Torre: Lidle apparently crashed plane into NYC building

NEW YORK - Authorities feared terrorism when a light plane crashed into an apartment building in Manhattan on Wednesday, but the scenario took a bizarre turn when sources said the pilot was Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle.

The plane, which banked steeply just before the crash, had reportedly made a mayday call to report a loss of fuel. Hours after NORAD had scrambled fighter jets to shoot down any other suspicious planes, Yankees manager Joe Torre revealed to CNN that the plane belonged to Lidle. Shortly thereafter, a witness reported recovering Lidle’s passport from the street near the scene. If he was aboard, Lidle has likely perished in the crash, authorities said.

It is unclear what Lidle’s plans were, and at press time no flight plan has been found. “We have no idea where it came from,” said Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman.

ESPN discovers Reynolds never pitched

While ESPN may have trouble hiring intelligent baseball analysts, it apparently has no trouble firing them, jettisoning longtime staffer Harold Reynolds, the New York Post reported Tuesday. No reason was given and ESPN refused to comment, leaving us to speculation that Reynolds may have finally had it with Tim Kurkjian and challenged him to a fistfight.

With Baseball Tonight often appearing as a 20-minute package this season, Reynolds’ firing could anticipate further shrinkage to a five-minute block at the end of a new one-hour daily version of Pardon The Interruption.

Myers sent to A-ball for non-televised booing

BALTIMORE, MD — Phillies pitcher Brett Myers asked for a leave of absence, and got demoted Wednesday as the fallout from his public wife-beating incident continued. Myers had been seen punching his wife on Friday near Fenway Park, where the Phillies were playing an interleague series. Myers is not expected to pitch for single-A Clearwater, as he prepares for trial and possible community-service time.

Despite his arrest, Myers pitched Saturday in Boston, and didn’t seem to think the booing was out of the ordinary. “You’re in an opposing city,” he reasoned. “You’re going to get booed either way.” It wasn’t until Tuesday that he seemed to realize he might be greeted with catcalls even at Citizens Bank Park. “While I dispute that the facts are as alleged, I recognize that my behavior was inappropriate and for that I apologize,” Myers’ statement read, demonstrating a true grasp of the situation.

Myers’ future with the team is uncertain — Diamondbacks P Bobby Chouinard’s career was ended by his domestic violence conviction in 2000, and Chouinard wasn’t caught so dead to rights.

Unidentified sources reported hearing Myers weeping and swearing “I’ll change, baby…you know we’re good together…this time it’ll be different…c’mon, let’s give it one more chance.” Unfortunately, the sources could not hear how Phillies president Dave Montgomery responded.