From
Wallace Matthews:
The Yankees are considering including a "non-disparagement clause" in future player and managerial contracts in order to prevent any more tell-all books such as "The Yankee Years," co-written by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a Yankee official said yesterday that some members of the front office staff already are required to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to protect "proprietary knowledge of our business model." The proposed clause is intended to ensure that future books about the Yankees are "positive in tone," and "do not breach the sanctity of our clubhouse."
Confidentiality agreements, some with meticulously spelled out rules and stipulated monetary penalties for their violation, are standard equipment in most contracts between celebrities and their hired staffs, as well as between corporations and their CEOs. ...
"Up to now, we have always operated our employer-employee relationships on a basis of trust," the official said. "But we never expected what we got from Joe. We may have to get a little tougher on this issue."
While I understand where the Yankees are coming from I'm not a big fan of this idea. Not that it hurts the Yankees in any way, it would probably help - they'd avoid any embarrassing future book. But I'm all for people speaking (or writing) what's on their mind, even if they don't always have the nicest things to say.
5 Comments:
I think the point of such an agreement would be simply to make the players feel more comfortable speaking their minds with the manager. The last thing we need is players being afraid to talk to Girardi and future managers because they don't want things to get out. It could also potentially hurt the Yankees position when it comes to trades and free agents if NY gets a repuatation as a place that lets this kind of thing slide.
Speaking your mind is one thing - speaking about things that take place in the clubhouse, and especially conversations that take place with the manager, are a completely different thing.
I think this has more to do with the Yankees trying to protect themselves from future criticism.
I agree Greg, this is a slippery slope.
Torre's legacy is gone if they are taking it this far. Give that number 6 to someone else.
Alot of other teams have that confidentail agreement I surprised the yanks didn't. The Mets have it thats why Willie Randolph cant say anything about the mets organization or they will not pay his contract.
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