Jan 26, 2009 10:15 AM EST

Insiders close to Alex Rodriguez have blasted former manager Joe Torre for comments made in his upcoming book about the third baseman.

Torre characterized Rodriguez as a prima donna in the book, something his team says is "unequivocally not true" and "one final act of desperation."

"None of it's true, and it's obviously a ploy to sell books," said one insider about allegations in "The Yankee Years," which were first reported in Sunday's New York Post.

Via New York Post