Say It Ain't So Joe: Torre Book Fallout

Brian Cashman would like an explanation, and Alex Rodriguez has yet to comment on a book that is set to release February 3, 2009.

Two New York newspapers are reporting that Joe Torre rips Alex Rodriguez and George Steinbrenner in the book, and that Brian Cashman was not as supportive of Torre returning as Yankees manager after the 2007 season as was previously believed.

Senior SI writer and co-author Tom Verducci has came out and said, "I think it's important to understand context here. The book is not a first-person book by Joe Torre, it's a third-person narrative based on 12 years of knowing the Yankees and it's about the changes in the game in that period. Seems to me the New York Post assigned this third-person book entirely to Joe Torre and that's not the case. In fact, if people saw that Post story they probably noticed there are no quotes from Joe Torre in it. Joe Torre does not rip anybody in the book. The book really needs to be read in context."

I am still interested in reading this book to find out stuff I may have not known about during Torre's tenure as manager of the Yankees.

Its pretty obvious to me right now that the media is making a big story about this book and Random House, Inc. could be involved in that.

With the economy the way it is, you got to drive sales any way possible, and if after reading this book, which I will, I would have been sucked right in to buying it, just like everyone else.

It's no secret that the way Joe Torre left the Yankees before last season began was a very sour way to end an amazing run, so there could be some negative things in the book.

However, if Joe Torre is being honest in the book and doesn't take shots toward Cashman, Steinbrenner, and Rodriguez, then most of these reports are probably fluffed up a bit.

Regardless of the matter, I am now excited to go out and read this book. I respect Joe Torre and everything he has done for my favorite team, so it would be an injustice of me to not go out and get this. I just hope that it is an honest book and isn't about selling out.

Joba Chamberlain was asked about the book recently and he said, "As a player, you just go on about your business and prepare for the next day, no one has really read it yet, so its tough to comment on it."  I think that's going to be the case until someone comes out and says something after reading it."

As far as Alex Rodriguez goes, reports are that the criticism contained within the book describes Rodriguez as a needy, insecure superstar mocked by his own teammates.

If this is indeed true, bashing A-Rod now would make Torre look bad, not Rodriguez.  It is Torre's job to keep the clubhouse together and it would be a job failed if this wasn't the case.

It makes me wonder how many championships could of been won if it was locker room issues and mental things that kept the Yankees from winning between 2001 and 2007, under Torre's watch.

Today, Joe Torre is the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, he just isn't retired and sitting at home making a book. 

What will the backlash be to his players in Los Angeles?

If they re-sign Manny Ramirez, you think he would trust Joe Torre at all?  I doubt it.  Then again, he probably doesn't trust anyone.

What if a youngster like Clayton Kershaw wants to confide in Torre and look up to him, do you think a book like this would put a brick wall in front of things like that happening?

Torre is taking some big risks with this book, especially while he is still an active manager.  We'll all find out soon how big of a risk that was.