Torre rips Yankees in new book

Former N.Y. manager takes jabs at A-Rod, Cashman

New York — Joe Torre takes some harsh swings at Alex Rodriguez, Brian Cashman and the New York Yankees in a book due out early next month, according to New York newspaper reports.

“The Yankee Years” reveals that Rodriguez was called “A-Fraud” by his teammates, and the star slugger developed an obsession with shortstop Derek Jeter, the New York Post and the Daily News reported Sunday.

Torre, who managed the Yankees from 1996-2007 before taking over the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, also says he was betrayed by Cashman, New York’s longtime general manager, the Daily News reported on its Web site.

Torre had a hot-and-cold relationship with Yankees ownership, including George Steinbrenner, but Cashman was thought to be a consistent ally. The GM did not immediately return a phone message from the Associated Press.

The book, co-authored by Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci, is due out Feb. 3 and is being published by Doubleday. It is not a first-person account but instead a third-person narrative by Verducci based on dozens of interviews with Yankees players and employees, ESPN.com reported.