This "Yankee" book should be a dandy

Forget those late-night "Judge Judy" and "Family Guy" fixes. My weeknights this week will be filled.

That's 'cause I'll be reading all 477 pages of the just-released book, "The Yankee Years," penned by former NY Yankees manager Joe Torre and Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci. If you're a sports fan like my buddy Pete or myself, this is a definite must-read. If you've read any of the excerpts that have been released or listened to any sports talk radio in the past two weeks, or just been a fan of the Yankees or baseball in general since 1996, you know this book seems momentous. I can't remember the last time I've been this excited about a book ... even if it isn't autographed. And apparently I'm not alone.

I checked on Amazon last week, and "The Yankee Years" was already atop their book sales. My copy (seen here) was the last one they had on the shelves this morning at 9:45, less than an hour after they opened, and 15 minutes before the rest of the mall opened.

Part of my particular interest in the book is that I covered numerous Yankees games -- everything from spring training and the regular season to the AL Division Series, AL Championship Series and even the '03 World Series -- during Joe's tenure in the Bronx. I've stood in front of Joe's desk after games; I've even walked down the same hallway he's walking down on the cover. While my experiences inside the Yankees' locker room were sparse, for sure, I'm dying to read about what went on behind closed doors, not to mention what it was like managing the Yanks to four world championships.

So with that build-up, I'll now begin to read from "The Yankee Years:"

1. Underdogs
Joe Torre was the fourth choice. ...

No, I'm not going to read the whole thing here; that's for me to enjoy in the comfort of these cold February nights, counting the days until spring training start. Fear not: Pitchers and catchers report in less than two weeks.

So for now, if you want to want to out what Joe thinks on his time with the Yankees, go buy the book ... if you can find a copy!