The House That Chuck Bought
The Bombers' leadoff hitter starts the season in new digs.

Apparently, yankees second-baseman Chuck Knoblauch isn't expecting to be traded, his much-talked-about mental lapses on the field notwithstanding. He just paid $1.45 million for a thirty-second-floor penthouse in Morgan Court, a sliver building at 211 Madison Avenue in Murray Hill, on the site of J. P. Morgan's carriage house. Surprising for a pro athlete to buy in the city (most stick to the 'burbs); even more surprising that he'd choose such a quiet area. The seller had put the place on the market because he was expecting a transfer out of state. When it didn't happen, he looked at what he could get for the place -- having paid only $825,000 in 1997 -- and decided to sell anyway. (He moved to Brooklyn.) According to the seller's broker, Knoblauch "took one look and fell in love" with the 2,400-square-foot space and topped three other bidders, Steinbrenner-style, paying $50,000 over the asking price. The buyer was represented by Nikki Field of Sotheby's International Realty. And it looks like the neighbors want to hobnob with Knoblauch: The building's other penthouse, listed at $1.2 million, was just taken off the market.

CHRISTOPHER BONANOS