The casually insulting Torre drops acid again passing through town

Punctuated for all to see with a 'shrug'...Don't hurry back, wacko.

• From Bob Klapisch column, 1/29/09, NorthJersey.com on the Torre book:

"Each one of these depictions reveals a casual, insulting quality to Torre’s personality that seems almost incomprehensible."...

• Bill Madden, 7/8/09: "For months now, Torre has been insisting he didn't throw any of his former Yankee players or colleagues under the bus in "The Yankee Years," which continues to hold space on the best-seller list. Johnny Damon, for one, will take issue with that.

For in the book, Torre reveals Damon's private issues in the spring of 2007 in which the Yankee outfielder, devastated by the death of teammate Cory Lidle in the plane crash over Manhattan the previous fall, was having serious reservations about wanting to play anymore. Those reservations, although resolved in the spring, were compounded when Damon was playing hurt much of that season, the result of not having kept himself in the best of shape that winter.

• Nevertheless, on Page 395 of the book, Torre reveals a conversation with an unnamed Yankee player who complains to him about Damon's apparent lack of commitment while saying:

• "Let's get rid of him.The guys can't stand him."

You can understand if Damon didn't feel a little thrown under the bus by that. But this was Torre's story and he was still stickin' to it Tuesday night, while doing his level best to at least defuse it by bringing his co-author, Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci into the conversation.

• "Tom got
• stuff
• from Johnny and other players that I had nothing to do with," Torre said. "...

(How playful of Torre--he doesn't admit it or deny it). sm

• (Bill Madden, continuing): (Torre): "I don't think it's any surprise Johnny had torn emotions.

• I felt for him.

I don't think it's an issue. It was something he was struggling with and the

• (other) players were a little impatient."...

(Torre teases, now hinting at negative knowledge about Damon communicated to him by players). sm

• Bill Madden, continuing: "When asked if perhaps Damon might have good reason to feel betrayed by a passage in a best-selling book

portraying him as a player who was disliked by all his teammates

• that will be out there now for life,

• Torre shrugged."...

7/8/09, NY Daily News, "In New York to play the Mets, Dodgers' Manager Joe Torre Can't Turn Page"

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