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NY Daily News’ Cliff Lee Headline (Photo)

As you undoubtedly know, Cliff Lee shocked the world last night and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, long thought to be the top two contenders for his services. It’s the kind of moment the New York tabloids live for…and the New York Daily News delivered this morning:

There is a lot to like here – the “SCREW BALL” headline combined with “Cliff Lee gives Yanks the shaft” really gives this cover the classic, New-York-rules, in-your-face feel for which the tabloids are known. Even the teaser sentence at the bottom is a tour de force of passive-aggressiveness:

Prize free agent Cliff Lee turns down Yankees and their $150M-plus offer in order to return to his beloved Phillies at a bargain price.

Emphasis ours. Yeah, Cliff. If you like the Phillies so much, why don’t you marry ‘em, amirite? The Daily News is truly acting irritated over Lee’s decision…and we wouldn’t have it any other way, because that’s what leads to headlines like “SCREW BALL.”

In fact, the Daily News seems a lot more peeved than the Yankees themselves. ESPN’s Wallace Matthews wrote today that at some point, the Yankees pretty much figured Lee wasn’t coming, and the inside sources with whom Matthews spoke sounded as if they harbored no ill will. In fact, they said things like:

“Obviously he wasn’t all about the money, which is refreshing. He left a lot of it on the table.”

“I think we should celebrate the fact that a guy took less money to go to a place he loves. I honestly don’t think he or his wife were afraid of New York, just that they enjoyed their experience in Philadelphia to such an extent that they would rather go there for a lot less money.”

Yankees sources saying it was “refreshing’ and something to “celebrate” that Lee rejected their team’s offer for less money? Let no one say the Yankees organization has no soul.

Photo via