robinson Cano homered, Phil Hughes beat Kansas City for the second time this month and the New York Yankees — still looking to bust out with the bats — eked out a 3-2 victory over the Royals on Tuesday night. Derek Jeter delivered a bases-loaded single that tied the score in the fifth inning and New York rallied from an early two-run deficit to snap a three-game skid. Shut out Monday in the series opener, the Yankees (22-21) went 2 for 7 with runners in scoring position, one night after they finished 0 for 13 in those situations for their worst performance...

All those strikeouts did nothing to soothe Ivan Nova and the New York Yankees. The right-hander racked up a career-high 12 Ks on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds but gave up a three-run homer to Joey Votto and took the loss in New York's 6-5 defeat. Trailing by three going into the ninth inning, the Yankees scored twice off Sean Marshall before Jose Arredondo closed it out for his first major league save. "We just didn't get the last hit that we needed," manager Joe Girardi said.

Jose Bautista and J.P. Arencibia each hit two-run home runs, Drew Hutchison won consecutive starts for the first time and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 4-1 Thursday night, sweeping their two-game series. New York lost its third straight and fell to 0-9 this season when failing to hit at least one home run. The Yankees, who have scored 12 total runs in nine losses this month, dropped a half game behind Toronto and into fourth place in the AL East. Making just his sixth major league start, Hutchison (3-1)

Wei-Yin Chen pitched seven innings of four-hit ball, Adam Jones homered and the Baltimore Orioles beat CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees 5-2 Tuesday night. J.J. Hardy drove in two runs for Baltimore, which earned a split of the two-game series and improved to 1-4 at home against New York. Chen (4-0) allowed two runs, struck out four and walked two in a masterful performance. Making his seventh major league start, the 26-year-old Taiwan native took a shutout into the seventh inning and retired 10 straight before Robinson Cano's leadoff double.

Phil Hughes won consecutive starts for the first time this season, Raul Ibanez homered against his former team for the second day in a row and the Yankees beat former New York prospect Hector Noesi in a 6-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. Jayson Nix hit a two-run shot during a four-run second inning for his first homer with the Yankees, who have won six of eight. Hughes (3-4) allowed six hits and a run in 7 2-3 innings with four strikeouts and a walk. The right-hander's only blemish was a homer he gave up to Mike Carp in the seventh...

The 3,000 Hit Club is an elite group of baseball’s greats. Musial. Ripken. Cobb. Mays. Not one of the 27, though, joined while wearing a Yankees uniform. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig never did it. Neither did Joe DiMaggio or Mickey Mantle. Same for Bernie Williams and Don Mattingly. There’s an All-Star roll call of Yankees who came up short for reasons that include illness, injury, wartime service and, frankly, not being wanted any longer in win-now New York. No. 2 from Kalamazoo is about to change that.

The Baltimore Orioles began the week with the best record in the majors, with Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals close behind. Albert Pujols was slumping, Bobby Valentine was getting booed and Derek Jeter was hitting nearly .400. Signs of the season, or mere mirages? A quick look at the big questions so far in baseball: –– — Can the Orioles stay atop the AL East? Cleveland teased fans last spring, Pittsburgh stuck around until summer. Sure looks like a charmed year in Charm City, too, coming off DH Chris Davis' improbable stint on the mound.

Robinson Cano hit his eighth career grand slam, Alex Rodriguez added a three-run shot and the New York Yankees roughed up Luke Hochevar in a 10-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. Nick Swisher added a homer in his return to the starting lineup, helping the Yankees to a four-game split. The series began with a freak, season-ending injury to All-Star closer Mariano Rivera, but ended with the Yankees' best offensive output in a dozen games. The Yankees already led on RBI singles by Raul Ibanez and Curtis Granderson when Cano came to the plate...