Chipper in pinstripes? Well, Yanks' Cashman tried

"He'd be perfect," Cashman said at Yankees' camp in Tampa. "I'd take Larry in a heartbeat. I think everybody would."

The eight-time All-Star third baseman — better known by his nickname than actual first name — quickly ended such talk.

"Enough with the rumors!" Jones tweeted. "While I am flattered about the speculation of being enticed out of retirement, I'm happy with life as a bad golfer!"

Pretty much what everyone figured.

"I can imagine a lot of things in baseball," Braves coach and former third baseman Terry Pendleton said, "but Chipper playing for the Yankees isn't one of them."

"I think you'd have a lot of people in Atlanta pretty mad if that happened. He's a man of his word and he says he's done," he said. "But it might help the Yankees with their attendance. I think a lot of Mets fans would come over to Yankee Stadium to boo him."

Still, it was a fun thought — Jones and Derek Jeter together on the left side of the infield. At least for a minute.

"He has the utmost respect for the Yankees' organization, but his legacy is and will always be with the Braves," Jones' agent, B.B. Abbott, told The Associated Press in a text message.

Jones bowed out last fall after playing all 19 seasons in Atlanta, hitting .303 with 468 home runs. A month shy of turning 41, Jones recently spent a few days at spring training with his old team.