Wells Lowers Boom(er) on Torre
Hefty Lefty Fires Back at Joe




By: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
January 30, 2009


You knew it wouldn't take long, and who better to start the fireworks from the other side than Ex-Yankees pitcher David "Boomer' Wells?

Responding to quotes from Joe Torre's new tell all book "The Yankee Years" Wells fired back at Torre. Wells was interviewed on the "Mason and Ireland Show" for ESPN 710 Radio in Los Angeles, as well as the "Michael Kay Show" for ESPN 1050 Radio in New York.

Wells referred to Torre as a "punk" for revealing things that go on inside the clubhouse. He told Michael Kay that he would 'knock out' Torre the next time he saw him in person, and later laughed saying he would just laugh at Torre.

"What we do as athletes, that's our problem and our business. And a lot of guys have come out and destroyed that," Wells said on the L.A. show. "That's why they don't have any friends. … People just don't do it, and that's what Joe did.

"When you break the code, you're a punk. If he broke the code, he's a punk, absolutely."

In Torre's book co-author Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated cites Torre as saying, "The difference between Kevin Brown and David Wells is that both make your life miserable, but David Wells meant to." Wells shot back on the New York station, "I didn't try to make Joe's life miserable, I was there trying to win. Win and have a good time. "I just think it's stupid. He's just talking out of his you-know-what.

"I think the more and more that comes out, he's just going to make himself look bad and what he's doing is really (insert expletive) some New Yorkers off. … Maybe when he goes into Shea Stadium, all the Yankee fans might want to go over there and rile it up for him a little bit."

It's no secret that Torre and Wells don't like each other. Wells alluded to the point that Torre had his favorite players. He cited Paul O'Neill, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and even Roger Clemens.

Wells maintains he has no animosity towards the New York Yankees, just Joe Torre. "New York was the best four years of my career, period … as far as playing and having a great time. But I've always said from Day One, if you weren't Joe's boy, he could care less about you," Wells said on Kay's show. "Don't get me wrong, he's not a bad manager. I just thought he's a bad individual, because of the fact that he didn't treat everybody the same."

On XM Radio's "MLB Home Plate" this morning Wells reiterated his love for the New York Yankees. He told Chris "Mad Dog" Russo there was no better organization to work for and he hoped he'd always be involved with the Yankees until the day he died. He talked about his trade from the Yankees in 1999 to the Toronto Blue Jays for Roger Clemens. He told Russo, "I was (expletive) off, but I wasn't bitter." He said he understood it was a business, but he always felt Joe Torre was the force behind the trade.

Wells also mentioned Torre's record as a manager prior to coming to New York. "He wasn't very good," Wells said. He told Russo that anyone could've done what Torre did between 1996 and 2000 with the players he had on the roster.

Wells stated there were other players who didn't like Torre, but wouldn't name names. He said it was up to them to come out and give their opinions about Torre.

It will be interesting to see what other fallout shakes loose in the coming days and weeks. Another organization expected to be affected by all the controversy is the Los Angeles Dodgers. They can't be very happy with the prospect of their manager answering more questions about what's in his book rather than how the Dodgers are going to perform in 2009.

Pitchers and catchers officially report two weeks from today, but Torre’s book hits the bookstores on Tuesday. Get ready to ru....... Well, you get the idea.



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