Now that Joe Torre is far from the Bronx Zoo he has decided to write a tell all book about his time under George Steinbrenner as he guided the New York Yankees to 4 World Series championships. Torre, currently the skipper for the Los Angeles Dodgers, writes in “The Yankee Years" that when Alex Rodriguez joined the team via free agency the whole atmosphere in the clubhouse changed. The book, co-written with Tom Verducci, reads:

“Whether hitting 450-foot home runs or sunbathing shirtless in Central Park or squiring strippers, Rodriguez was like nothing ever seen before on the championship teams of the Torre Era: an ambitious superstar impressed and motivated by stature and status, particularly when those qualities pertained to himself”

The interesting comment about Madonna's boytoy aside, the book also talks in unfavorable terms about Yankees GM Brian Cashman. Torre is still bitter, rightfully so in my opinion, that the Bronx Bombers didn't offer Torre a multi-year deal after the team was knocked out of the playoffs by the Indians after the 2007 season.

"The Yankee Years" hits stores on February 3rd just as teams are heading back to spring training. I would assume that this will be essential reading for baseball fans from coast to coast based on what Torre accomplished with baseballs most historic franchise and the juicy content that is contained in its pages.