Yankees considering “non-disparagement clause” for future players, management

This is just retarded. You’re not allowed to talk about your past employer? What friggin’ country is this? It’s not like they have nuclear secrets they’re protecting. Come on, Yankees, get off your high horse and don’t be so full of yourself. You’re not that important to the survival of the world.

There’s a big difference between confidentiality regarding trade secrets and proprietary information on the one hand and a simple “don’t say bad things about us after you’re gone” requirement on the other. The former is necessary to keep a going concern going. The latter is simple P.R. control and the stifling of free expression. Which, because the Yankees aren’t the government is legal of course, but which is a dumb move all the same. – From Hardball Times

Derek Jeter would have been the envy of any man, not just Alex Rodriguez, as many of his friends in fame rolled into the Saddlebrook Resort on Wednesday night for the kickoff party to his sixth annual celebrity golf classic to support his highly regarded Turn 2 Foundation. – From NY Times

In the wake of the information in Joe Torre’s yet-to-be-released book, the Yankees are considering a “non-disparagement” clause in future player and managerial contracts to prevent similar situations in the future. The clause would ensure that future books are “positive in tone” and “do not breach the sanctity of our clubhouse,” an unnamed Yankees official told Newsday in its Thursday editions. – From MLB.com

Torre taking flak for book on Yankee years

What comes around goes around.

Joe Torre is under fire for his new book, detailing his years as the Yankees manager. His revelations that Alex Rodriguez was called ‘A-Fraud’ and details on his strained relations with Yankee GM Brian Cashman are causing people to fire back at Torre, accusing him of being a hypocrite who’s using the book to settle scores, make money and promote his own agenda – not necessarily in that order. But in doing so, his legacy in NY – four World Series wins – becomes obscured by his own pettiness.

In 2003, David Wells wrote a book about life on the Yankees. Torre was reportedly furious that Wells would air the Yankees dirty laundry, and the team ended up fining him $100,000. Yet now Torre is doing the same thing – throwing his former team members under the bus.

Torre is trying to backtrack on some of the statements from the book, saying they are from writer Tom Verducci, but it’s got his name on it, he approved what was written.

Ironically, his book, which he no doubt meant to settle some scores and promote his own legacy, will only diminish his stature amongst baseball people.

Here’s some reaction on the book from around the web:

Some of the Yankees who found themselves on the receiving end of Joe Torre’s seething scowl called it “The Stare” — his face tight, his mouth frozen into a horizontal line, his dark eyes seemingly blackened by a slight inward tilt of his eyebrows. The Stare was reserved for capital offenses, for missing signs, for awful decisions. Reporters sometimes got The Stare as well, most often when they asked questions Torre deemed to be driven by a quest for sensationalism, and the manager would chastise them bluntly, the way a fourth-grade teacher speaks to a wayward pupil. When I covered the team for The New York Times, he expressed particular distaste for ESPN, especially after Roger Clemens’ beaning of Mike Piazza and the subsequent bat-throwing incident, because he felt the network replayed the ugliness over and over only to sell its programming. In an honest moment today, Torre would aim The Scowl again — into a mirror. Because this time, Torre is guilty of fostering and feeding on sensationalism, at the expense of former colleagues. – From ESPN

It turns out that Alex Rodriguez wasn’t the only player Joe Torre slammed in his book, “The Yankee Years.” It is clear, the Daily News found after obtaining a copy of the book, that the ex-Yankee manager didn’t hold back in his criticism of certain players on the teams that stopped winning championships for him after the 2000 season. Neither was he shy about detailing disagreements and personality conflicts with the front office, primarily GM Brian Cashman and team president Randy Levine. – From NY Daily News

As hype and controversy continues to build around Joe Torre’s book “The Yankee Years,” it would seem everyone around the team has something to say. Today, former New York Yankees players and Joe Torre himself are delivering their opinions. Torre spoke directly to the New York Times and said the story of him feeling “betrayed” by Yankees GM Brian Cashman was not part of his book. – From NJ.com