Buckle up, Yankee fans. Prepare for insanity.
As a Boston native, I’m experienced in having baseless, unfounded claims spewed in my teams’ direction by jilted outsiders. And whether they are true or completely off the wall, the claims themselves attach to the public’s mind like a barnacle, helping form the collective opinion, and your warranted defense of your team will only be chalked up to you being a “blinded homer.”
It’s fucking frustrating.
But if this story is true, LOL.
So this dude named Paul Priore is a former clubhouse attendant for the New York Yankees who claims he was fired in 1997 because he was gay and HIV positive. The Yankees indicate the firing was prompted by Priore stealing players’ baseballs, T-shirts, and broken bats. The case was brought to court and dropped, prohibiting Priore from receiving an of the $50 million he was suing for.
Ten years later, Priore posted a Craigslist ad seeking a co-writer for his tell-all novel about his hellacious time serving as a New York Yankee’s clubhouse attendant, where he was allegedly abused and mocked. He also claimed to witness some scandalous episodes between players and ownership.
Well, its been eight years and Priore and ghost writer Gary Toushek have released the 515-page, self-published, tell-all book entitled Abused By The New York Yankees.
Deadspin put together a list of bullet points detailing the outrageous claims within the book, and the meatiest ones are as follows:
- Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada engaged in sexual relations in the clubhouse sauna at the end of their first season with the team. Jeter and Posada then allowed Priore to perform oral sex on them in order to keep him quiet.
- George Steinbrenner spied on players using secret security cameras in the clubhouse, and was actively involved in the Iran-Contra Affair.
- Outfielder Gerald Williams had sex with an underage concession stand worker in a storage closet.
- Cecil Fielder played drunk on vodka, and Darryl Strawberry drank whisky during games.
- Bob Wickman, Jeff Nelson and Mariano Rivera tried to sexually assault him with a baseball bat.
- Batboys created a market of forged autographs on Yankees memorabilia.
The books website also bullet points a few more juicy allegations:
- Batboys aged 14 & 15 were routinely sent to the off-track betting office to place bets on horse races for team manager Joe Torre & coach Don Zimmer.
- A batboy linked to a bookie regularly placed wagers on sports events for players and employees during game days in the clubhouse, using a phone connected to the stadium switchboard.
- Some players injected themselves with steroids in clubhouse toilet stalls. A few players provided urine samples for players being tested for steroids.
- Some players, married or not, engaged in sexual activities with female stadium employees, security guards and groupies on the stadium premises.
- Steinbrenner condoned his players smoking pot and drinking on charter flights on road trips, whatever made them happy; some players drank in the clubhouse before, during and after games.
Shots fired. So many shots fired.
This can easily be chalked up to a jilted former employee airing out his grievances with a team who had casted him out. Or, it could be true.
The books ghost-writer Gary Toushek sure seems to think so.
[h/t Deadspin]