With all the reports circulating this morning about the book, Tom Verducci sat down with someone at SI.com for an interview. Here's some of what he had to say:
SI.com: 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. What can you tell us about these reports?Verducci also said that Torre will not be surprised by anything in the book, and that he doesn't feel like the book will be a distraction for Torre, saying "It's not a tell-all book it's a very insightful book into baseball."
Verducci: 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.
Anybody who knows Joe, especially during his time in New York, knows he's a very honest man and he is very honest in the pages of this book. People also know Joe Torre doesn't go around ripping people and he doesn't do that in the pages of this book. There is a lot of information in this book over a tremendous period of baseball history. It's been reported out by me as well as informed by Torre's own insights into that period.
SI.com: Are the reports of what is said in the book accurate?
Verducci: I can't comment on specific content of the book because it hasn't reached its publication date yet and there are contracts to honor. But like I said, it's important to understand the context of the book. The interviews with Torre were done specifically for the book but this is the result of hundreds of interviews with not only Torre but players, front office executives, executives of other teams, players on other teams. It's a 477-page book about 12 years of baseball history. Again, it's not a Joe Torre first-person book, so there's a lot of reporting that's presented in there in addition to Joe's insights.
Smart people will judge the book upon actually reading it and not reading preliminary reports prior to its publication. Once you understand the context of the book you understand the information. It's not a tell-all book. Anybody who reads it will understand that.He's honest and he takes things head on. He never goes after people in the way it's portrayed in the headlines. There's a lot of information in the book.
This is why I've been saying all day that people need to relax and read the book before passing judgment.
17 Comments:
Excuses Excuses Torre signed up to do this book Verducci is covering for him to protect his St. Joe image. Hal Steinbrenner should ban Joe Torre from entering Yankee stadium and give out his number 6 to the bat boy.
Anon, oh so you've read the advance copy of the book? Can you give us insight into the entire context those excerpts fit into? Seriously you're really going to base your opinion on an article from the NY Post, such a monument to honest and truthful reporting, and known for fact checking and publishing accurate stories?
i hear what you say about reading it before passing judgment but if any of the shit talking is true and Torre endorses it and reaps the benefits, then he should be held accountable. lets just play the waiting game to see who gets to say "I TOLD YOU SO!"
M-Rod,
How is anything mentioned today considered "shit talk"?
If he said A-Rod was A-Fraud that's one thing, but he said other players called him A-Fraud. Aren't the people talking shit in that situation the other players?
As far as the Cashman thing goes, isn't Torre entitled to feel the way he wants about that situation? I would be pissed if someone acted like they were on my side until it really came time for that person to stand by me.
i'm saying that nobody really knows who said what until the book is out. maybe i'm right, maybe i'm wrong. i said "if it is true" implying that it may just be hyped up to sell more books. and that also means that if it is true and he endorses it than he should be held accountable regardless of whether he said it or not because he is cashing in on derogatory comments about the players and the team that he "loved". jesus christ this is like a bad break-up.
ok if this is true ill relax alittle but seriously i will never back down to people who attack my team. So if verducci bad mouths the yanks then he will not be receiving respect or anything else from me, to say the least
As far as the Cashman thing goes, isn't Torre entitled to feel the way he wants about that situation? I would be pissed if someone acted like they were on my side until it really came time for that person to stand by me.
Give me a break.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3859198
Skip to :49 seconds.
Joe Torre just continues to look like a huge ungrateful pussy.
Torre was so overrated anyway. 20 years of horrible managing then all of a sudden 4 championships with GREAT Yankee teams, and he gets all the credit. Buck set it up pretty nicely for him. I hope to god they never retire his number.
Why is it so hard for people to wait until they actually read the book before coming to some conclusion?
Anonymous,
Should I assume you were in the meeting with Torre, Cashman, and the rest of the Yankees brass? Because you seem to be acting as if you know what went down in that meeting.
I'm with you Greg, I don't understand why so many people are overacted to excerpts pieced together in a NY Post article, where this whole storm originated. Haven't people figured out yet not to trust what that paper prints? I'm eagerly waiting to read it and see this in the larger context.
All the people hating on Joe Torre are just the '96ers. These people weren't fans before Torre and Jeter came along, so they think any manager could have done the job. To all 96ers: please leave, you don't know shit.
hey anonymous you are probably the same jackass that sits in the right field bleachers that had 26 time world champions tatooed on your arm. hope you have the money for laser removal when the yankees win in '09.
-a '96er that has been a yankees fan since '78. go fuck yourself and go suck torre's dick some more
Hey guys,
I truly appreciate all the comments. But when you guys argue back and forth can you at least initial the post so I know who's yelling at who?
If not, that's still fine, keep on commenting, as I said, I really appreciate it. But it would makes things easier.
Um, question: Why is Joe Torre's name getting TOP BILLING?
Hey Jonah, welcome to the blog.
The book has been a big story for the last two days, that's why.
What's wrong with that?
Jonah,
Ah, you meant top-billing on the book. Yes it's his book, and it's about him. But there is commentary and quotes from many different sources within the book.
Either way, none of this matters until we actually read the book. All I've been saying is don't rush to judgment on something you haven't read yet.
Post a Comment