Jim Leyritz rips Yankees’ Old-Timers’ Day, team responds

Jim Leyritz also likes a tweet the says team president Randy Levine “is the worst.”

Jim Leyritz thought it was ridiculous he wasn’t invited to this year’s Yankees’ Old-Timers Day.

On Twitter, Leyritz, a Yankees playoff hero, called the event a “joke” and pointed at two team officials: Team President Randy Levine and Senior Vice President of Marketing Debbie Tymon.

Yes it’s a joke already. Randy Levine and Debbie Tymon have said I didn’t do enough in Yankee history to be invited. How many sliders did they hit. Lol

— Jim Leyritz (@therealjleyritz) May 24, 2018

The 54-year-old retired catcher also liked a tweet that said, “Randy Levine IS THE WORST.”

And Leyritz liked a tweet that said: “The only slider Levine has hit is of the cheeseburger variety. If the guy (wasn’t) literally in bed (with) ownership for decades, the team would take a pulse from the fan base on what we thought of Randy Levine. Results. (Wouldn’t). Be. Positive.”

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A Yankees spokesperson disputed Leyritz’s statement. 

“It’s disappointing that Jim has entered into this arena the way that he has,” the spokesman said. “This tweet is baseless and categorically false. Frankly, he should be thankful for his ties to this organization.”

Levine has never been involved in the selection of Old-Timers’ Day attendees, the spokesperson said, adding that the team went heavy on invitations to members of the 1978 team celebrating the 40th anniversary of its World Series win.

NJ Advance Media asked Leyritz via email for more details about the situation. Leyritz declined, but said it “hurts a little” not being part of the event and added that he meant to send the statement in his tweet as a private message.

“I appreciate the offer,” Leyrtiz said in the email. “But I thought I had sent that as a private tweet. But it wasn’t. Anyway they take care of me and my family with appearances and I do a lot of their charity stuff.  I just have never been given a reason for no invitation to (Old-Timers’ Day) and it hurts a little not being part of that day.”

Andy Pettitte will be making his first Old-Timers’ Day appearance. So, too, will current manager Aaron Boone, Jason Giambi and Nick Swisher.

In 1995, Leyritz hit a walk-off home run in the 15th inning of Game 2 of the American League Division Series vs. the Mariners. It gave the Yankees a 2-0 series advantage, but Seattle won three straight and the Yankees were toast.

In 1996, Leyritz hammered a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to tie Game 4 of the World Series against the Braves at 6-all. The Yankees won the series in six games.

Leyritz also hit a pinch hit home run in Game 4 of the 1999 World Series against the Braves, which the Yankees won in a sweep.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.