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NEW YORK - Yankees coach Don Zimmer directed a blistering verbal assault at team owner George Steinbrenner after New York's victory over Boston Thursday night.

Steinbrenner's behind-the-scenes condemnation of manager Joe Torre's coaches has had an unsettling effect on the staff. It came to a head in midseason, when the coaches were told that a front-office aide sent to the clubhouse was ordered by Steinbrenner "not to go in the coaches room. I don't want you talking to those (expletives)!"

It grated on Zimmer for the rest of the season.

"I'm absolutely thrilled with this win," Zimmer said after the game. "It couldn't be no better than anything in my baseball life.

"... But this is one (expletive) they don't have to worry about being fired. He don't have to worry about that, 'cause I won't be back. I'm a human being, and I ain't been treated like one in 11 months!"

When told of the outburst, Torre clearly was taken aback.

"I'll talk to him in the morning," Torre said. "I know Zim's been upset for a long time. ... It's been a tough year for all of us."

NEWS SLIP: The New York Post mistakenly ran an editorial in some of Friday's papers congratulating the Red Sox for advancing to the World Series. The Post prepared two editorials, one congratulating each team, managing editor Col Allan said. The wrong one reached about 200,000 of the Post's 650,000 readers.