Yankees, Brown go down swinging

NEW YORK -- Kevin Brown's frustrating season finally reached a boiling point, and now his hot temper could cost the New York Yankees at the most important time.

Brown broke his non-pitching hand when he punched a wall in the clubhouse last night during a 3-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles that cut New York's lead in the AL East to just 2 1/2 games over Boston.

"Stupidity," Brown said.

"I reacted to frustration I'd swallowed all year . . . There are no excuses. I let it boil over and I did something stupid. I owe my teammates an apology for letting my emotions take over like that."

Already short on starting pitching, the Yankees were unsure how long the 39-year-old righthander might be out. He was to be examined by a hand specialist today.

"My plan is to splint it and pitch. I just pray that my stupidity didn't hurt the team," Brown said.

Acquired from Los Angeles, the oft-injured Brown missed seven weeks in June and July with a strained lower back and intestinal parasite. He tweaked his left knee covering first last night, then was hit on the right forearm by Miguel Tejada's single.

Steamed by it all, he walked around the clubhouse in the middle of the sixth and punched a wall, breaking two bones.

"You just can't do this, there's no doubt about it," general manager Brian Cashman said. "It's a major issue that we shouldn't be dealing with."

Cashman said Brown could be disciplined or fined.

After the game, the Yankees began reviewing Brown's contract to determine whether a self-inflicted injury could void the guarantee language, one baseball official said on the condition of anonymity. No determination had been made, the official said.

Brown is earning $15 million this season and is due $15 million next year, the final season of his $105 million, seven-year deal.

"Historically, injuries of this nature, in the heat of a performance situation, are part and parcel of a player's intensity and have occurred in the scope and course of employment for many athletes," said Brown's agent, Scott Boras.

Brown (10-4) dropped to 1-3 in his last five starts and 3-8 lifetime against Baltimore. He allowed three runs and five hits in six innings, struck out seven, and walked two. Rodrigo Lopez shut down the Yankees into the eighth, Tejada got his major league-leading 122d RBI, and the streaky Orioles won their fifth straight following a 12-game losing streak.

In another Yankee development, slugger Jason Giambi is still trying to keep his medical situation private, even though a newspaper report yesterday detailed the location and treatment of his benign tumor.

Citing three anonymous major league sources, the New York Daily News reported Giambi has been getting treatment for a tumor in his pituitary gland, which is about the size of a pea and is located at the base of the brain.

The newspaper said the treatment includes a form of steroids that does not enhance athletic performance, and was approved by Major League Baseball.

The Yankees would not confirm the report. The team released a statement about the "published speculation" with Giambi's comments.

"While I understand the continuing speculation surrounding the details of my medical condition, I continue to believe that it is a private matter. I appreciate the fact that the media has a job to do, but my focus now is on returning and contributing to this team," he said.