Results tagged ‘ Brian Cashman ’
Yankees change the Joba Rules
The Yankees have made a significant alteration to the rules concerning right-hander Joba Chamberlain, as a result of his troublesome recent stretch.
Chamberlain will now pitch every fifth day in the rotation for the rest of the season but the Yankees will be cutting short his starts on a predetermined basis in the very near future, leaving him unable to qualify for victories in some cases — think four innings — and keeping him under his innings limit (believed to be 160). Having bullpen reinforcements beginning Sept. 1 will help this.
Then, as September comes to a close, his innings will be bumped back up so he will be capable to throw 100 pitches. Chamberlain said that he is happy about the move, which Joe Girardi had been talking about with Dave Eiland and Brian Cashman this week. Chamberlain was told about it this afternoon at the Stadium.
“It’s going to be something that’s good for all of us,” Chamberlain said.
More later…
Yankees create snag for Red Sox
Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein are quite cordial, actually, even meeting to talk baseball during the Hot Stove league at public appearances over the years. But that didn’t stop a little front office gamesmanship from reportedly taking place this week.
According to ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney, the Yankees put in a claim on Triple-A outfielder-first baseman Chris Carter, who had been placed on waivers by the Red Sox with the intention of trading him to the Mets in the Billy Wagner trade.
With the Yankees’ claim, the Red Sox had to pull Carter off waivers and now must carry them on their 40-man roster for the rest of the season. The Wagner deal obviously was completed regardless, but it is always interesting to read about some of these behind-the-scenes machinations.
Speaking of the Red Sox, I linked this on my Twitter yesterday … but according to the New York Post, the Yankees have some level of interest in right-hander Brad Penny, who found himself unemployed when Boston added Wagner to the active roster. But the Yankees would not be alone in a pack of contenders who might seek Penny.
Closing thoughts from Alex’s Big Apple circus
Plenty to go off here as we close up shop at George M. Steinbrenner Field, a few hours after Alex Rodriguez completed his 33-minute news conference downstairs in the left-field picnic area.
You’re going to read harsh reviews, but the first thing to note is that a good portion of the audience considered A-Rod’s performance all right, considering the circumstances. He’s not going to get ‘speech of the year’ honors — look, he’s not the most polished guy in this setting — but he also didn’t botch this.
Clearly he’s not ready to open the vault to everything and anything he did in 2001, 2002 and 2003. We know a little more now than we did in the morning, and as I said before, he is most certainly not in a court of law. The questions are still going to keep coming and it’s up to him if he wants to field them.
“I may have to answer for the rest of my career,” Rodriguez said. “That’s the position I’ve put myself in.”
I still find it a curious explanation that he would put something in his body for 18 months without having express knowledge of what it was doing for him, and it’s dubious that he didn’t think or know they were steroids. Brian Cashman bristled at that later.
“I like the fact more that when he carries it that he was stupid, more than young and naïve,” Cashman said. “It was stupid. It was a bad decision that may cost him on so many levels. He understands that and he’s dealing with it now. We’re all going to be moving with him during this process. He’s suffering, the Yankees are suffering.”
But that aside … Rodriguez was not alone in that era, which he called “loosey goosey” in the ESPN interview. Maybe it will come back that the majority of big leaguers were using from 2001-03, and that’s just something that Hall of Fame voters will have to deal with when Rodriguez’s name comes up for candidacy about 14 years into the future.
There will be, as Rodriguez said, debates and questions about everything he did in Texas. The course of action the Yankees are most concerned with right now is getting – as Cashman said – Humpty Dumpty back together again and putting him on that wall.
“I really hope that, through this crisis, we are going to become closer than ever,” Rodriguez said. “I think that’s going to happen. I owe an apology not only to my teammates and the whole organization, but every fan throughout the world that is a fan of baseball.”
Report: A-Rod tested positive for steroids in ’03
Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids during his 2003 American League MVP season with the Texas Rangers, four sources independently told Sports Illustrated in a report published online Saturday.
Rodriguez’s name appeared on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball’s 2003 survey testing, SI said. He reportedly tested positive for testosterone and an anabolic steroid called Primobolan while playing for Texas.
There is no indication that Rodriguez has tested positive for steroids since 2003. When approached by SI’s Selena Roberts on Thursday at the University of Miami, Rodriguez refused to discuss the test results.
“You’ll have to talk to the union,” Rodriguez said. When asked if there was an explanation for his positive test, he said, “I’m not saying anything.”
There were no penalties for a positive test in 2003, with testing conducted to determine if MLB would impose random drug testing for 2004. But MLB’s drug policy has expressly prohibited the use of steroids without a valid prescription since 1991.
The SI report also indicated, citing three Major League players, that Rodriguez had been tipped by MLBPA chief operating officer Gene Orza in early September 2004 that he would be tested later in the month. Rodriguez declined to respond to SI when asked about the warning Orza allegedly provided him.
When Orza was asked on Friday in the union’s New York City office about the tipping allegations, he told SI’s David Epstein, “I’m not interested in discussing this information with you.”
The full Sports Illustrated article is here. SI has even more information on A-Rod coming for their issue, available on newsstands Tuesday.
MLB.com’s mainbar for A-Rod coverage begins here.
MLB’s executive vice president of labor relations,
Rob Manfred, issued a statement in response Saturday which read:
“We are disturbed by the allegations contained in the Sports
Illustrated news story which was posted online this morning. Because
the survey testing that took place in 2003 was intended to be
non-disciplinary and anonymous, we can not make any comment on the
accuracy of this report as it pertains to the player named.
“Based on the results of the 2003 tests, Major League Baseball
was able to institute a mandatory random-testing program with penalties
in 2004. Major League Baseball and the Players Association have
improved the drug testing program on several occasions so that it is
now the toughest program in professional sports. The program bans
stimulants, such as amphetamines, as well as steroids.
“Any allegation of tipping that took place under prior iterations of
the program is of grave concern to Major League Baseball, as such
behavior would constitute a serious breach of our agreement.
“Under Commissioner Selig’s leadership, Major League Baseball remains
fully committed to the elimination of the use of performance enhancing
substances from baseball. As the Commissioner has said, we will
continue to do everything within our power to eliminate the use of such
drugs and to protect the integrity of the program.”
Brian Cashman is declining comment today, but here is what he said last week about A-Rod — interesting that they have been keeping in touch more these days than ever.
“He’s excited. I talked to him the
other day. He’s worked hard like he always does and he’s excited about the new
acquisitions. He’s actually stayed more in touch with me this winter than any
other winter that I probably can remember. He was excited when we signed CC,
pushing me to get A.J., pushing me to get Andy, and pleasantly surprised and
probably blown away when we wound up with Teixeira at the same time. He’s
excited to go get after it, he’s going to go play in the WBC first, but his
attitude has been sky high and he’s looking to hit the ground running.”
Via ESPN, this from Fernando Montes, the former Rangers
director of conditioning:
“In 2003, Assistant GM Jon Daniels
asked me whether I thought Alex Rodriguez was using steroids and I said, ‘Yes.’
I had no evidence, but the level of performance did not match the level of work
in the weight room. We had no proof, because we couldn’t see test results.
Without a doubt, though, this was more than an educated guess. Jon Daniels knew
(the suspicions).”
Daniels’ response to ESPN: “I have no
recollection of that conversation.”
An evening with Brian Cashman
Brian Cashman’s charity discussion out in Pleasantville, N.Y. for Ed Randall’s ‘Bat for the Cure‘ ran long tonight, but if you were as passionate about the Yankees as most of the audience seemed to be, it probably wasn’t a big deal. Just about the only topic Cash wouldn’t discuss was Joe Torre’s book, but there was plenty to go around. Some of the highlights to chew on:
Manny to the Yankees — officially dead: The Yankees are done with their big spending and have no room left to pursue Manny Ramirez. Sorry, folks, but right now the Yankees are trying to sign more guys like Angel Berroa. The Yankees payroll will be reduced in ’09 and Manny’s bat isn’t going to change that.
“Ultimately, we’ve made our decision,” Cashman said. “We chose to put that money into Mark Teixeira to play first base. I do hear rumblings about people actually expect us to get in on Manny. That’s not going to happen. We respect his abilities, there’s no doubt about it, but we’re now in the non-roster invite mode.”
Cashman knows the Yankees have been anointed the Hot Stove champs. It doesn’t mean anything: “I don’t care about headlines in December or January. What ultimately translates is getting enough W’s to be the last team standing.”
Career paths: Cashman wasn’t one of those kids who lies awake at night dreaming of being the Yankees GM. Actually, out in Kentucky, young Cash grew up a Dodgers fan and a Yankee hater. In fact, when Bob Watson gave up the GM post in ’98, Cashman first begged him to stay. Then he asked George Steinbrenner not to give him a contract, instead operating on a handshake agreement so Cashman could be easily dismissed if it didn’t work out.
Tough crowd: Cashman is very wary of the Rays, of whom he said has seen the talent coming for years. On the traditional 20 to 80 scouting scale (50 being an average big leaguer), Cashman said too many of Tampa Bay’s young prospects are coming in around 80. Such is the advantage of smart drafting and terrible in-season results.
But the Yankees have some names Cashman is excited about — he thinks the ’06 crop of Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Zach McAllister, Dellin Betances and Dave Robertson could go down as an all-time great one. The Yankees are still top-heavy in pitching prospects and would love to develop more big bats, but most of the really promising position players are at the A-ball level and below.
What if: Yes, the four-year, $40 million deal to Carl Pavano was a bust. But Cashman said Pavano turned down even more money from the Tigers, Mariners and Orioles. The Red Sox were also hot on Pavano.
Flight cancelled: Cashman almost flew to Baltimore from Houston to meet with A.J. Burnett after his meeting with Andy Pettitte in December. It turned out not to be necessary – things had progressed far enough with Burnett that the Yankees were confident it’d get done.
Will the Melk-man deliver?: As of right now, it’s Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner for center field. Cashman believes Melky is a better player than he showed in ’08 and will be out to prove that. But here’s an ominous warning: “The ones that are good enough will find a way. The ones that aren’t good enough will find excuses.” Cash compared Gardner to “Juan Pierre, who takes a walk.”
Better days?: Cashman said he’s not a big souvenir guy, but one of the things he’s kept was the lineup card from his first win as Yankees GM – April 5, 1998 at Oakland. Cash was actually in Oakland the day earlier, but Steinbrenner had called him back to New York in a fit after the Yankees started the year 0-3. They won 125 games.
The inscription on the lineup card from Joe Torre reads: “Crash – the first of many.” That’s not a typo. The nickname ‘Crash’ stuck to Cashman in his younger, wilder days.
Driving Mr. Steinbrenner: Cash told a great story about his early days back in the Yankees organization, when George Steinbrenner’s personal drivers were all out shuttling around dignitaries or guests. Cashman got stuck with the assignment and found himself on the FDR Drive with the Boss, who wanted to get a quick haircut before flying to Tampa out of Teterboro.
Long story short, Cash tried to get cute with a shortcut and wound up hearing a full-on assault of the 1980s Steinbrenner in his right ear for the whole rest of the trip. Steinbrenner actually threatened at one point to “just take the subway.” He got the haircut with Cashman but found a different driver to take him across to New Jersey.
Put it in the books
Joe Torre’s book comes out today, with the former Yankees manager touring the tri-state area on a media blitz to promote “The Yankee Years.” We’ve all seen and heard so much about this book already, and I’m looking forward to finally getting a copy in my hands and reading it cover to cover to accurately judge it.
What about you? Is this the type of thing that you’ll pick up on the first day, or are you content to wait it out? I’ve seen on some of the blogs that diehard Yankees fans are vowing not to pay for the book, and plan to read it from their local libraries. Others still are sick of all this “he-said, he-said” stuff and are just ready to see the boys on the field in Tampa.
There’s something to be said for that, as I look out the window and see yet another coating of snow to be cleared from my car. But before we can get to sunny Florida, there are a few more hurdles – and one is the Torre book. Hey, it could be worse. We could be talking about medical waste in Brian McNamee’s basement.
I’ll be at the Barnes & Noble at 555 Fifth Ave. this afternoon at 12:30 p.m. to see what – if anything – the skipper has to say. Then later it’s off to Pleasantville (New York, not the movie) to check in with Brian Cashman. Busy day.
By the way, if you’re in the camp that won’t read Torre’s text — or you just want a refreshing change of pace — I have a suggestion for you.
Jane Heller was nice enough to send me a copy of her just-released book, “Confessions of a She-Fan,” and many of you would relate. It’s a look at the ’07 season through the eyes of an extremely passionate die-hard fan, the kind that live and die with every win and loss. Know anybody like that?
Kicking off a busy week
I’m back after a four-day respite – thanks to Anthony DiComo for minding the store while I jetted down to Florida and New Orleans for a quick getaway.
With the Super Bowl in the books, this upcoming week is chock full of baseball events in and around the tri-state area. If you’re interested in telling Joe Torre what you think about his Yankees past, there are opportunities – if you want to hear Brian Cashman talk about the Yankees future, there’s that too.
Here’s a lineup card of what we’ll be looking out for:
Thurman Munson Awards Dinner
Honoring Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran and the ’69 Mets, to benefit AHRC-NYC.
Tuesday, Grand Hyatt New York, 7 p.m.
An Evening with Brian Cashman
Hosted by Ed Randall to benefit Bat for the Cure prostate cancer awareness.
Tuesday, Burns Film Center, Pleasantville, N.Y., 7 p.m.
Joe Torre book signings
Tuesday: Barnes & Noble, 555 Fifth Avenue, New York City, 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, Little Falls, N.J., 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Borders Books, 100 Broadway. New York City, 1 p.m.
Wednesday: Bookends, 232 East Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, N.J., 7 p.m.
Anything interesting happening with the Yankees?
Oh, just another day in paradise. When people ask, “What do you do during the offseason?”, my response is almost always that the Yankees don’t have an offseason. Sometimes the winter is more intense than the summer.
The Yankees completed one important piece of business on Monday, signing Andy Pettitte to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with multiple incentive levels. Obviously this is a huge pay cut from the guaranteed $16 million Pettitte made in ’07 and ’08, but this was as high as the Yankees were going to go.
Pettitte knew that it was time to make a decision, and $5.5 million — with the chance to make up to $12 million in incentives — sure beats $0 for sitting at home. With the addition of Pettitte to the 40-man roster, Chase Wright was designated for assignment.
One other tidbit: Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Hideki Matsui are all on track for now.
Now, on to the Joe Torre business, which is sending us all back in our own little time machines. Someone was asking me about my taxes and I actually slipped up and wrote the wrong year … and not even that usual January mistake, I fouled up two years. Seems like this book has us more focused on the ’07 Yankees than the current version.
A-Rod is supposedly laughing off the ‘A-Fraud’ stuff — and look, if you didn’t already know that Alex had some difficulty keeping a low profile, you weren’t paying attention. Some things haven’t changed — by the way, has anyone heard anything about Madonna lately?
Brian Cashman thinks the Yankees might rally around each other as a result of this latest controversy. Hey, you know this team. If it wasn’t this going into the spring, it’d probably be something else.
I want to reserve judgment on this book until I actually hold it in my hands, and based on what I’ve pieced together from excerpts floating around the Internet, that seems like the proper course of action. It seems that there will be a lot more context to base the most salacious parts on when ‘The Yankee Years’ is consumed in its entirety.
Torre sounds off on Yankees
Joe Torre has some less-than-complimentary things to say about the Yankees in his upcoming book, ‘The Yankee Years,’ for which he collaborates with Tom Verducci.
As you’d imagine, the tabloids are having a field day with some of the leaked text:
New York Post: In an explosive new book called “The Yankee Years,” Torre gets most personal in his attacks against Alex Rodriguez, who he says was called “A-Fraud” by his teammates after he developed a “Single White Female”-like obsession with team captain Derek Jeter and asked for a personal clubhouse assistant to run errands for him.
New York Daily News: In “The Yankee Years,” due to be released on Feb. 3, Torre describes
general manager Brian Cashman as a less than supportive ally who
betrayed him on several fronts, and says that his star player, Alex
Rodriguez, was often referred to by his teammates as “A-Fraud” and was
obsessed with his perceived rival, shortstop Derek Jeter.
It’s only fair to note that the book also recounts the good times too. Here’s what Random House notes in a brief summary posted on their Web site:
“The Yankee Years chronicles the amazing stories
on the diamond. The stirring comeback in the 1996 World Series against
the heavily favored Braves. The wonder of 1998, when Torre led the
Yanks to the most wins in Major League history. The draining and
emotional drama of the 2001 World Series. The incredible twists and
turns of the epic Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship
Series against the Red Sox, in which two teams who truly despised each
other battled pitch by pitch until the stunning extra-inning home run.“
So we’ll reserve judgment until we see the complete book, but certainly some of Torre’s claims will create a ripple effect through the organization. Do some of these comments change how you view Torre?
Alphabet soup with CC and A.J.
Cross the top two items off Brian Cashman’s holiday shopping list, as the Yankees have added A.J. Burnett to the party behind CC Sabathia in the rotation. That makes the starting pitching department almost complete, leaving it up to Andy Pettitte to decide if he wants to be the Yankees’ fourth or fifth starter for a one-year, $10 million deal.
Once again, and maybe now more than ever, the smart money is that Pettitte will accept. Burnett would have had incredible leverage on the Yankees if Sabathia had gone elsewhere, but it’s win-win for him — he can now slip in behind Sabathia and use that big shadow to escape a lot of the New York media spotlight. His personality isn’t perfectly suited for New York, but he has 82.5 million reasons to make it work.
What also played into this was the geographical location to Maryland. Burnett’s wife, Karen, does not choose to fly, and because of this, New York suddenly looked a whole lot more geographically appealing than Atlanta. The Blue Jays used to have a clause in Burnett’s contract that provided for limo service between Maryland and Toronto — the ride just got a whole lot shorter.
Bryan Hoch
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