Jeter Is the Recipient of Threatening Letter

New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter received a threatening letter that reportedly warned he’d be “shot or set on fire” if he didn’t stop dating white women.

The FBI is investigating “racially threatening letters to Jeter and others across the country,” special agent Scott Wilson said Monday by phone from Cleveland. He declined to comment further.

The New York Daily News, quoting an unidentified law enforcement source, reported that the hate mail to the Yankees’ 31-year-old captain called him a “traitor to his race” for dating white women.

Similar threatening letters denouncing interracial relationships have been sent to other public figures in recent months, including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Miami Dolphin defensive lineman Jason Taylor and the parents of tennis star James Blake. The threats have been traced to the Cleveland area.

Jeter said he heard about the letter two or three months ago and did not feel threatened by it.

“It wasn’t like, ‘I’m going to do this to you. I’m going to do that to you,’ ” Jeter said.

“It was just a stupid letter. I’ve gotten stupid letters before. That’s basically it. Now, for some reason, it’s on the front page and it’s some big, huge story.”

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John Smoltz probably will sit out the last week of the regular season to rest his ailing right shoulder for a probable trip to the playoffs.

The ace of the Atlanta Braves will not pitch Wednesday, his next scheduled start.

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Outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. of the Cincinnati Reds had minor surgery to clean out his knee and close a year-old incision that hadn’t healed properly, procedures expected to set him back no more than four weeks.

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Right-hander Dan Haren and the Oakland Athletics agreed to a $12.65-million, four-year contract.

Haren, acquired in the off-season from St. Louis in a trade for left-hander Mark Mulder, will be under contract through the 2009 season with a club option for 2010.

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Baltimore Oriole interim Manager Sam Perlozzo hopes the club will give him the job on a permanent basis sometime this week.

Perlozzo took over the team Aug. 4 after Lee Mazzilli was fired. The eight-game losing streak the Orioles had before playing New York on Monday night dropped his record to 19-29.

“I feel like I’ve got the job,” Perlozzo said. “I don’t think I’ve done anything to lose this job.”