Summer is fast approaching and that usually means two things for any red –blooded American: cookouts and baseball. It’s time to get the outdoor furniture, fire up the grill, and watch America’s national pastime while you bask in the afternoon sun.

Being at a good cookout while watching baseball is the next best thing to actually being at the game. You get to experience the beautiful summer weather and a great game of baseball without the constant threat of being drilled with a foul ball while you try to check the score of some other game. Not to mention going to a cookout is a lot cheaper than going to a MLB game.

Players enjoy the afternoon sun just as much their fans. Why else would they have played baseball their entire lives? Nothing beats hanging out with some great friends and watching your favorite baseball team beat up on the Boston Red Sox on a Saturday afternoon. This begs the question “If you could go to a barbecue hosted by a player on the Yankees which one would you want to go to the most?” The Yankees have a star-laden team so there are plenty of great players to choose from.

· Nick Swisher – He seems like a pretty fun guy. He always has a pretty funny reaction when announced in the lineup while standing in right field. It’s always good to see an MLB player who doesn’t take himself too seriously. Plus, Nick Swisher could probably throw a great barbecue given his Midwestern roots and charming personality.

· Alex Rodriguez - Why party with A Rod? Mostly because he is really, really rich and it's always nice to party with the one-percenters. Though, his party style may be better suited for a Manhattan nightclub than a backyard barbecue. The only thing that could get annoying would be Cameron Diaz's endless PDA -- a lot like last year’s Super Bowl.

· Derek Jeter – Any true Yankee fan would love to spend some time with Derek Jeter. He is a first- ballot HOFer and one of the nicest and one of the most sincere guys in all of baseball. You would be ridiculous not to want to kick back with a few brews with Jeter and talk about the finer points of the game or what it is like to win a World Series. The fact that he is usually dating a severely attractive celebrity like Minka Kelly doesn’t hurt either.

· C.C. Sabathia – This would mostly be a great barbecue because there would definitely be a lot of food.

Sorry but, chances are that none of these players are going to be extending you an invitation to one of their barbecues this summer. They are too busy to even throw one in the first place. But, just in case you do get multiple invitations to one of their shindigs this summer. Here are the players you should consider attending first because of their sparkling personalities, experience, money, and hot girlfriends.