New York ? Don Zimmer lashed out at New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for saying it was up to Joe Torre to fix the struggling team.

“I got fed up reading all the things about our manager who has won four World Series in seven years,” Zimmer said Wednesday. “That’s a joke. Then again, he’s the Boss.”

Steinbrenner told newspapers earlier this week that he had given Torre everything he had asked for, so it was the manager’s responsibility to make sure the team started playing better.

“All of a sudden we’re losing, and it’s suddenly Joe’s team? That’s very unfair,” Zimmer said. “I respect him. He’s still the Boss. But that doesn’t mean I can’t say something.”

Steinbrenner didn’t comment as he arrived at Yankee Stadium just before Wednesday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox.

Torre declined to get involved in the controversy, which has percolated this week as Steinbrenner criticized the team for its recent poor play.

“He’s the Boss,” Torre said. “He’s within his rights to do whatever he wants. It’s his ballclub. It’s up to him to make the ground rules. We all live by them.”

Steinbrenner singled out Hideki Matsui, Jason Giambi, Jeff Weaver and hitting coach Rick Down this week.

The Yankees had lost five straight games and 12 of 15 before beating Boston Tuesday. New York had also lost eight straight home games.