Mark Teixeira's Acting Chops; NY Sports Stars Finally Debut on Entourage

Why did it take Entourage eight years to put New York sports stars on the show?

Since 2004, the boys from Queens — Vinnie, E, Drama, and Turtle — have been wearing Yankees, Giants and Knicks sweatshirts (though, unless we missed it, not Mets or Jets). Sunday, one week before the HBO show's finale, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Amare Stoudemire, and Michael Strahan all put in cameos.

In case you missed it, Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) is looking to open a sister branch of Ozone Park's legendary Don Peppe in L.A., but runs out of money. He calls Teixeira to double his quarter of a mil investment just as Tex is walking out of the batting practice cage at Yankee Stadium. Teixeira's testy reply: "I have three kids in private school in Greenwich, Connecticut. Do you have any idea what that costs? You don't have any kids in private school in Connecticut, do you, Turtle?" A moment later a frustrated Turtle gets a call from A-Rod, who tells him, "Call Tex and apologize. We're tying to win a ring around here." In desperation, Turtle calls Stoudemire, who's playing a pick-up basketball game with Strahan, and both tell him to, well, fugheddaboudit.

According to Yankees community relations consultant Ray Negron, Teixeira made his acting debut though a friendship with the show's creator, Doug Ellin. Last Christmas, while having dinner at Don Peppe, Tex told Allin that he was a big fan of the show and suggested that a nice twist would be for Turtle to start a West Coast branch of what many consider Queen's greatest Italian restaurant. Cameos by the other stars, says Negron, "just seemed logical. They just fell into line."

But Teixeira, it appears, didn't just make an acting debut. He is a genuine auteur. Not only did he act, but a la Matt Damon, he wrote his lines and reportedly got it all right in a mere three takes. "He's been doing a little bragging about quitting his day job," says Negron.

Watch the segment for yourself and witness what we think might be the most sensational acting talent since the young Brando. One gaffe in the script, though: We're not sure the Yankees front office would be too happy with their players talking to shady business operators like Turtle during batting practice. And one big mystery goes unanswered: since Turtle has practically slept in his Jeter jerseys over the years, why wasn't Jeter on the screen, too?

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