Powered by this really creative use of Legos, here’s the news:

• The Joe Torre book publicity tour (such as it is) made a stop in midtown Manhattan Tuesday.  MLB.com covered it:

While the “A-Fraud” talk was among the more prominent issues that made waves, Torre rejected the idea that he had broken the time-honored code of the clubhouse — in short, what you see here stays here, a message that Torre himself sent to players during his 12 years.

“I don’t think I really volunteered anything in this book that at some time or other — sitting in the dugout, sitting in the clubhouse, talking to media — that they haven’t heard before,” Torre said.

In part to assure that, Torre said that he had “read and re-read” the final text, making changes along the way with his co-author, Verducci.

[My take: Well … the “they” in that 2nd paragraph excerpt refers to the media and players, not to the buying public.  If Torre HAD said some of those things in front of the media, why hadn’t the media passed it onto the public?  Some media person would have “leaked” something during the past 12 years, don’t you think?  How many of us (the general public) knew of “A-Fraud”, or Damon’s “burnout” or some of those juicy quotes BEFORE this book?  Count me on the side of “he broke the code of the clubhouse”.]

• Sam Borden (pinch-hitting for a vacationing PeteAbe) reports from the scene of the Manhattan book-signing.
• Here is the Times recap of it.
• Harvey Araton also reports on the event, and offers his opinion on Torre’s attitude toward the reaction to the book:

I don’t blame Torre for writing a book, for being proud of what he achieved in New York. The Yankees treated him shamefully at the end and were classless in excluding him from the Yankee Stadium finale. I just wish Torre would say he told it as he saw it and stop pretending that there is nothing in “The Yankee Years” more incendiary than a rundown of his starters for a four-game series in August.

He continued on Tuesday to characterize the “A-Fraud” reference to Alex Rodriguez as an inside joke, “tongue-in-cheek, in front of him.” Even if that were the case, now that Torre has revealed it publicly in a book receiving spectacular national attention, how humorous will it be for A-Rod when he is serenaded with the chant on the road next season and possibly at home for leaving the bases loaded with two out in the eighth?

• Newsday’s Wallace Matthews wants the Captain to defend A-Rod vis-a-vis “A-Fraud”:

Today would be a fine day for Jeter to make himself available’ to the media, just to let everyone – and one guy in particular – know he’s got A-Rod’s back.

For all of his celebrated blandness, Jeter has roused himself to come to the spirited defense of a couple of most unlikely – some would say unworthy – recipients, namely Roger Clemens and Jason Giambi. But when it comes to A-Rod, Jeter continually hangs him out to dry.

Well, it’s time to pull in that dirty laundry, burn it and be done with it.

• Apparently, Jeter heard Matthews, as he spoke to SI.com about the matter:

“I’m just curious as to why people keep asking the same questions over and over. We’ve been down this road before. Alex is a teammate. I support him. Our whole team is behind him. We all support him. And we’re looking forward to a new season. To be quite honest with you, it’s old hearing the same questions. It’s something that’s been addressed before in the past. Everyone’s moved beyond it. And it doesn’t really need to be addressed again.”

[My take: That doesn’t sound very BFF-ish … but I guess its politic enough.]

• The News reports that Jorge Posada is behind Torre 100%:

“It really isn’t explosive,” Posada said of the book. “We’ll have to sit down and read it, but what’s been said in the media, nothing’s been surprising to me. I think he’s just talking about his experiences with the winning teams and all that. He hasn’t really said anything we didn’t know.

“Joe’s done nothing wrong, in my eyes. He’s been a father figure to me, so I don’t think he can do any wrong.”

Posada agreed with the idea that Rodriguez is a magnet for attention because of A-Rod’s status in the game and his outsized contract. “You’re going to talk about the best player in baseball, you’re going to talk about the best player in basketball, in the NFL,” Posada said. “Alex is the best player in baseball, so you’re going to talk about him. A baseball season doesn’t go by without talking about Alex Rodriguez.”

[My take: Maybe Jeter wasn’t the only one who called Joe “Mr. Torre”?  Oh, and by the way … thanks Jorge … now I have George Michael’s “Father Figure” stuck in my head!]

Poll Time!

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• ESPN.com reports that Wang and Posada are progressing well in their recuperation from their respective injuries.
• On this date in 1915, the Bombers purchase Wally Pipp and Hugh High from the Detroit Tigers for a reported $5,000 each.
• On this date in 1957, manager Joe McCarthy is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. McCarthy, the winningest manager in major league history, won nine pennants and four consecutive World Championships with the Yankees.
• On this date in 1984, the Yankees obtain 3B Toby Harrah and a PTBNL from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for outfielder Otis Nixon, George Frazier and a PTBNL.

Finally, happy 43rd birthday to former “Catfish Stew” proprietor Ken Arneson.