MLB

DAVID CONE TO RETURN TO YANKEES IN YES BOOTH

David Cone has made peace with the Yankees and will return this year to broadcast about 50 games on YES, The Post has learned.

A key pitcher and leader on Joe Torre’s championship Yankees, Cone had annoyed George Steinbrenner by returning after a year away from baseball in 2002 for a brief and failed comeback with the Mets. After his retirement in 2003, Cone was given essentially an open invitation to join the Met broadcast booth, but opted against it for family reasons.

Now, though, with Joe Girardi having left the YES booth to become Yankee manager, Cone will take the place of his former catcher. Girardi and Cone had a strong relationship as teammates and Girardi caught Cone’s perfect game on July 18, 1999.

Besides joining a cast that includes Ken Singleton, Paul O’Neill, Bobby Murcer and John Flaherty in serving as an analyst for games, Cone is scheduled to serve as host for the weekly program Yankees on Deck. He is to replace David Justice, who recently took on a lesser role at YES.

Cone was 194-126 in his superb career, winning the AL Cy Young Award in 1994. In July 1995, he was traded from the Blue Jays to the Yankees. As a Yankee, he went 64-40 with a 3.91 ERA. The righty was not only a dependable, top-of-the-rotation stalwart, but willingly accepted the role of clubhouse spokesman during his years with the Yankees.

Cone began his major league career with the Royals, but was traded to the Mets on March 27, 1987. It was with the Mets that he established himself as one of the majors’ most dynamic pitchers, going 80-48 with a 3.08 ERA.