Yankees fans will need more than a T-shirt to taunt the Red Sox.

A day before Boston and New York started the American League Championship Series, Major League Baseball recalled a T-shirt it had sanctioned because it rubbed Red Sox fans the wrong way.

The message on the shirt that drew the negative reaction read: "Hey Red Sox ... Who's your daddy?"

The shirt bears both a Yankees logo and a picture of a red pacifier with the letter "B" on it -- a reference to remarks Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez made after a recent loss to Boston's longtime rivals.

"Call the Yankees my daddy. I can't find a way to beat them at this point," Martinez said.

MLB began offering the shirt for wholesale distribution to licensed retailers over the weekend and promoted it on a Web site, spokesman Carmine Tiso said.

Yesterday, the few thousand shirts that were made were recalled from retailers, and the shirt was removed from the Web site.

"We did hear some feedback from the Boston fans, who didn't necessarily feel they were comfortable with the T-shirt and the message on it," Tiso said. "Some fans felt it went a little too far, and obviously in this instance we're listening to our fans."

Although most MLB-sanctioned apparel promotes individual teams without denouncing their rivals, there have been some items that touched on baseball's biggest rivalries.

Red Sox

First baseman Kevin Millar turned serious for a moment when asked whether the Yankees and Red Sox might shake hands after the series, just as the Cardinals and Dodgers did Sunday night.

Not in this rivalry.

"No, we won't shake hands. I don't think that's what it's about," Millar said.

ALCS

The Yankees-Red Sox series starts tonight at Yankee Stadium.

The start time of Game 5 of the was moved to 8:05 p.m. from 4:35 p.m by the commisioner's office.

Game 4 of the NLCS will be moved to the earlier time slot.

Elsewhere

Umpires Tim Welke and Randy Marsh were picked as crew chiefs for the league championship series and will start out Game 1 behind the plate.

Marsh will handle the Amercian League Chamionship Series, beginning tonight when the Boston Red Sox visit the New York Yankees. Marsh is a 23-year veteran and will be working his sixth LCS.

Also on the AL crew are Jeff Nelson, John Hirschbeck, Jim Joyce, Jeff Kellogg and Joe West.

Welke, in his 21st year, will work his fifth LCS. He'll be at Busch Stadium tomorrow night when St. Louis hosts the Houston-Atlanta winner.

Eric Cooper, Gary Darling, Mike Winters, Angel Hernandez and Ed Rapuano also will be on the National League crew.