Hank Steinbrenner: Derek Jeter 'Too Busy' Building Mansion To Win

Baseball pro Derek Jeter became the target of Hank Steinbrenner's ridicule at a Monday press conference when the Yankees' owner blamed his team's poor performance last season on players being "too busy building mansions and doing other things, not concentrating on winning."

The comment was a thinly veiled attack against Jeter, who has almost completed his massive Tampa villa, a 31,000 square foot estate on the water with seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, an enormous pool, a billiards room, and two garages that each accommodate three cars.

Jeter was unfazed by the comment. "Owners can say whatever they want to say," the sports celeb said in a news conference on Tuesday. "They're owners; they're entitled to their opinion. You don't always have to necessarily agree with their opinions, but they can say what they want to say. I have no problem with it."

Since Jeter's name never actually came out of Steinbrenner's mouth, the owner has tried to clarify the original intentions behind his statement. "It was a generalization, a euphemism," he said. "That's all it was."

"Euphemism" or not, Jeter doesn't seem to be letting the snide comment get him down. He's putting finishing touches on what the locals call "St. Jetersburg," which he will enjoy with new girlfriend, Friday Night Lights star Minka Kelly. Oh, and he's getting ready to play ball too. —KIMBERLY STEELE