While we wait for the first crack of the bat in the 2009 baseball season, the New York media is making sure they have plenty of information to bring with them down to Tampa once Spring Training begins.

The latest story comes out the New York Daily News following the release of details from Joe Torre’s new book.  Torre claims ignorance in the book when it comes to player’s on his squad taking performance-enhancing drugs.  Which is not surprising, he doesn’t want to do anything to tarnish his legacy as the Yankee skipper that won 4 World series in 5 years.

However,  there is one former player who isn’t playing the denial game.  That would be the Hired Gun himself; David Cone. 

Cone is one that has never been shy of the media or anyone that has a question.  He became the Yankees spokesperson during their incredible run. Win or lose, he was the guy that invited the media to his locker to discuss anything and everything.  While everyone thought of Derek Jeter as the leader, the players looked up to and respected Cone more than anyone.  He took the heat for the team to go along with his outstanding performances on the mound.

In true David Cone fashion, he  wasn’t afraid to respond to questions regarding steroid use in the Yankees locker room and notorious trainer Brian McNamee:

“They were on his program, guys like Roger, Andy and maybe (Mike) Stanton,” the book quotes Cone as saying. He says he thought McNamee “had some GNC stuff he was putting in shakes, maybe creatine or Andro or whatever you can get over the counter.”

Cone and other players even would even joke in clubhouse, saying things like;

“He’s on Mac’s program,” was the joke, or “He’s on The Program.”

These comments were made in reference to player’s that had show significant physical appearance changes when McNamee was brought in as a trainer.  What needs to be taken into account that this was at the end of the Yankees’ World Series dominance.

At first glance, it seems somewhat surprising that a former player would come out and speak against his old teammates, but it really shouldn’t surprise people after they realize it was David Cone.  Cone was one of the most respected players of his generation on and off the field.  It is refreshing to hear big name players from the steroid era not just claim ignorance to what was happening around him, like many have. Again, Cone was never really one of the many.

Now the flip-side of this will be the response from the Yankees.  They (like most teams) don’t  like it when people from within the organization speak badly about it, even when it is true or even old news.  Cone is an analyst on the YES network, so we should keep our eye on whether or not he covers many games, or any at all.

In ‘The Yankee Years,’ David Cone spills juice on Joe Torre’s clubhouse (NYDN)

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