“A-Fraud" - When Yankees manager Joe Torre revealed the nickname Alex Rodriguez's teammates gave him in his memoir
In his tell-all book “The Yankee Years”, former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre alleged that Alex Rodriguez was called "A-Fraud" by his teammates. In the same year (2009), Torre blasted the slugger for his "single white female"-like fixation with Yankees legend Derek Jeter.
According to the New York Post, Torre claimed that A-Rod requested a personal assistant in the clubhouse and earned the nickname "A-Fraud" from teammates because he fawned over Jeter like many of the team captain's female admirers.
All these personal attacks by Torre were featured in "The Yankee Years," a memoir co-written with Sports Illustrated reporter Tom Verducci and published by Doubleday.
Torre, who became the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers following 2007, claimed he was misled by Yankee general manager Brian Cashman when he did not advocate for Torre with top brass during contract negotiations, according to the Post.
Alex Rodriguez spoke highly of Joe Torre
Despite their tension, which dates back to the 2006 season, A-Rod spoke highly of Torre and posted a tweet in 2021. About Torre, Rodriguez said:
"The great Joe Torre taught me that if you want big things to happen, you should start by thinking small."
Watch:
We’re always told to think big. “Dream big” “Find the next big thing.”
The great Joe Torre taught me that if you want big things to happen, you should start by thinking small. Executing the small things well can be the catalyst for much bigger things to happen. #MondayMotivation https://t.co/tDSffK5aeV
We’re always told to think big. “Dream big” “Find the next big thing.” The great Joe Torre taught me that if you want big things to happen, you should start by thinking small. Executing the small things well can be the catalyst for much bigger things to happen. #MondayMotivation- Alex Rodriguez
Torre now serves as a special assistant to the commissioner of baseball. He formerly served as Major League Baseball's chief baseball officer from 2011 until 2020. Torre, a former player, manager, and television color commentator, is the fifth-winningest manager in MLB history with 2,326 victories.
Torre is the only major leaguer to have both 2,000 hits as a player and 2,000 wins as a manager, with 2,342 hits during his playing career. He managed the Yankees from 1996 to 2007, winning six pennants and four World Series championships.
Rodriguez, now a businessman, played for 22 seasons in the MLB. A major part of his MLB career was spent with the Yankees. A-Rod is now the CEO of A-Rod Corp. and partly owns the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.
Rodriguez made news for his spat with team management about his recovery and for allegedly obtaining performance-enhancing drugs as part of the Biogenesis baseball controversy.
Alex Rodriguez was suspended for 211 games by MLB in August 2013 for his role in the affair. Following an arbitration hearing, the suspension was reduced to 162 games, keeping him out of the game for the entire 2014 season.