The Associated Press reports that New York Yankees OF Gary Sheffield and his lovely wife were the victims of an extortion attempt.

CHICAGO — New York Yankees star Gary Sheffield and his wife were the targets of a blackmailer who claimed to have embarrassing sexual videotapes of her and a musician, the slugger’s business agent said Tuesday.

“I will not be blackmailed. I will not have my family dragged through the mud and filth,” Sheffield said in a statement read by his Chicago-based business agent, Rufus Williams.

The Yankees outfielder said his wife, DeLeon, “had a long-term relationship with a well known professional singer over 10 years ago.” Sheffield said he had known about the relationship, which occured before the couple married.

“I have not seen the alleged videotape, nor do I care to,” Sheffield said in the statement. “I love my wife and I vow again to stand by her through any trial or tribulation.”

Sheffield said he hoped “the FBI and the federal authorities will prosecute this man to the full extent of the law.”

Derrick Mosley, 38, a Chicago man who describes himself as a minister and has fashioned himself as a community activist, was charged Monday with operating a scheme to defraud for allegedly attempting to extort money from a professional athlete, who was not named.

Mosley was in custody Tuesday pending a Thursday bond hearing. His attorney, Luis Galvan, had no immediate comment after his arrest. A message left at his office after Sheffield’s statement was released was not immediately returned.

During a year in which Sheffield was implicated in the BALCO scandal, admitted to steroid use, complained of losing his chef to Barry Bonds, bragged of out-negotiating George Steinbrenner (before the contract was actually signed) and gave the Red Sox some choice bulletin board-fodder, it would take some doing to drag his family through the mud. That said, I can’t help but be curious about the identity of the “well-known professional singer.” Could it be one of the following :

1) R. Kelly
2) Scott Weiland
3) Placido Domingo
4) David Coverdale
5) Gary Wilson
6) David Yow (they did say “Chicago”, after all)

7) El Debarge

Feel free to submit your guesses.

Tough as it may be to walk in Gary Sheffield’s spikes, it might just as hard to be Jayson Werth.