Levine says Greenberg is 'delusional'

First, the Rangers eliminated the Yankees in the ALCS, then the teams went toe-to-toe in the free-agent battle for lefty ace Cliff Lee. And now, the two teams' front offices are mixing it up.

The latest salvo was fired on Friday by Yankees president Randy Levine, after Rangers CEO Chuck Greenberg suggested that his team's dogged pursuit of Lee kept him away from the Yankees just long enough for the Phillies to emerge as contenders

"I think Chuck is delusional," Levine said on Friday. "He’s been in the game a few minutes, yet he seems to know what everybody’s thoughts are."

At a Fan Fest in Texas last weekend, Greenberg said the Rangers’ repeated trips to Arkansas to recruit Lee opened the door for the Phillies to get involved with the free agent. He claimed that if the Rangers had not pursued the former Cy Young winner with such vigor, he would have signed quickly with the Yankees.

The lefty ultimately took less money to sign with the Phillies. A Rangers official seemed bemused that the Yankees were upset by Greenberg’s assessment.

"It’s nothing remotely controversial," the Rangers official said.

But Levine wants Greenberg — who purchased the team out of bankruptcy along with Nolan Ryan last summer — to keep his mouth shut regarding the Yankees.

"If he wants to impress us, he can do that by keeping the Rangers off welfare," Levine said. "Let’s see if they can be revenue sharing payers instead of recipients for three years in a row without getting money from Major League Baseball."

It isn’t the first spat between the Yankees and Greenberg. In October, the Rangers CEO alienated Yankees brass by ripping Yankee fans’ behavior during the ALCS.