He Wasn’t Master of His Yankee Domain

Texas Ranger Manager Buck Showalter was the skipper of the Yankees years ago when he made the mistake of appearing on “Seinfeld,” a program that often poked fun at Yankee owner George Steinbrenner.

“That was my last ‘Seinfeld’ episode,” Showalter told the Dallas Morning News. “I’d never seen the show. I didn’t know they were making fun of ‘the Boss.’ He told me no more episodes.

“I had to join the Screen Actors Guild to be in the show. Between [union dues] and taxes, I lose $17 every time it airs.”

Trivia time: Who holds the NBA Finals record for points in a game?

Take your pick: Greg Cote in the Miami Herald: “The idea of a hoops fandom wistful for the NBA’s halcyon days is raised again by a recent Sports Illustrated poll, in which 40% of self-described basketball fans said they are less interested in the league than they were five years ago.

“Commissioner David Stern chides the polls as ‘junk science,’ saying, ‘We reject it completely.’ Stern trots out his own numbers, including an ESPN Chilton poll showing the NBA as the most popular league among kids.”

Go get it: Chris Tomasson of the Rocky Mountain News, after Cleveland Cavalier center Chris Mihm claimed that the Trail Blazers’ Arvydas Sabonis, listed at 292 pounds, weighs more like 345: “With all the money Portland spends on salaries, you’d think it could afford a scale.”

Confused: At a news conference to hype the Mike Tyson-Clifford Etienne fight, a University of Memphis professor said Tyson’s facial tattoo was inspired by the Maori tribesmen of New Zealand. “It’s indicative he wants to represent the warrior in him,” said the professor.

Said Keith Olbermann of ABC radio, “Wonder if the warrior finds it crowded in there, amid all of Mike’s other personalties.”

Inflation: Minnesota Twin outfielder Torii Hunter, on how his life has changed since he signed a $34-million contract: “It used to be, people would ask me for $10. Now they ask for $40,000.”

All by himself: Discussing the leadership qualities of the White Sox, Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Tribune said: “Frank Thomas could carry a baseball bat made of beef jerky and not get a pack of wild schnauzers to follow him.”

Splash down: Bernie Lincicome of the Rocky Mountain News on the America’s Cup: “Somebody once said that the only thing that could make a sailing race exciting is if they started it above Niagara Falls.”

Small stars: Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen are the top-seeded players at the World Match Play Championship at La Costa, but history says they won’t win.

Past champions are Jeff Maggert (1999), Darren Clarke (2000), Steve Stricker (2001) and Kevin Sutherland.

Trivia answer: Elgin Baylor of the Lakers, 61, on April 14, 1962, against Boston. The Lakers won, 126-121, but lost the series in seven games.

And finally: Mike Bianchi in the Orlando Sentinel: “The Yankees’ payroll is $149.2 million. Or, to put in perspective, it’s about half of what Michigan pays its basketball players every year.”