With the release of Joe Torre’s sort-of-controversial “tell-all” just days away, the Yankees are considering adding a “non-disparagement clause” into all future player and managerial contracts to keep anyone else from bad-mouthing the organization. According to Newsday’s Wallace Matthews, the clause is meant to guarantee that all future books about the Yankees are “positive in tone.” Because, of course, once these contracts are in effect, no one will ever say anything bad about the Yankees ever again.
Confidentiality agreements aren’t exactly new, of course; Matthews notes that besides the hired staffs of celebrities, Willie Randolph likely has one that’s preventing him from commenting on his awkwardly handled firing last year. In fact, what’s surprising isn’t the clause itself, but the fact that they didn’t think of it sooner. (After all, books like this tend to come along every generation or so.) At least current contracts won’t be affected, meaning A-Rod, who has spent the last week (and really, the last five years) reading about how no one likes him, can get sweet revenge in his own book someday.
