Tom Verducci is out as an analyst on YES's "Yankees Hot Stove.''
Why? His recent, scathing column on SI.com regarding Joe Torre's departure might have had something to do with it. Actually . . . it had pretty much everything to do with it.
YES spokesman Eric Handler said Verducci's "recent remarks pertaining to the Yankees' ownership were extremely personal and cutting, and we decided it would not be in our interests to have him on the show going forward.
"Also, Tom is collaborating with Joe Torre on a second book. It’s unfortunate, but we figured it was an action that had to be taken. We appreciate the work he’s done for us in the past.''
What does his book deal with Torre have to do with it?
"The recent disclosure of Tom's collaboration with Torre on yet another book highlights a conflict in his ability to write a balanced column about Torre's departure from the Yankees,'' Handler said.
Another Newsday baseball writer turned SI writer, Jon Heyman, was on the show when it debuted Thursday night.
Verducci, who appeared on the show for four seasons, said, "The people who put the show together are really first-class people, and I enjoyed working for them. The on-air product is very good.I'll miss working with them. As for management, it's their network and I fully respect their decision.''
This is another example of the tricky path traveled by regional sports networks owned by the teams they cover. When does honest, open debate veer off into forbidden territory?
Would Verducci be open to other local baseball analyst gigs, say at SNY?
"I’m not going to say no. I have some other media opportunities that have been presented to me and I’ll have to see how things play out. I enjoyed doing the TV work and if they have a forum that matched my interest I'd certainly listen to them.''
Comments (30)
YES is known for holding grudges...remember the Zimmer moratorium?
The best looking baseball writer around kicked off of YES? No more reason to watch Hot Stove, I guess...
So much for objectivity. I love Verducci's work and, yes, his Torre comments were cutting, but should that be the reason why he doesn't appear?
The Yankees are showing they only want people that will back up their opinions. Sounds like how MSG runs it's TV operation.
Verducci is real good, Heyman has had a great off season breaking stories around baseball he is a cant miss. Good job by YES!
Sorry boys, the truth hurts doesn't it? They acted like fools and Randy Levine and George's boys didn't have the nerve to just fire Torre like they should have if they wanted him out.
There is nothing in that article that was not true, the only classless things that were done or said were from the clowns in the front office.
It is a shame to see him go, but I'm glad someone had the guts on the network to finally stop praising the idiot moves these guys consistently make.
Tom Verducci can't be an analyst if he is slanting the facts and that is exactly what he did. He has deals with St. Joe and he slanted his broadcasts to do that. Just report the facts, not what you thought of it
Four year contract to a 36 year old catcher? I am thrilled. Damon, Abreu, Giambi, Posada, et al, I hope you are still Yankees at 40. This repeated stupidity of giving long-term contracts to down-side players is why the Yankees have been "also rans" since 2000. They don't get it. It all stems from the idiot boss putting his "win or else" ultimatum on the GM, every year. Now we learn the boss's kiddies are cut from the same mold. Yankee haters rejoice - it will take 10 A-Rods to save this team's bacon from mediocrity. 85 wins in 2008, that's all they get with this old salty dog crew.
I can hear Sterling and that emotion-based suck-up female whining, already. Wonder if Sterling will call Girardi "Joe," same as he called Torre "Joe." Hey, we're all one big, happy family here. LOL.
Geeez, if they got rid of him, how can they not get rid of Mike and the Mad Dog on YES considering what they said about the Yankees during the whole Torre deal?
great job by YES, it's about time they threw off these clowns that constantly bash the yanks; next up, needs to be chris russo. it's like owning a restaurant and having someone outside, telling people the food isn't good inside. GREAT JOB, HANK
Why should YES or any network/team put writers on the air that take cheap shots and are obviously biased against them?
There are millions of baseball writers that can do what he does.
Mike and the Mad dog announcement at 3PM. Maybe they've had enough of the YES 'big brother(s)' and are headed to SNY. Not that the Wilpons have had thick skin over FranDog in the past either.
Hey Robby Bonfire, you sit and watch the Yankees rebuild for a couple of years, ok? The Yankees drew how many fans this year? They owe it to them to put the best team out there this and every year no matter how much it costs. When Posada is 40, his contract will be a bargain, and if he isn't good anymore, they will get someone else.
Next priority should be for MSG to dump Mike Breen, he thinks he needs to tell us how bad things are going every 10 seconds
I don't need a count of how many times fans booed in the game recap
They act like Fix News. If you do not support the Prez you are a commie.
For YES If you do not support every move the Yanks do you are out.
I am sure that if it was around back then, They would insist the the Ed Whitson signing was the best move in Yankee History!
Where was Verducci's disclosure in that article that he has an on-going business relationship with Torre. He'll make money off of every book they sell. That's completely unethical.
Stick Check -
I have a hard time believing it was about what was said. That would be censorship.
No, Verducci had a financial gain to make his co-author look as good as possible and without disclosing the relationship in the piece. He was biased and with profits involved.
That's completely unethical.
Stick Check: Mike and the Mad Dog have a contract with YES. When the contract is up, they are gone. Take it to the bank.
Verducci has a conflict of interest because of his business relationship with Torre. He never should have been commenting on Torre. He also did get quite personal and unprofessional in his written remarks about Yankees executives and ownership. He deserved to get the ax.
I pray that somehow the Yanks get rid of Sterling. He is a terrible announcer and their is tension no matter who he is paired with. The guy is an egomaniac.
As much as I like Tom Verducci, he really should have disclosed his business relationship with Torre.
That was a very serious breach of ethics for a journalist, and Tom Verducci knows better then that.
You can be honest, and tell the truth, but you must let the reader know if you have a dog in the fight.
it's amazing how yankee fans view everything involved with their team, from owners, management, the players, hell probably even the grounds crew, as being flawless and above reproach...news flash to every yankee fan...verducci reported the TRUTH...it's obvious to everyone in america, other than a few yankee fans, that the owners didnt want joe torre back...i mean how many back to back one year deals was he supposed to accept? it is insult to expect a manager who has accomplished so much with their team to accept back to back lame duck one year deals!?!? while i'm no torre fan by any stretch, and i even think they made the right move by replacing him...it's the classless, transparent way they went about it that leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth ....kudos to verducci for not being just another yankee shill, of which that network is inundated with, and actually doing some reporting!
Pete,
With all due respect, He is one of my favorite writers, and he was totally honest, and di not say anything untrue.
The problem, was his breach of ethics, and his continued financial interest in Torre, and his obligations. This was a serious breach of journalistic ethics. Though, I do not totally blame him, his editor as S.I. should have either forced the disclosure, or done it himself.
S.I. actually took a worse hit here, in that they gave the appearance of impropierty, and allowed such a breach to take place, the NY Times even had a professor of ethics come down on this.
I would still have like to him in the booth here and there next year, he is a good writer, with alot of knowledge, and is honest, but his intergrity took a hit when he did not give full disclosure of his financial stake in an article that he was writing.
Sonny M., who are you really-Hal or Hank?
I'm the daugher, Jen, lol.
Seriously, I hope they bring him back, I think he knows he messed up, but S.I. should be getting hit more or penalized more for this then T.D.
What are you talking about Sonny? It was Tom's column and business dealings that lead me to think he's completely unethical. What does SI have to do with anything? That they made the mistake of trusting one of their senior writers? They surely have conflict of interest guidelines, but it's up to the individual writer to adhere to them. Instead he penned a hatchet job (where the issues were more complex then he described) while failing to disclose that he has a lot of money riding on whether Torre looks good. Shame on HIM.
Note to Rob Keegan: the Yankees could hardly fire Joe Torre since his contract was up. He declined their offer because it wasn't long enough although apparently in the spring he was willing to take a one-year extension at less money than the Yankees offered in October. If you want to argue they should have made the offer sooner, okay, but that didn't stop Torre from getting the Dodger job (and Torre didn't tell the Dodgers they should keep Grady Little).
You do have conflicts with the YES owning a team, writers like Verducci having relationships with managers (has Mike Francesa ever offered any criticism of Bill Parcells?) and newpapers such as the NY Times being part owner of the Red Sox. But with the internet you can get many differing viewpoints.
SI is no stranger to conflicts of interest. Didn't they say the Clint Eastwood-Hilary swank boxing movie was the best boxing film ever when they were part of the same company?
first l hate tom verducci he only defender italian player
garbage like tom verducci l dont want in sport mike francesa and cris russo from yes net only talking good to mike piazza mike mussina jason giambi paul lo duca joe torre only care then because they are italian 5 cat major league not even one good
tom verducci .mike francesa.chris russo.mike vaccaro those garbage .are racist italian only talking good abuot thenself those idiot . talking alot garbage to john sterlig and. suzyn waldman but never to they people killen at a-rod all the time if the yanks get rid of mike and the mad dog tha sound good .those garbage from the radio 660 the fan talking garbage about john sterlig because they want the job 660 get rid of idiot tha is better
tom verducci .mike francesa.chris russo.mike vaccaro those garbage .are racist italian only talking good abuot thenself those idiot . talking alot garbage to john sterlig and. suzyn waldman but never to they people killen at a-rod all the time if the yanks get rid of mike and the mad dog tha sound good .those garbage from the radio 660 the fan talking garbage about john sterlig because they want the job 660 get rid of idiot tha is better
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