Did Joe Torre break the code of what happens in the clubhouse should stay int he clubhouse? Jim Bouton doesn’t think there is any clubhouse sanctity anyway. When you become a professional baseball player..you are open to criticism and you will be written about. Bouton believes that most of the things being said in the book is stuff fans already know. He was also laughing at the diea that a player would actually feel violated by the book. Can anybody tell me what we learned from the book? If you think about it..most of this stuff we already knew. Wells and Torre clashed, Brown and Pavano were bums, Steinbrenner was crazy and Cashman and Torre had different views on some topics.
Joe Torre seemed like the same classy guy on Larry King that he was when he was the Yankees manager. The book doesn’t change my opinion of him. Feel free to bash away though…
And to anyone offended that unflattering accounts of his behavior landed in a book, Bouton offered simple advice: “Books are going to be written. Therefore, don’t act like a jerk.”
“It is almost 40 years later,” he said. “Why in the world anyone is still talking about the sanctity of the clubhouse is beyond me. Baseball and the Yankees should feel lucky that this book is generating so much attention in January… there is no job hitting a ball with a stick unless a lot of people are convinced it’s important.”
“These guys have voluntarily gone into a business where people know that everything that they do or say is subject to being written about. They act as if they’re surprised when somebody tells what they do. Roger Maris always wanted to be a private person. Well, get into the shoe business if that’s what you want.”
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Citi Field, the David Wells/Kevin Brown debate and some old quotes
Damon weighs in on Torre’s book / Banks facing blowback over NY stadium deals
Mariano Rivera – The best ever and not even debatable
Yanks considered Matsui for Washburn








Torre didn’t break any rules per say, but I’m willing to bet this wasn’t much appreciated by any of the players who played for him. The current dodgers will probably think twice before revealing anything to Joe now that he’s proven he has no qualms against sharing what most players feel should be confidential in house information. I still love Joe but this book did nothing but hurt him in my mind. Did he really need the few million he’s going to get paid? Probably not. If I were a ball player I would have a hard time trusting him after this which saddens me because I always though of Joe of a stand up, classy guy. For the most part I still do, but his reputation and credibility as a “classy guy” took a hit for sure.
He definitely took a hit, but I think people who liked him before…should still be a fan. Most of the haters out there haven’t even read the book yet…
Kevin