Yankees say no to ESPN for this game

The New York Yankees are threatening a boycott against ESPN for the network scheduling the team for a Sunday Night Baseball game in July.

ESPN announced Monday that the Yankees’ game against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 8 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto has been pushed back from a 1 p.m. Eastern start to 8 p.m., so it can be aired on Sunday Night Baseball.

The Yankees play a doubleheader in Baltimore the next day, with the first game scheduled for 4 p.m. Eastern. Players have told the New York

Post that playing three games in two cities within 24 hours is unfair on many levels, including the integrity of the sport.

“Anytime you have the potential of a night game traveling into a doubleheader,’’ Yankees Manager Aaron Boone told reporters, “the first thing I worry about is player safety and the product on the field. Hopefully those things go into the decision-making process. …

“Hopefully there’s something that can be done that maybe changes that situation.’’

ESPN chose to change the Yankees-Blue Jays gametime because they are airing the AllStar Game selection show an hour before the game and wanted a high-profile team to play after the show.

Several sources have told the

Post that Major League Baseball, the MLB Players’ Association, the Yankees and ESPN are in talks about a potential compromise.

According to the Post, Yankees players and management are considering boycotting future interviews and features with ESPN. Boone has considered refusing to be interviewed during games.

New York has already had seven games rained out this season and have three doubleheaders scheduled in the next month.

“Hopefully, Major League Baseball and everybody involved,’’ Boone said, “is looking at this smartly.”