By DAVID K. LI
May 28, 2008
A diehard Yankee fan claims Bomber brass gave him the short end of the bat in a deal over a historic home-run ball.
Alexander Martinez, a 35-year-old Hartford, Conn., resident, made headlines last August for his remarkable feat of catching two long balls in one game. First, he grabbed Hideki Matsui's 100th big league homer - and later, he snatched a dinger off the bat of Melky Cabrera.
Martinez said he turned over the milestone Matsui ball to Yankees security man Bill Shaw.
In return, Martinez said, Shaw promised him an autographed Matsui ball, the bat Godzilla used to hammer the historic homer and 15 tickets to this season's All-Star Game - the last at Yankee Stadium.
Martinez got an autographed ball and bat but hasn't seen any All-Star tickets or an authentication letter for the bat.
Despite using an attorney to reach out to the Yankees, Martinez insisted he would never file a suit against his favorite team.
"I don't want to go there. As many times as I can tell you, I'm a diehard Yankees fan," Martinez told The Post.
"I'm not into any money or anything like that. I just want what was promised to me."
Martinez said he asked Shaw to put their deal in ink. But he quoted Shaw as responding: "We are the New York Yankees. When we give our word, we will do it."
A Yankee spokesman insisted the team never agreed to what Martinez says. "Bill Shaw absolutely, positively denies that he ever offered him any All-Star Game tickets or ever agreed to it," said Howard Rubenstein.
Another team official said he doubted the Yankees would give away 15 highly valuable ducats to the mid-summer classic.
Martinez admitted his 15-ticket request was a pie-in-the-sky demand, meant as a negotiation opener.
But Shaw quickly agreed to terms, Martinez insisted.
MORE: Complete Yankees Coverage
