Torre's yet-to-be-released book already a source of controversy

But it sounds like much ado about nothing. There were stories in this morning's New York Daily News and New York Post indicating that the book, called The Yankee Years, which is due to be released on Feb. 3, is a tell-all book in which Joe Torre cuts loose on the Yankees organization, including general manager Brian Cashman and third baseman Alex Rodriguez. But the book was actually written by Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated (based on several interviews with Torre). In an interview with SI.com, Verducci says the book is NOT a Torre rip job on the Yankees. To its credit, the N.Y. Post already has posted excerpts from that interview, including the following quote from Verducci that seems to exonerate Torre:

"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."

One thing you can be sure of: sales of the book certainly won't be hurt by the stories that came out today -- whether those stories are accurate or not.