The GM of the New York Yankees may be the worst ever at the best job in the world. Which is why he’ll inevitably fail this year in his shameless attempt to buy a World Series.
By Matt Taibbi
There are some jobs in this world that are really, really hard to screw up. If the title on your business card reads something like “Mrs. Aristotle Onassis” or “Mrs. Prince Rainier of Monaco” or “Mrs. Bald-and-Sweaty International Arms-Trading Gazillionaire Adnan Khashoggi” — if you need a team of Sherpas just to carry the credit cards issued in your name — it’s probably not unreasonable to assume that you know a thing or two about shopping.
Of course society is going to give you a pass if you don’t know a whole lot about more useful stuff, like how to feed the poor, calibrate ground-to-air missiles, or dredge the Duluth shipping canal. But if you’re six or seven years into one of those marriages and you still don’t know how to buy a fur coat or a Fendi handbag, we’re all going to have to assume you’re completely brainless, a cabbage in heels.
And would you blame us, Brian Cashman? Because objectively speaking, the job of New York Yankees general manager should be the single most failure-proof position not only in sports but in all of human society. Giving a normal, red-blooded, pattern-baldness-suffering American male access to the Steinbrenner fortune and asking him to buy 25 baseball players a year in an unregulated market is no different, in any meaningful way, from handing Sarah Jessica Parker a blank check and asking her to fill a three-bedroom apartment with shoes and dresses. And we’re not even asking her to get good deals. All we ask is that the outfits match.
It’s obscene that a job like this even exists. But for someone to have this job and fuck it up is just appalling, the kind of gross disrespect for our own good fortune that makes it hard for us Americans to look the Third World in the eye. What Brian Cashman has accomplished as GM of the Yankees over the past few years, in turning a perennial World Series champ into a third-place also-ran, is like walking into a backstage party for Led Zeppelin with a two-pound bag of coke and a 28-inch penis and failing for a whole night to get laid.
Cashman managed to discover the one avenue through which limitless money and power under the current Major League Baseball rules can be a competitive disadvantage. He found that if you pack your roster from top to bottom with pathologically needy, egomaniacal, paranoid megamillionaires aged 30 and up, you can more or less permanently block the development of the choice, hungry, 25- to 30-year-old talent group that serves as the core of virtually all winning baseball teams.
What’s even more interesting is that after implementing this formula so successfully that the Yankees fell behind a Cape Cod League team called the Tampa Bay Rays last year, Cashman decided to double down on his strategy — opting to plug his team’s now-gaping holes by signing another $441 million in new megamillionaire free agents, with the bulk of that money going to the superstar trio of C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira. With his shameless, blatant attempt to buy a World Series with a half-billion-dollar shopping spree at a time when the rest of the country is scrounging under the couch cushions for ramen money, Cashman has laid the foundation for 2009 to be maybe the most entertaining year for non–Yankees fans in the history of baseball. We are all trailing six car lengths behind, waiting for the pinstriped truck to jackknife and explode in a giant conflagration of scandals and finger-pointing. In an age when huge, irresponsible financial bets have brought Western civilization to the edge of collapse, Cashman’s Yankees are perfectly positioned to become an object lesson in everything that has gone wrong with American society in the past eight years or so.
Brian Cashman has kept his job in baseball over the years because he is masterfully good at just one particular thing: choosing sides in exploding Yankee scandals. Back in 1998, when he was elevated to general manager at age 30 (he joined the organization as an intern at 19), the assumption was that he would be there in title and that George Steinbrenner would be the guy making all the major decisions. Which sounds like a shitty deal for Cashman, except that, for the next 10 years or so, he could safely whisper to his buddies in the media that all the Yankees’ bad decisions were really made by the loony man above him. (Cashman has probably shoplifted a good two or three years of extra job security just by being one of the few people in the Insane Yankee Clown Posse to always feed the ravenous New York sports press.) He’s sort of like the Democratic Party in that he has managed to convince his fans that he was actually against deals he voted for/was in on from the beginning, and vice versa. Most Yankee fans believe Cashman didn’t really want to fire the revered Joe Torre and didn’t really want to sign Japanese special-needs student Kei Igawa and didn’t really want to acquire wall-puncher Kevin Brown or anger addict Randy Johnson or Jaret Wright or José Contreras or Jason Giambi or any of the other overpriced, underperforming free agents who soiled the hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium over Cashman’s tenure.
The story we’re supposed to buy is that Cashman deep down inside is really a Theo Epstein–style GM who values internal player development and homegrown pitching (just like the Democrats deep down inside were against the war in Iraq) but just hasn’t been allowed to do his thing because Steinbrenner or his equally loony sons are always overreacting to losing spring training games and forcing Cash’s otherwise steady hand.
Cashman apologists would have the world believe that every time Yankee ownership sees David Ortiz hit a home run or James Shields pitch a complete game, this poor, unassuming, numbers-crunching GM gets an angry phone call from Steinbrenner’s Florida palace (in the public imagination, a massive palm-lined subtropical resort not unlike Pablo Escobar’s lavish Medellín spread) and is ordered to immediately go forth and buy a 10-figure free agent from Scott Boras to quiet the doddering Boss’s temporary attack of Player Envy. And right then and there Cashman’s sound, fiscally conservative 10-year plan to build around Austin Jackson, Phil Hughes, and Andrew Brackman (it was Ben Ford, Ryan Bradley, and Craig Dingman once upon a time) goes up in smoke.
Illustration by Victor Juhasz
Year after year this legend is perpetuated by a mysteriously persistent series of rumors/revelations in the press about both Cashman’s career choices and the inner workings of the Yankee empire. We seem to hear constantly from plugged-in baseball types like Fox’s Ken Rosenthal and SI’s Jon Heyman that Cash is in consideration for a GM job in a place like Washington, DC (the rumored destination in 2005) or Seattle (the rumored destination last fall), where he presumably wouldn’t be bogged down in organizational disputes and would be able to have real freedom in personnel decisions. And each time we are reminded just how much of a genius Cashman is, his wunderkind reputation still riding off the fumes of those world championships his first three seasons — championships that, in reality, were seeded years earlier by former Yankee personnel legend Gene (Stick) Michael, a man who actually considered chemistry when building teams. Interestingly, these whispers always seem to be floated just prior to Cashman signing a rich new long-term deal with the team that does bog him down in organizational disputes and doesn’t give him total personnel freedom, the Yankees.
The net effect of all of this has been to inoculate Cashman from responsibility for any and all Yankee misfortunes. It’s not unlike an athlete who lets you know before the game that his arm hurts; if he gets lit up for seven runs in three innings, you know why. If he throws a shutout, he’s a hero. That’s why it’s considered pussy to mention that your arm hurts before a game. It is pussy. If you’re well enough to play, zip it. And if you spend $200 million by day on aging steroid-jacking free agents with steel gloves and anger-management disorders, don’t call Sports Illustrated columnists by night and tell them you wish you could just go with the kids the way they do in Tampa or Oakland.
At least there’s no more of that bullshit this season. Last year at this time, Cashman made one of his few Machiavellian political mistakes by publicly opposing a high-priced trade for Johan Santana and instead hitching his career wagon to a youth movement led by Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Robby Cano. Hughes-Kennedy went 0-93 for the season, and Cano spent half the year being the slow half of a double-play combination that included Derek Jeter, who these days practically needs a walker to cover the hole at short. The Yanks missed the playoffs, and Cashman, rather than going off as threatened to the paradise of a $60 or $50 million budget in Pittsburgh or Kansas City or DC, promptly re-signed a rich deal with the Yanks and abandoned the one-year youth experiment to sign the Sabathia-Burnett-Teixeira trio for a total of 14 trillion dollars. The Yankees and their GM are finally standing together on the same plank, going all-in with a full squad of soulless all-star mercenaries bought on the open market at hostile-takeover prices.
The reason every baseball fan in the country outside of New York is rooting against them is the same reason everyone rooted for the Tampa team last year. It’s not just that people resent the idea that the thrill of a championship victory can be bought; it’s the way the Yankees bought their talent that grosses people out.
Specifically, they overpaid. They spent many millions more than other teams would have paid for guys who clearly preferred, all things being equal, to be somewhere else. Teixeira probably wanted to be in his hometown of Baltimore. Sabathia would have liked to go back to Milwaukee or home to the West Coast, but definitely in the National League, where he’d get to hit. Burnett, he’s a guy all of baseball knows would rather play in a low-intensity/small-market environment like Toronto.
They all made a show of preferring some other situation before quietly, somberly almost, taking the big money and going to New York. Basically, Brian Cashman hired a team full of Brian Cashmans, i.e., guys who passed up the girl they really liked to marry the Boss’s bucktoothed, cross-eyed daughter. They might do their nightly duty in the sack, but they’re not going overboard. They’re not buying her flowers on the way home from work or taking her on surprise trips to Paris for Valentine’s. And their excuse for being crappy husbands is built into the deal: They never really loved her to begin with.
Which is why at the first sign of relationship trouble — the first six-game losing streak in May, the first whispers of a Joe Girardi firing in June — they will all scatter like rats to the far corners of the Yankee clubhouse and start making cell-phone calls to their agents and whispering to the press. That’s the way it’s always been with high-priced free-agent teams, from the Dan Snyder Redskins to the Malone-Payton Lakers to the Yankees of the A-Rod era.
And unless the karma gods decide to spend the summer in a diabetic coma, it’s almost certainly what’s going to happen to this year’s Yankees. God, is it going to be fun to see. Nothing is more entertaining than watching the rich choke on their own greed.
This article originally appeared in the May 2009 issue of Men’s Journal.
Print this article
April 17th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Great read.
Cashman is a total tool and he always seems to never get blamed for anything.
It’s such a shame on how the Yankees and Red Sox have ruined baseball.
It was pretty sweet to see the Rays stick it to the big guys last year. Hopefully, my Royals can be this years Rays. I doubt it.
But the new renovations are pretty sweet.
[Reply]
Rocket Hater Reply:
April 28th, 2009 at 9:26 am
K. Daniel Says:
“It’s such a shame on how the Yankees and Red Sox have ruined baseball.”
The Sawx have a great farm system. They don’t go over the threshold and therefore, don’t have any salary penalties.
[Reply]
KY Reply:
May 11th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
You my friend are SO wrong about the red sox, they pay nearly as much as they yankees in revenue sharing. Who has the highest salery for a world series team??? The Boston Red Sux.
[Reply]
Brian Reply:
May 27th, 2009 at 11:22 am
The Yankees (and Mets) revenue sharing for the past few years has been artificially low due to an MLB rule that allows teams to not pay the revenue sharing tax on payments towards a new stadium.
The second part is one of the more arbitrary, cherry-picked stats I’ve ever heard. The Red Sox are certainly one of the haves in baseball, but that stat ignores teams with higher payrolls that didn’t win the World Series and thus isn’t particularly relevant or useful.
[Reply]
frogbones Reply:
April 29th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Without the Yankees spending there would be no Rays or Royals. It’s called revenue sharing. Look it up.
[Reply]
GreggB Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 3:52 am
Without the Yankees inflating salary levels, the entire league’s labor pool would be priced more reasonably, and small market teams wouldn’t need revenue sharing.
[Reply]
frogbones Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 7:50 am
Todd Van Poppel is all I need say about salary inflation. Do you think Boras wouldn’t get the money elsewhere. Yes, the Yankees have bid against themselves but how do that hurt another team? It’s easy to hate the Yankees but the charge big money for the tickets so at least they put a high price product on the field. There are many more exaples of small to mid market teams inflating salries. That does the damage not the Yankees.
[Reply]
GreggB Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Frog, I don’t fault the Yanks for spending the money they earn. It’s a competitive world, and they are making a profit, so god bless them… But I think you are wrong about the impact of revenue sharing, versus the effect of driving up costs. Take what the Yankees contribute, divide it by the number of teams it is distributed to… it isn’t all that much. On the other hand, any economist will tell you that pricing is set by the highest bidder, and for that reason the Yankees clearly are an inflationary influence on the whole sport, more than any other team. I don’t blame them — anyone else would do the same. But the facts are the facts.
Notorious P.A.T. Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Huh? How does the spending of the Yankees relate to the revenue that they share?
[Reply]
frogbones Reply:
May 11th, 2009 at 7:03 am
Luxury tax. Also the Yankees on the road create more revenue per visit than any team in the Majors. Those people in say Minnesota would not come out to see the Yanks if they did not have as many big names. So like I said the Yanks are helping teams like KC and the like stay afloat. That’s just the facts. Justin Morneau is a better ballplayer than any of the Yankees but people in Detroit don’t come out to watch him but they would if he wore Pinstripes.
[Reply]
Tim Reply:
May 7th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Hilarious. Obviously Cashman’s got no clue what he’s doing. People’ve been talking about this one for a bit. Check out this piece from last summer: http://maniwakimauler.com/2008/05/market-value-part-1.html
[Reply]
Josh Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I like how everyone jumps on the “ruining of baseball” bandwagon. Simply put, if the other teams generated the amount of revenue to hold a candle to that of the Yankees and Red Sox, than they would be spending the money too.
I agree in that it’s nice to see the Devil Rays take it. It’s great for baseball, or any sport for that matter, to have the underdog prevail.
But get off of your high horse in thinking that the “david” teams wouldn’t do what “Goliath” would do if they had the capabilities.
It’s all business.
[Reply]
April 17th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
One bad yr and we have to read this crap that goes for “journalism”?
[Reply]
Someone who's not as clueless as Ben Reply:
May 6th, 2009 at 10:08 am
One year? Where ya been since the turn of the century?
[Reply]
April 17th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Dude, The Hardball Times tore you apart, and rightfully so. Stick to making fun of moustaches or other topics you might have a clue about.
[Reply]
April 17th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Dumbest. Article. Ever.
Wow. Taibbi knows nothing about baseball, about athletes, or about the actual issues one faces in a general manager position.
Just an excuse for a know-nothing to sound snarky and collect a paycheck.
What a waste.
[Reply]
laughingupmysleeve Reply:
April 19th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
We’ve been listening to the snark of the bad sport Yankee fans for years, too many to count. This guy hit the nail on the proverbial head.
Biggest.Jerk.Ever = YOU, who can dish it out when the Yanks are on top, but can’t take it when you hear the truth.
It’s going to be a great summer.
[Reply]
April 18th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Hmmm… the author of this article sure tries his best to sound cutting-edge. Too bad his analysis suffers. I would respect the author more if his baseball acumen is as well honed as his stylistic flourishes. Writing an article calling the GM of the game’s most expensive and over-hyped team silly names is too easy. If you want to pander, please do so, just don’t wrap it within some vapid douchbaggery. Your contention that the job of the Yankees GM is the single most failure-proof job in human society basically bares your inadequacies as a baseball writer. Please write about anything else. Thanks.
[Reply]
Patrick Reply:
April 21st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Well said, William. Taibbi has got some extremely unhealthy vendetta with Cashman. Did Cashman run over your dog, Matt? Are you the same guy who writes for the NY Times magazine?!? You can’t be.
Sure it looks like a cushy slamdunk of a job to you and to others. I’ve read enough comments to the contrary from other GMs and people in the game over the years. I’ll take the word of them over some writer who’s probably never interviewed a ballplayer or worked as a beat reporter on the team. Your job seems nearly as obvious as Cashman’s. Looks cushy to me. So where’s your Pulitzer? Gene Michael had the same job back in the 80s and turned down when he was offered it in the late 90s. Cashman has survived working for George and sons and outlasted the divisive Tampa faction that killed this team every year. Yes, he’s made mistakes. What GM hasn’t? Plenty of teams with resources have signed up free agents galore and have no rings to show for it.
I’m wasting my breath. You grew up in Boston according to wikipedia. Guess that explains your vendetta.
[Reply]
April 18th, 2009 at 10:21 am
This is not a baseball article,but a cry for help.Get over your hateful obsession with the Yankees,instead seek help with your hair lip stuttering.You clown!
[Reply]
April 18th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Wow! Taibbi has typed some inflammatory shite for the mothership Wenner before, but this one rides high atop the pony merde.
Brian Cashman IS working in a sanitorium. That fact cannot be disputed. Admittedly, he has made faulty decisions, but what baseball prognosticator doesn’t?
Back before the Bombers return to “glory”, I worked in player development & scouting. Sometime around 1990 I was seated in the scouting section at a spring training game with a respected old-time scout. I asked, “How often do you gauge a player’s major league potential correctly?” He looked at me over bifocals, and said, “Well, I’d be the best in the business if I was right 50% of the time.” I was stunned. Baseball, like all the high-testosterone sports, requires a bravado that borders on bullfighter mentality. “Never let ‘em see you sweat,” then-Scouting Director Brian Sabean repeatedly opined. Joe Altobelli had similar advice: “Don’t let ‘em know when you’re scufflin’. They’ll think it’s a sign of weakness.” Back at one of my first amateur drafts, Scouting Director Bill Livesey and I debated the merits of our high pick from a couple of years back. “He’s erratic, emotional, and he’s never gonna make it,” I blathered. “Do you know this kid is smarter than almost anybody in the game except Pat Gillick? (famous for his photographic recall of every player who ever played for him). He had a ride to Harvard and he’s a lefty. And you should know that they’re all late bloomers. He’ll stop over-analyzing every pitch and he’ll win 15 games a year here for a long time.” The kid was Al Leiter, and we shipped him off two years later for Jesse Barfield, who hit (wait a second, I’m going to look this up, but I don’t think it was much more than .255 and 20/70 in his Gotham gear)….239 and 21/63 it turns out (if you combine his last two years into one)…I don’t want to confuse you here, Senor, but the point is that Cashman was an innocent bystander for that one, as well as the Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps deal, the dumping of Doug Drabek to Pittsburgh for Rick Rhoden, wretch, wretch, wretch…Do you know that Steinbrenner & Reinsdorf once had a perpetual trade that lasted at least 10 years? (it may still be percolating). It’s how we got Drabek, Ron “The Babe” Hassey and they got Bill Lindsey, as a player-to-be-named later. The latter cup-o-coffee big leaguer’s identity was leaked before the required time had elapsed, and our entire Baseball Operations department was ordered to take lie-detector tests. We all passed and it turned out that the owner hisself was the leak. Thanks, Bill Madden…So, the scene is far more complex, nefarious, and Elizabethan than you acknowledge. And, yeah, I knew both Hank and Hal. I got along with Hank: we both detested his dad. Hal? I never liked his introverted sneering, but he’s not an idiot. He’s just been rendered incapable by years of brow-beating by Nurse Ratchet. And, even though it’s all over ‘cept the cryin’ with the old man, his ghost will haunt everyone who tries to climb that Sisyphean hill…You see, it’s the Curse of George that haunts this team, really has nothin’ to do with Cash’s management…Remember, George Bush visited the team in October 2001 and, unbeknownst to even you cognoscenti, he sprinkled Texas crude in the executive shithouse that night, and that very porcelain throne has been transferred to the new Mt. Rushwhore so that long after the much-maligned Boy Wonder is gone (though, by now he doubtless has a lifetime contract as did Bob Lemon and as does Stump Merrill, Gene Michael and anybody who knows more than George can allow to become public knowledge) there will STILL be no joy in Mudville…
Sherwood F. Cavorta
[Reply]
April 19th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Your stupidity and unfamiliarity with the game is unmatched. I truly hope your days at both the Journal and this earth are numbered.
[Reply]
April 19th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
No, this article is the voice of America. This is how everyone feels but few get a chance to write.
All the Yankees fans who are throwing insults at his journalism are probably just guys who live vicariously through the Yankees and have zero connection, but have to deal with all their buddies and co-workers who are Red Sox fans watching Theo Epstein succeed with tens of millions less.
No, this guy has a point and watching the Yankees get slaughtered by Cleveland 22-4 at home isn’t just another game in baseball, it’s an embarrassment.
Those contracts did NOT guarantee wins or performance. It guaranteed money. In fact, Brian Cashman and the Yankees are really owned by Scott Boras and desperation. Steinbrenner is Boras’ b!tch and he knows it.
The best part about this is that the Yankees tied those players up in such ludicrous amounts of money that even if they wanted to get rid of this worthless talent, they can’t. No team can afford to take them, no matter how bad they would (I can’t imagine why they would) want them.
Look at the Padres, the Marlins, the Rays. Barely spending a dime and winning. The Florida Marlins are the best team in baseball by record right now. They don’t draw dick and they’ve won a World Series in less time than the Yankees and against the Yankees.
The most pathetic thing right now is the fans who keep coming to the games. Something’s gotta give.
Hoenstly, I think if a meteor flew down from space and hit Yankee Stadium and killed all the front office members and players, it would be a vast and instant improvement. The Red Sox would probably be pretty upset about that too, now that they know the Yankees were given a way out.
I hope Joe Girardi gets fired, just based on the fact he deserves better than to be stuck with these hacks. He needs to get out of there. He’s much better than these guys.
[Reply]
jerry Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 8:01 am
as a yankee fan and a taibbi fan, i have to agree with a lot of what mike says, of course if by some chance the yanks do win it all, he will be nowhere to be found.plus as a yankee fan, when they do win it,its all about the money.as for all these small market teams, they all feed off the yankees greed. what is not brought up in the article, is the millions that each team pockets from the yankees.money that some of the greedy owners pocket for themselves, and dont put into their teams. everything in new york is more expensive, from a plumber to our taxes. id rather the yankess put money back in the team , then pocket it all, as many owners do
[Reply]
hotwang Reply:
April 21st, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I hate the Yankees, this guy is still a complete clown who has no knowledge of the game.
[Reply]
Patrick Reply:
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:20 am
I’m fed up with the “yanks have deep pockets because of their media market” excuse from all the haters. Go back to the 70s and into the early 80s, BEFORE the lucrative contracts with MSG and then YES, and you’ll find George Steinbrenner was usually the biggest spender. Unlike the majority of the other owners who treat their teams as toys or tax writeoffs, he has always, always wanted to win and spent if need be. How much of it came from his own pockets and how much from ticket sales, concessions, etc is unknown. There were rumors that his shipbuilding company’s profits were eaten into by the team. Free agentry was and still is part of the game. It’s available to all the teams. George used the system. A lot of these owners could have too. They have the money. I’m not a fan of it and prefer to see a team built through a farm system and smart trades, like Tampa’s. It’s great for baseball when the small market teams do well. But a competitive Yankee team is good for the game too. For all of the yankee bashing, people forget who is usually the no. 1 draw on the road. Think the KC Royals wouldn’t like to have the Yanks visit more than once a season? Think they want to see a last place Yankee team like the 89-91 team visit and only sell out half the park?
Sometimes I think this has more to do with an anti-NY attitude than the team though. Which has always amazed me as a former NY’r who watched countless fellow NY’rs politely help out tourists and out-of-towners without fail. In 17 years working and living there, I never saw or heard a tourist being treated poorly by a New Yorker. And then they all go home to Iowa, Georgia, Montana etc and bash the big old mean city. Thought 9/11 would’ve helped but no.
[Reply]
Tonyh Reply:
May 5th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Hey Charles
Look at my comment and list of “FREE AGENTS THE RED SOX HAVE BROUGHT TO WIN THE 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS…PLEASE DONT GVIE ME THE HIGH AND GLORY CRAP. The Red Sox spend as much as the Yankees and all they have gotten is 2 championships and a lost to the Rays in the ALC. Give credit to the teams like the Rays that 60% of their roster is all through call ups.
[Reply]
todds Reply:
May 6th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Tony - “The Red Sox spend as much as the Yankees and all they have gotten is 2 championships.” Um, no. The Yankees 2009 payroll is $201m. The Red sox is $122M, behind the Mets ($135M) and the Cubs ($134M). If you don’t think that an $80M gap is a big deal, than I guess it will be hard to convince you of anything. And, certainly the Rays should be commended for their success on that budget. But I think you, and many people on this board, don’t understand the point of this article. It isn’t anti-Yankee, it is anti-cashman. As a Red Sox fan, I am all for spending what you got. In fact, I view baseball as the most democratic game around. Here in Boston, we have the highest tickets in baseball, yet we also have the longest sell-out streak in history as well. The result? A big payroll to spend on players. Sometimes people forget that Boston is not a top media market (population way under 1M), yet fans choose to spend their money going to games. Hey Royals fans - instead of complaining about big bad Bostons payroll, why don’t you spend some money on the team and bring the family to a game (and bring some friends). Putting dollars in the team coffers is the best way to improve your team (side note: Kansas City has a bigger population than Boston).
Which gets us to Cashman. This article isn’t about Yankees spending too much and making it unfair (again, I firmly believe that if the NY fans are paying the money to go to games, they should be rewarded with a big payroll), it’s about Cahsman not knowing how to spend it to win, and hiding behind the press. Honestly, I can figure out how he has even managed to spend $80M more than the Red Sox. I mean, an $80M gap is worth about 3 extra Jeters/A-rods per year. That doesn’t matter?
[Reply]
April 19th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
though a lifetime yankee fan, you had me with your article until the “democrats” comment. one of your main points for this article, as well as the timing of it, is the economy…thank you, bush and co.
another ignorant asshole with a forum.
[Reply]
April 19th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Great read. This guy hit the nail on the head. Cudos!!!
[Reply]
April 19th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Nice write up on the architect of the evil empire. Speaks the truth.
[Reply]
April 19th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
When are the magazines and news shows realize that Matt Taibbi has nothing to offer except overly cynical and annoyingly snarky, mean-spirited criticisms of people? Someone tell me when he writes an article that isn’t based entirely on the idea of knocking down a person or group. Writing an article about sports instead of politics doesn’t make him less of a one-trick pony if every article is an attack.
[Reply]
GreggB Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 4:02 am
Check out his articles on Obama during the campaign for Rolling Stone.
[Reply]
April 19th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
This article is complete horseshit and everyone knows Men’s Journal is for homo’s. Only reason I found this garbage was a link on NYPost.com.
I hope you are OK with being the laughing stock of real baseball writers everywhere.
[Reply]
April 19th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Taibbi you are a clown. Your analogies of Sarah Jessicah Parker shopping and Led Zeppelin party crashing are not even worthy of a freshman creative writing class. Obviously you don’t know what you are talking about and should be demoted back to writing the 50 word copies on how to get trim abs and look like Matthew McConaughey at your crap magazine, which is where I’m sure you were before they ran out of qualified writers.
[Reply]
Nick Reply:
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Yeah, I just totally disagree. Completely. Wanted to mention that.
[Reply]
April 19th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
The problems with Cash as the Yankees GM is that when The Boss was in better shape he had his people in tampa and then his people in NY who both pushed separate agendas at the same time to The Boss and the Boss would take parts from both game plans and that was how the Yankee rosters have formed up until Cash got granted control over baseball operations.
Its too hard to place blame on one person when it wasn’t always their move that got chosen. Do you think Theo Epstein or Billy Beane have to deal with that? No, they get to make the calls on the roster themselves all the time.
I think that since Cash has gotten the reins he has made all smart moves except for imo the Burnett move since i still think he’s a huge injury risk.
[Reply]
April 19th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Great article and isn’t it the truth. A few diehard Yankee fans made stinging rebutals that mention democrates, SJP, and “homos”. The only one that even attempted to show that Tabbi might be wrong wrote the following:
Sherwood Cavorta Says:
Brian Cashman IS working in a sanitorium. That fact cannot be disputed. Admittedly, he has made faulty decisions, but what baseball prognosticator doesn’t?
Sherwood had a lot of interesting things to say but the truth of the matter is that if you a in a sanitorium and you never leave…you don’t “work” there…you are a resident. If working for America’s favorite felon are so bad he has had plenty of chances to sign on in KC or Seattle or somewhere else. Me thinks CASHman likes having billions to spend and having someone to blame if and when he fails.
For the guy who chose to talk about “homos”, imagine playing a game of monopoly and having $3,000 to start with and your friends to your right and left have $1,500. You might not be able to recognize it…but if you don’t win most of the time…you are not a homo….you are a boob.
[Reply]
April 20th, 2009 at 12:32 am
So lemme see: Cashman’s an idiot if he goes after vets (Giambi, Unit) and an idiot if he stays with the kids (Hughes, Kennedy). He gets no credit when the Yankees win (’cause Jeter and Pettitte and Mo were all Stick’s guys) and he’s an idiot when they come close (Dave Roberts, anyone?).
What is happening since Gonzo ended the Yankee dynasty happens to every dynasty, or any team that puts together two or three championship teams. You pile up the rings and the inevitable, “We just need this one extra vet to stay on top.” With the Yankees of the late 70s, it was, “All we need is Tommy John . . . wait, all we need is Dave Winfield . . . Steve Kemp . . . Rickey Henderson . . . Rick Rhoden . . . Steve Trout! . . . I know, Jack Clark!” And before you know it the vets you’ve signed are gone, the kids have been traded to plug up holes and you’ve got the ‘89 Yankees, Don Mattingly looking like the last dude at the party.
Such were the Yankees after Gonzo blooped that sucker over Jeter. All they needed was Mike Mussina. No, wait, Giambi. No, Jeff Weaver. Sheffield. A-Rod. Unit. I was 51-49 in favor of the Santana trade, but I saw it as a continuation of more of the same, and was happy to let the Yanks take their chances with Hughes or Kennedy. (With Wang the way he is, we may go down that road yet again.) What the Yankees have done, annually going and getting that one high-priced player that, my god, HAS to be the last missing piece, is as old as sports itself. In other sports, the Steelers have gone down the same road, as have the Niners, Cowboys, Celtics, and Lakers.
If Cashman has a blind spot, it’s the same as the Steinbrenners’: after that first hundred mil, the laws of diminishing returns kick in. You can only play nine players at a time. They didn’t finish third because Cashman is an idiot; they finished third because Wang, Posada, and Joba (three of their seven most important players in ‘08) endedtheir season early.
[Reply]
GABE Reply:
April 21st, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Excatly. Another fact that Taibbi missed is that unlike most sports, the best team doesn’t always win in baseball (St. Louie over the Tigers for example).
[Reply]
Clutch Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
well said texasyank!
what most people fail to acknowledge is, the yanks have been laid out with injuries for the past 5-6 years. starting pitching has especially been subject to the DL…Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina and now Wang. this in turn tends to wear down a bullpen which makes for sub-par pitching all around…offense can only do so much.
blaming cashman for this is like blaming your mother when your life goes a different direction than you want it to. she gave you the tools but, can’t be held responsible when you break them.
i think cashman is doing everything he can in an impossible situation. with “reporters” (and i use that term loosely with people like Taibbi) constantly scrutinizing every move cashman makes in his ballclub, its a wonder he hasn’t climbed a clock tower with a 30-06 yet.
[Reply]
Citizen K. Reply:
May 7th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Mussina didn’t miss many starts for the Yankees and pretty much earned every cent he was paid. Brown was 39 and 40 when he pitched for them; Johnson was 41 and 42. They had DL written all over them when Cashman signed them. Pavano had one good season under his belt; the rest of his career was unremarkable. Even if he hadn’t gotten hurt, there’s no reason to think that he would have been an All Star.
Cashman throws enough money around for the Yankees to win more than they lose, but the recent postseason (if they make it) inevitably exposes weaknesses on the team. No team that loses 22-4 at home and drops five straight to its arch rival is a serious postseason candidate. This year’s team is slow, old, and has a disastrously weak bullpen. The GM knew that and chose to sign high profile FAs.
As for Cashman working in a zoo, well, he chooses to be there.
[Reply]
nozzle Reply:
May 5th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
What Texasyank said.
Also, baseball is probably the only major sport in which the best team doesn’t win the majority of the time.
Cardinals def Tigers in ‘06
Marlins def Yankees in ‘03
Cardinals def Mets in ‘04 (NLDS)
The Yankees are in the unique position of being able to “eat” their mistakes, i.e. Irabu, Contreras, K.Brown, R.Johnson, Pavano. This ability has inflated their payroll and cast upon them a reputation of being an “evil empire” et al. The fact is, however, that they’ve nearly single handedly supplemented the less fortunate teams in the league, both directly (revenue sharing/payroll penalties) and indirectly (dominating the FA pool forcing other teams to acquire talent from within).
The bottomline: The author is a douchebag who uses uberdouchebaggery to make a dime. Sadly, most people have an oversized appetite and affinity for this type of trash.
[Reply]
todds Reply:
May 6th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Amen Texasyank. Dimnishing returns for the Yankees is the whole problem. Cashmans job is underated hard. He can, and routinely does, out-bid everyone if he wants a player (thats what a $60M payroll premium over the next guy gets you). Problem is, as was noted, you can only play 9 guys in the field, so if you screw up a really big contract (or someone gets hurt) you are basically stuck with it because you alread outbid everyone on the contract so the player is unmovable.
My issue with Cashman is that he has not adapted to the dimninshing returns reality. Instead of over-paying 1 starter, maybe get two young studs for the same combined price. I don’t know, it seems logical. Fact is, I’m not smart enough about the inner workings of baseball to know what might work, but Cashman is paid a lot of money to figure it out and be ahead of the curve - but it seems like he is always just taking the easy way out by overpaying for the latest-and-greatest free agent.
[Reply]
April 20th, 2009 at 12:38 am
And, yeah, I’m aware Moose came in 2001, before Gonzo’s thing (ala Tommy John in 79).
[Reply]
April 20th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Did Cashman just break up with your mom and hooked up with your wife? Would you have b@lls to come up and argue this $h it with Cashman on his face?
[Reply]
April 20th, 2009 at 9:34 am
First off, they are called surface to air missiles, not ground to air, idiot, and I sure as hell hope that there are not a lot of civilians out there with that expertise.
Second, GM of the Yankees (who I detest), is probably the hardest and least appreciated job in sports, certainly in baseball. Where is the upside? If you win the Series, you were supposed to. If you don’t, you’re an idiot.
Third, going through a 162 game season and winning a world series is one of the hardest things in sports. Six months for your star to get hurt. Six months to fall into a slump. The most unnatural, physiological thing in sports is what a pitcher does every five days. The human arm is simply not built to move like that. The most amazing thing about the Braves of the 90’s was that their Big 3 (Smoltz, Maddox and Glavine) went years without even missing a start. That is incredible.
This writer is a tool, clearly trying to catch the Bill Simmon’s wave of of making references to pop culture, except that this guy doesn’t have the fondest clue about the sport he is writing about.
Finally, as to the “Yankees and Red Sox ruining baseball” comment earlier, let’s look at the WS winners this decade:
Yankees
Diamondbacks (1st ever WS Champ)
Angels (1st ever WS Champ)
Marlins (1st homegrown WS Champ)
Red Sox (1st WS Champ in 84 yrs)
White Sox (1st WS Champ in 84 yrs)
Cardinals (1st WS Champ since 1982)
Red Sox
Phillies (1st WS Champ since 1980)
Looks like a pretty varied, and in most cases unlikely, list
[Reply]
April 20th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Wow, what a scurrilous, and at the same time, largely inane, off-base diatribe. The author assailts Cashman for his “chemistry-ruining” acquisitions — ignoring the fact that many other GM’s, including the “build-from-within” genius Theo Epstein, were hankering to get the same players. I’m sure if Theo would have ended up with A-Rod and Pavano (for both of whom he was only marginally outbid), his abilities would be called into equal doubt.
Then the author rips Cashman for opting for an internal youth movement over a Johan Santana trade (which of course can be peremptorily declared a fatal misstep with Phil Hughes all of 24 years old and Robinson Cano off to the best start of his career in 2009); and yet a mere few lines down, takes equal issue with the polar opposite strategy of signing established veterans. These peculiar logical gymnastics lead me to ask just what is Mr. Taibbi’s baseball philosophy?
I realize that there are many editorialists who earn money as gadflies on the Yankees. But at the very least they should write pieces without such glaring internal inconsistencies.
[Reply]
artdap Reply:
May 5th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Very interesting…Actually the Red Sox had Carl Pavano in their systen and he wasn’t considered a great prospect after 4 years. He was part of the trade that brought Pedro Martinez to the Sox. The Sox interest in Pavano was to drive up his value in order to get the Yanks to overpay for a pitcher who did show very ocassional signs of greatness between extended stints on the DL. The Yankees being the Yankees overpaid for a player of questionable value. Hey, but now Pavano’s set for life whether he wins another game or not. Thank you Yankees, Gene Orza, and CLB Agreement. Good move Theo!
[Reply]
April 20th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
I am going to sue the author of this article for having me waste about 5 minutes of my life reading this piece of shit article. This author is a joke and should be fired immediately. Of course the editors won’t do that, but if they had any common sense, they would do so.
[Reply]
April 20th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Did this guy write this on a bender while wearing mittens? What a load of largely incorrect crap. Stick to your usual faggot topics and leave the baseball for the professionals.
[Reply]
April 20th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I usually just try to endure a Taibbe visit to Imus In the Morning but after taking Imans advice to read a couple of his articles, I realize that I, like many others am unimpressed by his profanity, style, or lack thereof, and his obviously biased views. A Hunter heir he is not. He is simply another too far to the left zealous nut…who apparently knows very little about baseball and most of his other “subjects”.
Mom always said “if you can’t say something nice”….
[Reply]
April 20th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
I cannot decide which is the better read: Taibbi’s commentary, or the comments section.
Taibbi guts Cashman, then Yankee fans make literally a hundred excuses why a team made of gold plays like a bunch of chumps.
Here is the real reason the Yankees suck:
A-Rod, Mr. April.
[Reply]
huskerfan Reply:
April 29th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I’ll do you one better, busdriver, it’s no co-incidence that that the Yankees haven’t won a WS title since they knowingly overpaid for a knowingly steroid-inflated Giambi. A-Roid merely followed on the heels of the yankees trading their farm system.
That said, the Sox fans on this comments section have no room to talk. Given the problems of Lugo/Green/Lowrie, would they rather have Hanley Ramirez or Lowell and a 2007 ring? They’ve sold the farm for veterans before too.
Finally hte commentors ripping Taibbi need to re-read the post. It’s brilliant.
[Reply]
mp Reply:
May 1st, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Actually the Red Sox traded Hanley Ramirez to get Josh Beckett. Mike Lowell was a throw-in — the Sox had to agree to eat his big contract in order to get Beckett. He’s worked out way better than they thought he would, but that’s just luck. And actually I think that trade is the classic example of a win-win; three years later on, both teams are still happy with it. No one would undo it if they could.
[Reply]
GreggB Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 4:09 am
uh… Beckett is 29 years old — today. This is his fourth season with the Sox, so I think he was all of 25 when the Sox made the trade. As mp says, Lowell was a throw-in, but even he was only 30 or 31 at the time…
[Reply]
JC in NJ Reply:
May 13th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Most knowledgable sports writers point to the Hanley Ramirez-for-Josh Beckett (with Lowell thrown in) trade as one of most win-win trades in the last 50 years. Each team traded value and got value!
Epstein has made his bonehead pickups as well. Matt Clement. Edgar Renteria. Jeff Suppan. Wade Miller.
What intrigues me about the approach they’ve used is to limit the amount of big dollar signings they’ve done. The biggest free agent signing they’ve done for an everyday player was J.D. Drew for $75MM. Dice-K cost them more than $100k, but half of that went for signing rights to the Japanese.
Most of the free agent signings they’ve done during Epstein’s tenure have been roll-the-dice signings that haven’t cost much when they didn’t work and paid big dividends when they did! Ortiz was a cast-off from the Twins. Arroyo came off waivers (not a big deal, but he will always hold a special place in my heart for starting the ARod-Varitek brawl). Billy Mueller cost them $2MM. Millar came off unconditional waivers. Look at this year, with Smoltz and Baldelli. If they don’t work out, it hasn’t cost them the bank.
The other thing - look at the players the Sox have out of their own system. Pedroia. Youk. Masterson. Lowrie. Ellsbury. Papelbon. They Yankees have had some good players come out of their system over the past few years, too. Cano tops the list, in my opinion. But overall, it’s nothing compared to the Sox farm system.
I fully expect the Yankees fans to come back with their brilliant “f*ck you, you homo” rebuttal. All I can say is, I’m loving baseball more lately.
[Reply]
Kiko Jones Reply:
November 6th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Um, seen the papers lately?
[Reply]
April 21st, 2009 at 12:25 am
Every person giving the writer sh!t on here has no clue. Your “team” is a joke! Whether they win or lose this season doesn’t matter. They are just as described a “group” of 25 overpaid mercenaries who go out to earn a paycheck and nothing else. I feel sorry for Derek Jeter as an original Yankee who obviously cares, but can’t do sh!t about it anymore. Until Cashman or those idiot owners figure out you build a team through the draft (i.e the Tampa Rays, although it’s taken a while), the rest of the country will get to laugh at the ineptitude of all your gazillions of wasted dollars!
[Reply]
GABE Reply:
April 21st, 2009 at 1:59 pm
How are they going to build a team through the draft. They get the 27-30th picks every year. It took Tampa more then a decade pick 1st or 2nd in order to lose to the Phillies. I rather use the Yankees plan.
[Reply]
April 21st, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Hey dummy, the Yankees went out and added a bunch of contracts because they had a greater amount of contracts come off the books. They will spend less in 2009 than they will in 2008. It’s not the worst thing in the world for you not to know anything about baseball, but you could at least check your facts.
[Reply]
JC in NJ Reply:
May 13th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Sure. That was a great reason for adding the contracts. The writer’s whole point is that the mercenary approach hasn’t worked for them, and rather than learn from it, they keep doing the same thing.
Cashman deserves to work in an insane asylum! One of the definitions of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results!”
[Reply]
April 21st, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Cashman is a very good guy, having talked with him numerous times. He’s a good company man and a good family man. The aim of his job may be simple (to assemble the team to win), but there’s one key fact that this poor excuse for a writer forgets - He does not play the game. If you want to blame someone, or more than one person really, blame the team. The players who are making ungodly sums of money to play a game. The way they get paid, they should win a hell of a lot more.
Yes, I love the Yanks, but I do not love this trend in ALL sports for the players to get these huge contracts and not deliver. It is so en vogue to hate on the Yanks, but this guy’s not even qualified to say anything. Bad article Men’s Journal. Nothing would be more entertaining than to see this “writer” choke on the paper wasted in printing up this garbage.
[Reply]
April 21st, 2009 at 6:32 pm
i hate the yankees wiht a burning passion, but this article was absolute crap. horrible.
[Reply]
April 21st, 2009 at 8:13 pm
I’m a Yanks fan but my verdict’s still out on Cashman. But the portrayal of Theo Epstein of building a team of stars from within the system while operating on a shoestring budget is laughable. And how come nobody mentions the fact the The Mets routinely fail with the highest payroll in AAAA, also known as the NL. Some home grown stars in the last decade or so:
Yanks: Jeter, Bernie, Rivera, Posada, Pettitte, Soriano, Cano, Joba, and Wang
Bahston: Nomar, Pedroia, Youklis, Lester, and Papelbon
Mutts: Wright, Reyes…
[Reply]
Ace Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Don’t forget that the cornerstones of the Red Sox WS winning teams were all bought: Manny, Ortiz, Schilling, Pedro. Taibbi is a Red Sox homer. I hate Cashman, but this article is pretty shallow.
[Reply]
JC in NJ Reply:
May 13th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Nice lists, PagsRags. Unfortunately for the Yanks, 6 of the names in your Yankee list occurred in the last century. Wang hasn’t lived up to his potential and the jury is still out on Chamberlain (once they decide what to do with him!) Cano is the best of the bunch.
With the exception of Nomar, the others have all come in a year with a “2″ in front of it. Add in Masterson. Lowrie. Bard. Ellsbury.
[Reply]
April 21st, 2009 at 11:39 pm
This article is obviously written by an idiots, Yanks wont lose 6 in a row this year.
[Reply]
Spiker Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
How about 5 in a row?
[Reply]
April 22nd, 2009 at 11:45 am
No doubt there has been several mistakes and the old “it felt like the right decission at the time” excuse only goes so far. I think Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Pavano and Igawa should’ve never been bought. I think A-Rod, Giambi, Abreu, Clemens, Posada, Mariano and up to last year Pettite are/were overpaid. I think Matzui should be traded. I think they should’ve gone full force for Santana last year instead of holding on to Hughes, Kennedy and even Joba; because now Hughes and Kennedy are not there so the difference would have been Joba Vs. Santana and I take Santana any day of the week and twice on weekends. I think the Yankees should continue to use the national league as their personal farm system. Let players develop in teams like the brewers and the rockies and once they prove thay’re Yankees material, bring them up to the real big leagues: the AL EAST!
[Reply]
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Taibbi’s horrible similes are running on fumes, and his lack of understanding of baseball has already been diagnosed on numerous sites. Just let him spit this vitriol at popes for awhile, and we’ll all be better for reading it, at least compared to this. (Says the Agnostic Sox fan.)
[Reply]
April 28th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
well the douchetariat has certainly come out here. that’s what happens when the NYPost links to you, Matt.
the worst thing about cashman by far, and the reason why after a lifetime of yankee rooting (that in my family goes back to the teens) i’ve given up on them is because of the steroids. randy johnson? probably. kevin brown? certainly. a-rod? for sure. giambi? mais bien sur. jorge posada and the magic 336 season after never hitting over 280? most likely. andy pettite? you bet, mr. fucking christian hypocrite. roger clemens? ummm, yeah, less said about that the better. as for jeter–if he didn’t cheat, and chances are he didn’t, then he was captain and leader of clubhouse of liars and cheats. that hardly speaks well of him and in my opinion should keep him out of the hall of fame.
we are a nation of cheaters, and NY got the team it deserved. i’m sure every bankster sitting in his box seat with his mistress by his side enjoyed watching a bunch of cheats get paid at bankster levels for their perfidy. the whole fucking lot deserved each other, and the suckers were guys like me in the cheap seats. the yankees are permanently stained by what they became these past 15 years, and i haven’t even mentioned steinbrenner’s helping nixon use the constitution as toilet paper.
[Reply]
April 28th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
The only thing worse than the Yankee’s front office is Yankee fans. They are quite possibly the least informed and most infantile fans of any major team in the US.
Yankees = Kings of the Steroid Era.
[Reply]
April 29th, 2009 at 1:11 am
Perfect article. Yankees fanboys are butthurt. Enjoy another losing season.
[Reply]
April 29th, 2009 at 4:09 am
This article sounds like an angry Yankee fan looking for a scapegoat. The “And if you spend $200 million by (sic) day on aging steroid-jacking free agents with steel gloves and anger-management disorders” line in particular looks like the raving of someone who doesn’t really understand baseball.
In fact, on paper the teams Cashman put together “should” have won another World Series, or two or three. Unfortunately for him (and you) they don’t play the games on paper. Merely the fact that the Yanks have been in two World Series and missed the playoffs only once this decade makes them more successful than just about any team but the Red Sox - but that exception, I suspect, is the cause for much of the anger.
In other words, the fans of the 29 teams who aren’t the Yankees are playing the world’s smallest violin, just for you. You want actual ineptitude, get in your time machine and enjoy your team’s fortunes for the entire length of Don Mattingly’s career.
This is all assuming the article isn’t a parody of an angry Yankee fan. If it is parody, it needed to be a hell of a lot funnier.
[Reply]
April 29th, 2009 at 11:32 am
The fact is that the Yankees are STILL feeling the effects of that 1996-2000 run. Since then, the pressure is on to continue that legacy - no one in New York is willing to wait for a rebuilding era - where young guys mature and become a cohesive team. The Yankees media juggernaut must go on. How can the Steinbrenners justify the extra cost of the YES network, or their ridiculous ticket prices in their billion dollar stadium??? They keep signing “mega-stars” to put butts in the seats. I don’t think Cashman is genius by any stretch - I think if he really had no choice in these front-office moves -he should have resigned (with his dignity intact) now he’s just going to be the fall-guy, and he has no one to blame but himself.
The fact is: the new Yankees are all hype and ego - no substance. I would take Tino Martinez any day over A-Rod - b/c I knew he was clutch. The biggest problem is that they can’t “manufacture” runs like they did in the old days - Knoblauch would single - steal a base, Jeter would move him over, then O’Neill would single in the run, etc… Now they just swing for the fences. They’ve made huge blunders with their pitching choices - Randy Johnson, Pavano, etc…
Bascially - you can’t blame Cashman - he’s just a puppet - although a spineless one.
[Reply]
Tonyh Reply:
May 5th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Andro - is baseball a business or a sport?
If it is not a business than why does every major league team either want a new stadium or build seats on a wall to make more money…unfortunately the area of Free Agency made baseball more of a business and players know that already.
You can’t blame the money manager for assuming that a ballplayer that plays well in ABC city is going to be a fluke when he gets to the Yankees or any other major league team.
Can the Yankee’s perhaps go on without adding anybody else, probably yes. Have you gone to see the Yankees in Kansas City? For that series the tickets go up in price. It is the same in every city other than Boston. MLB needs the Yankees as much as the other teams need the Yankees. Fans will go to baseball games to either route for them or against them. Do you like wrestling? Why is there always a villain? If wrestling was about two nice guys fighting nobody would ever go.
If Cashman or the Yankee organization all of a sudden dumped the high priced players and said, we are sticking with the farm system, MLB and the other teams would have a cow. I am sure that people in Kansas City, Miami etc…wouldn’t pay to see some unheard of 3rd baseman play the Royals. It would just be a baseball game. The Yankees come into play and it is business.
[Reply]
April 30th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Wait, wait! I think I have this one!
All the mouthbreathing yankee-drooler I-know-sports-hard douchebag fucktards who are pissing and moaning like a bunch of girls about this pretty funny read are going to click Matt into a nice payday for the most viewed article on Men’s Journal, ever.
Did I get it?!?
I think I got it.
[Reply]
April 30th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Love the comments - especially Thurman writing, I can only assume, from Yankee Heaven. As for the column, I don’t have a problem with Taibbi ripping on Cashman. I rather agree that anybody with the money to spend that Cashman does should be able to field a better team. A good GM is the man who makes the team, although he has to work with the owner and the manager, so what does it say when the team seems to be randomly assembled from year to year? Plus, it’s every fan’s (and every columnist’s) God-given right to blast anything he finds objectionable about his sport - I personally find umpire-baiting to be an important part of going to a game, even though I know perfectly well that some of the umpires really do try to do a good job. However, let’s try to keep a sense of perspective here - professional baseball is no more a sport any more than professional wrestling. Owners, players and umpires alike have done their damndest to turn it into something like street opera, which is fine if you like drama, but not so good if you actually care about the game and its history. I used to be be fascinated by the game, but now I could hardly care less which bored millionaire happens to be listlessly waving his bat or glove at a ball, or closing his eyes and throwing the ball in the general direction of home plate, where an umpire will wake from his snooze long enough to randomly jerk one of his hands up in the air. Yankee fans, as every nearby city knows, are 99 44/100% drunken thugs, and the fact that Philly fans and (especially) Red Sox fans are even worse doesn’t excuse them. Yankee management goes through periodic epileptic fits where bricks of money are thrown, apparently randomly, at aging “players” who’ve obviously grown tired of the game, in hopes that this will motivate them to play like they’re 28 again. So what? It’s the same in Baltimore any more, and in other cities where the teams are owned by rich idiots. Still, it’s part of baseball to despise the Yankees when they win, because with their money, Sioux Falls should be able to win, and to despise the Yankees when they lose (see previous). Suck it, Yankee fans.
[Reply]
April 30th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
For all you dumb fuck Yankee fans who are saying the author has no idea what he’s talking about…let me ask you a question…
for all the money the Yankees spend on players, how come they never have a bench or a bullpen?
[Reply]
david o. Reply:
September 27th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
ha ha ha ha (last laugh)
[Reply]
April 30th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Attempt to buy a World Series, huh Matt? Last I checked the Yankees have more home grown talent in their starting lineup than either Boston or the Mets. I’ll be sure to toast you when we lift the trophy this year.
[Reply]
JC in NJ Reply:
May 14th, 2009 at 12:11 am
You’re right, but let’s look at that.
Yankees have 4 home-grown everyday starters: Posada, Jeter, Cano and Cabrera. Sox have 3: Youkilis, Pedroia and Ellsbury.
Two of the Yankees are at the end of their careers. If you want to live on what’s happened back in the 90’s, so be it.
Yankees have 7 home-grown pitchers on the staff: aceves, chamberlain, coke, hughes, pettitte, ramirez and rivera. Sox have 6: bard, delcarmen, jones, lester, masterson and papelbon. It’ll be 7 when Buchholz rejoins the team.
On the whole, pretty even, I’d say.
Buying the World Series comes into play with what each team has done to fill out the remainder of the roster. Hell, the Sox’ entire rotation combined makes $2M less than Sabathia and Burnett combined! The Sox’ entire batting order combined makes $5M less than A-Rod, Jeter and Tiexiera combined!
And that, my fried, is where “attempting to buy the world series” comes into play!
[Reply]
May 1st, 2009 at 1:12 pm
“Yankee fans, as every nearby city knows, are 99 44/100% drunken thugs”
That statement makes you sound more ignorant than the supposed-”douchebag fucktard” Yankee fans. New Yorkers are passionate about winning. We aren’t diehards who will watch our team wallow in mediocrity (although we did for most of the 80’s)year in and year out. New Yorkers are very intelligent sport fans - but with little patience. If you win - you are forever loved: ask Joe Namath, Anyone from the Champion Giants teams. This is why Jeter is so revered, and A-Rod so reviled. New Yorkers love guys who come through in the clutch - and despise ones who don’t.
This isn’t even about Cashman anymore…Everyone loves to hate the Yankees. But is there any team more in-sync with America than the Yanks? We are viewed around the world as the “Evil Empire” - so are the Yanks. We throw money at our problems (hello, bailout?), as do the Yanks. The Yankees are America - rooting against them is un-American. The cries of “everyone should be on an even playing field” and “it’s not fair that the Yankees have, and the rest of baseball have not”. STOP WHINING YOU LEFTIST, BLEEDING HEART, LIBERAL, SOX-CHEERING, COMMUNIST MORONS!!! MOVE TO CANADA!!! You can all be Blue Jay fans - pay 50% taxes for socialized medicine - and fuck off -socialist pigs!
[Reply]
May 1st, 2009 at 3:54 pm
This is funny! I think he’s correct, that it’s crazy that a job like Brian Cashman’s exists in the first place. What do you do for a living? I buy and sell baseball players and I have an unlimited budget. No wonder this country is going downhill. A guy gets paid to do this? I hope that our economic situation begins to affect professional sports and that these guys get paid what they’re worth, which is peanuts. Respect only Ironman triathletes, especially the amateurs.
[Reply]
May 4th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Are you serious! Stick to something you actually can write about. If you were a sports journalist, you would be working for a reputable sports mag…don’t try and pretend something you aren’t.
If you owned your own business, wouldn’t you try and secure the best talent so you are profitable…
[Reply]
May 4th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
The Red Sox bring up the kids. The Yankees spent half a billion on 3 players. ANY retard Yankee fan that tries to compare that is an idiot.
[Reply]
Tonyh Reply:
May 5th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I forgot that the Red Sox two championships was full of minor leaguers. Here is the list of Red Sox players who came up via the minors, I JUST DIDN’T KNOW THAT:
Mike Lowell (via FA), Josh Beckett (via FA), Pedro Martinez (via FA) Doug Mientkiewicz (via FA), Johny Damon (via FA) Bronson Arroyo (via FA) Jason Varitek (via FA) Derek Lowe (via FA) Curt Shilling (via FA) David Ortiz (via FA) Manny Ramirez (via FA)Kevin Millar (via FA)Tim Wakefield (via FA)Mike Timlin (via FA) Gabe Kapler (via FA) Orlando Cabrera (via FA) Diasuke Matsuzaka (via FA) …
Man you Red Sox fan’s are amazing, i have never seen idiot in one place like I do at Fenway Park…you guys are right you only bring in the young guys…please
Compared to
Jorge Posada 4 Rings
Andy Petite 4 Rings
Mariano Rivera 4 Rings
Dereck Jeter 4 Rings
Bernie Williams 4 Rings
[Reply]
Reggie V Reply:
May 5th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Yankees are a disgusting organization full of losers. They will never win again, keep living in the past-loser.
[Reply]
Bill Reply:
May 5th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Boy Tonyh, for a person that throws around the word idiot you bring the word to a new level. Don’t let truth get in the way of your argument. I fixed your mistakes below:
Mike Lowell (via trade not FA), Josh Beckett (via trade not FA), Pedro Martinez (via trade not FA) Doug Mientkiewicz (via trade not FA), Bronson Arroyo (drafted not via FA) Jason Varitek (via trade and developed not FA) Derek Lowe (via trade and developed not FA) Curt Shilling (via trade not FA) David Ortiz (via waiver wire not FA) Tim Wakefield (via waivers not FA)Orlando Cabrera (via trade not FA).
Our lineup of homegrown players:
Ellsbury
Pedroia
Varitek (trade but a minor leagues)
Lowrie
Youklis
Papelbon
Lester
Delcarmen
Masterson
Kottaras
Jones
Open mouth and insert foot.
[Reply]
May 5th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
So as we bash the Yankees all of a sudden we forget about the other teams that spent millions on over priced players. Why does bashing the Yankees sound so much like bashing the United States. I have heard the leader of Iran bash the USA in the same way this author bashes the Yankees. How about the Red Sox, why do they get a free pass or the Cardinals, the Dodgers, the Cubs etc… And by bashing teams like the Yankees you only take away from the accomplishments made by teams like the Rays and the Marlins. You blame the Yankees lack of winning is all due to bad free agents and not good ball playing by teams like last years Rays. Why not bash the free agents that have the good years in small town markets but can’t make it in the Big Apple because of pressure. If you ask me those are the phonies, the same guys the author of this article praises the hell out of as the play in small town market ABC. I find it funny that in a country that prides it self on capitalism and free markets, the reporters whine about spending money. Please correct me if I am wrong but the Yankees are not the only ones selling tickets for $1,000 a game. It transcends all sports currently being played in the United States.
This article should be more how over priced reporters get paid to provide us with articles that are useless and do nothing for the sport. If I wanted to read about the state of baseball economics, I would read the WSJ or perhaps pick up Business Weekly. I want to read about how a professionally baseball player has the discipline day in and day out to produce in front of millions of people and in some cases, the toughest markets around. If you ask me, that is the story.
[Reply]
May 5th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
To all Red Sox fans enjoy this because it won’t last two long and dont give me this we bring them up from the minors crap. Not one major player on the Red Sox’s with the exception of one has been brought up via the minor leagues. If you don’t like free agency blame MLB not the teams. You Red Sox fans are the biggest idiots in baseball you have 5 titles to your name in over 100 years and yet you are all high and mighty. Get off the mountain little guy, just because you scream the loudest doesn’t mean you are the strongest.
When you Red Sox fans reach double digits in championships then we can talk until then shut up and join the line, you are no different then the Marlins with 2 or perhaps even the Cubs. Nobody ever says the team of the year, they talk about championships in franchise and the Yankees have more than you pathetic potato eating Red Sox’s. For all the gloating you are doing remember the baseball god’s always get even.
[Reply]
Frank Reply:
May 7th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
With the exception of one? Our two best players are Pedroia and Youkilis; both from the system. One of our top pitchers is Lester: ditto. Who’s the ace reliever? Papelbon; from the system. The other thing we’ve been able to do that the Yankees have not (since 2001, at least) is trade *other* guys from the system for guys that help. That’s how we got Beckett and Lowell. That’s partially how we got Jason Bay. That’s even how, back in the day, we got Pedro and Schilling. Where did the meme that the Sox go free agent wild come from? Free agents on the current Sox include one important member of the lineup (Drew), one big part of the rotation (Daisuke)…and then, a couple backup outfielders, the fifth starter, and a shortstop who sucks.
[Reply]
May 5th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Wow, a scathing article about the Yankees which didn’t mention their new Billion dollar stadium or the $2500 seats (which you have to buy 4 of just for the privilege).
[Reply]
May 5th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
I love how everyone equates the Rays to being so smart. Its easy to be smart when you have a top 5 draft pick every year for 10 years. Were they smart in finishing in last place every year so they could stockpile picks for one unsuccessful playoff run? Its one thing to call them smart really it was just them being rewarded for years of futility.
In Cash’s defense, he was staunchly opposed to resigning A-Rod and the Steinbrenner family stepped in and did it anyway. So you can say what you want about him having full control but if the player goes around his agent and negotiates directly with ownership then you cant really fault the GM for the payroll or the team chemistry.
[Reply]
jwsimons Reply:
May 6th, 2009 at 10:38 am
But A-Rod’s resigning is one case. What about Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa, Jaret Wright, Randy Johnson, Giambi and others? Doesn’t Cashman bear some responsibility for those decisions? Even if he’s only partly to blame, why is he still considered by most Yankee fans to be a *genius*? Why?
[Reply]
May 5th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Boy Tonyh, for a person that throws around the word idiot you bring the word to a new level. Don’t let truth get in the way of your argument. I fixed your mistakes below:
Mike Lowell (via trade not FA), Josh Beckett (via trade not FA), Pedro Martinez (via trade not FA) Doug Mientkiewicz (via trade not FA), Bronson Arroyo (drafted not via FA) Jason Varitek (via trade and developed not FA) Derek Lowe (via trade and developed not FA) Curt Shilling (via trade not FA) David Ortiz (via waiver wire not FA) Tim Wakefield (via waivers not FA)Orlando Cabrera (via trade not FA).
Our lineup of homegrown players:
Ellsbury
Pedroia
Varitek (trade but a minor leagues)
Lowrie
Youklis
Papelbon
Lester
Delcarmen
Masterson
Kottaras
Jones
Open mouth and insert foot.
[Reply]
May 5th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Is there any non-Yankee fan who has any objection to anything in this article? I didn’t note any; just a lot of whining from Yankee bandwagoneers. True, every decent American hates the pinstripers, and Taibbi is apparently among our number, but just because we all root against the Yankees doesn’t mean articles about what douchebags the Yankees (and the fans) are aren’t incisive. And true.
[Reply]
May 6th, 2009 at 10:00 am
It is so sad and telling that people’s egos are wrapped up in whether or not their team wins. Does anyone simply watch the game for the pure aesthetics of its perfect symetrics and crazy bounces? Going to a Yanks/Sox game in either the Stadium or Fenway is nearly intolerable due to the testosterone/ beer fueled epithets that resound for the entire nine innings in both venues.
Caveat: I am a Yankee fan that bemoans their dysfunctional, and lately success challenged, organization.
[Reply]
May 6th, 2009 at 10:22 am
First off: I’m a lifelong Yankee fan–and I love this piece. You can knock Taibbi’s writing, or his less-than-encyclopedic knowledge of baseball. But really, this is a *management* story. Simply put, Cashman controls a large budget and should be able to show decent return on his invested capital. He has nothing to show for all the money he’s blown year after year. And I’ve been baffled as to why he’s escaped real media criticism for so long. This article is a good start.
[Reply]
August 13th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
This would be a great article except for 1 thing. YOU ARE CLUELESS !!! You can’t tell else Cash. has screwed up a job that is impossible to screw up w/o telling us how it’s impossible to screw up !! 1. You rip him for having plenty of $ and spending it, so that can’t be it. 2. You at same time rip him for not trading youth and paying big $ for Johan !!!! You say Torre did not want Brown, Johnson, Wright, Igawa, Contreras or Giambi. Did Cash. ? Up until end of ‘05 Cash. was fighting A. Tampa Nuts who had Georges ear. B. NO legit players in minors to bring up. C. He was told every year he had to build a winning pitching staff, but W/O BENIFIT of any players from minors!!!
Fact is we need to judge Cash. since after ‘05 and he has done an EXCELLENT job in getting Yanks back on track by building up farm from 1 of the lowest ranking systems to 1 of the top 10. To say he is trying to buy W.S. this year is just wrong. Payroll is about even from last yr., he added 3 top players and gave up NOTHING player wise.
[Reply]
August 29th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Does matt have any stock picks . That way I know to bet the other way and make the big bucks.
[Reply]
September 1st, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Stick to politics Matt. You called this one as wrong as you got Goldman Sachs right…
[Reply]
September 27th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
[Reply]
October 1st, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Hey great call, moron.
[Reply]
October 5th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Mr. Taibbi’s,
Would you like your serving of crow with a side of cock and balls?
Sincerely,
103 Wins
[Reply]
E.J. Ramos Reply:
October 17th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
I approve of this message.
[Reply]
October 11th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Well now, Mr. Taibbi. Cash is looking pretty good right now. His bullpen, his Swish, his acquisitions…. 103 W’s and a sweep in the ALDS. Maybe you fucked up?
[Reply]
October 17th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Gotta love the Yankee bashing articles. So let me get this straight, its terrible when Cashman tries to buy championships with all these free agents? But it’s also terrible when he decides not to trade the entire farm system for Johan Santana? What utter nonsense.
If it’s so easy to put together teams, why don’t more owners and general managers do it? If only there were more owners who were rich. Because as we all know most of the teams in MLB are owned by elderly couples just barely scraping by with their social security checks. Here’s a list of the richest owners in baseball according to Forbes
1. Carl Pohlad’s (Twins)
2. John Malone (Braves)
3. Mike Ilitch (Tigers),
4. Tom Hicks (Rangers)
5. George Steinbrenner (Yankees)
Steinbrenner is the 5th richest owner in MLB. So the question isn’t why the Yankees spend so much. The question is why don’t other owners spend more. Where’s the outrage when owners don’t spend the money to get free agents or keep their own players? Why is it that Torii Hunter is on the Angels and Johan Santana is on the Mets Mr. Pohland?
The team has one bad season and the vultures come out. Cashman doesn’t have the easiest job in sports, he’s got the hardest. There’s an unbelievable amount of pressure on the Yankees to win every year. Which is ridiculous. But he also gets criticized no matter what he does. If he goes out and gets free agents, its awful. If he doesn’t sign a free agent and decides to build up the farm system, it’s awful.
Last season, the non trade for Santana didn’t look so good. How brilliant does it look today?
[Reply]
October 17th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Guess it’s time to fire Cashman and his souless band of mercenaries. The whole piece is classic ignorant Yankee bashing. Thanks for your truly original and insightful view.
[Reply]
October 17th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
The person who wrote this article is a dumb ass.
[Reply]
October 17th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
haha. you suck. cashman got swisher. cashman got tex while the best gm in the whole universe theo jewstein couldnt. recognize. cashman is gangsta.
[Reply]
October 17th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Who’s laughing now?
[Reply]
October 17th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I wonder how this tool who wrote this article feels now? This article is not worthy to be printed on toilet paper, used toilet paper at that.
I am a member of the RAB community and I approve this message.
[Reply]
October 17th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Reading this article makes me wonder how this guy keeps his job. He just runs of a list of cliches that don’t apply to the Yankees at all. He couldn’t be more off.
[Reply]
October 17th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
hmmm… Yankees in the AlCS now… it’s about time someone bite the bullet
[Reply]
October 17th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I bet you feel pretty smart right now don’t you Matt? Your God Theo and his team are on a golf course somewhere meanwhile Dumb Ol Cashman and his team are well on their way to winning a 27th World Series Title. FYI if you look at the Yanks lineup and their bullpen, the majority of those guys are homegrown. So much for just buying 25 players every offseason huh? LOL
[Reply]
October 17th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Wow, that MAtt Taibbi is a soothsayer…
Stick to politics, Matt. You sound like another bitter Mets/Red Sox fan who would be indicted for fraudulent accosting if you had really tried to pass yourself off as a fortune teller
[Reply]
October 17th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Who the fuck is Matt Taibbi and what does he know about baseball? Apparently nothing. This is trash; I would expect better from Men’s Journal. Otherwise, don’t publish any articles about baseball.
[Reply]
October 18th, 2009 at 12:45 am
I know they haven’t won squat yet, but the Yanks are making this writer look foolish.
[Reply]
October 18th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Can we get a follow-up article titled, “Why I Don’t Know Shit About Baseball?”
[Reply]
October 18th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Great work, Matt. Congrats on the kewl article! I’ll continue to check out Men’s Journal when I want a smart opinion on baseball, or some sex secrets and manscaping tips. Anyone else know how to get those six pack abs, and also ca define WXE and wOBA for me? Didn’t think so - Men’s Health is your one-stop man shop!
Fucking moronic.
[Reply]
October 19th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Matt,
You seem to have a great knack for writing. However, it may be in your best interest to write about something else besides Major League Baseball. Before I dissect your laughable article in hindsight, let me first feed you some facts about what Brian Cashman has done before the 2009 Yankees took over the sports world.
In case you forgot, or chose to ignore the fact, Brian Cashman and his Yankees made the playoffs and won more games than any other team in MLB with their “lets sign the best available free agents and add them to our farm kids” mentality every season from 1995 through 2007. 2008 was a year that included injuries to their Ace pitcher, best up-and-coming pitcher, DH, catcher, and two hall-of-fame infielders. And on top of all of those injuries, they still won 89 games! In fact, since they ran off 4 World Series Championships in 5 years from 1996 to 2000, no team has won more regular season games than the Yankees! (See 2001-2008). Forget the fact that the Yankees have already proved everything you wrote about for the 2009 season absolutely wrong, but even if they bombed this year, your theory would still be bogus. Spending money, and spending if wisely has done nothing but good for the Yankees. Check out their dynasty of the late 90’s. They signed, and traded for vets in the prime of their careers and added them to a home-grown core of Jeter, Williams, Pettitte, Rivera etc.
Now, what were you saying about this year’s Yankee free agent class? CC, AJ and Tex have done nothing but dominate thus far in 2009. These signings were all pulled off by Cashman. Yes, for the most part he had a blank check, but he did end up maxing out his “budget” and had to convince CC, AJ and tex that this was the best place for their families and career. Cashman even made under-the-radar acquisitions like Nick Swisher and Jerry Harriston Jr. that have paid huge dividends already in October. So please, do all of us a favor and drum-up and apology article that takes back everything that you so wrongly published about thie team.
And in the future, maybe try writing about anything in the world besides the Yankees, and stop trying to act like Brian Cashman doesn’t know what he’s doing. Every GM makes their fair share of bad signings and trades, but he has actually been dead on for the last 5 or so seasons.
Maybe you can publish something on the Red Sox and their old, overpaid, battered down, injury-plagued, steroid abusing roster that was swept out of the first round this year? But that wouldn’t provide much flair now would it?
[Reply]
October 21st, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Since so many of you “fans” hate the Yankees then I think all of the teams that are benefiting off of the revenue sharing should be required to return the money. The Phillies, I’m looking at you.
[Reply]
October 27th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
We are all dumber for having read this.
[Reply]
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:05 am
Looking forward to Matt eating a little crow in a day or so
[Reply]
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:20 pm
So I’m guessing I won’t see you at this year’s ticker tape parade after they close out #27 tonight?
GO YANKEEEEEES!!!! Muahahahahahahahahaha….
[Reply]
November 5th, 2009 at 12:02 am
Hey Matt, how’s my a@@ taste?
[Reply]
November 5th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Hi Matt:
On behalf of Yankee fans across the world..one big single finger NY salute to you and your article from a few months back about the Yankees. feel free to whie about it..id rather enjoy success. Keep writing and showing us all you “know” about sports! Doh
Mike M Long Island NY
[Reply]
November 5th, 2009 at 12:44 am
I guess you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, because The Yankees are the ChAMPIONS OF BASEBALL.
Keep on writing you’re lame shit.
[Reply]
November 5th, 2009 at 8:05 am
I recognize that arguing with Yankees fans, especially the morning after they finally tripped over another championship, is a bit like tricking the retarded, but come on — you’re all missing the point here.
The reality is that Cashman spends much more money than any other team, therefore the Yankees are expected to win the whole shebang EVERY YEAR — they can’t argue they don’t have the right tools. Yet this is their first win since 2000, giving them a batting average of .111. That’s worse than Mario Mendoza would hit NOW — even against A.J. Burnett.
So enjoy your victory today, Yankees fans. Lord knows you bought it for 10 straight years. Congrats on finally getting a return on your money pit.
See you back there in a decade!
[Reply]
HAHAHAHAHA Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
WAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!
[Reply]
HAHAHAHAHA Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
“See you back there in a decade!”
don’t think so, buddy.
if you know anything about baseball and the yankees, you will know that Cashman is never going to let the farm system get stripped down to nothingness ever again.
that’s the difference.
the Yankees have learned how to draft. so now they can draft, develop prospects to trade or to play, sign international FA’s, and sign big money FA’s.
Cashman is building a MONSTER of an organization, and anyone who knows anything about baseball (Matt Taibbi, that’s not you) can see that the yankees are going to be a force for a long time.
they won’t win it every year, that’s not realistic, but you will never see another stretch like 2004-2007 with old, unathletic players and no pitching.
not gonna happen.
Cashman now has 4 rings. the only ring Taibbi has is the one he puts on his flaccid…oh, you know.
[Reply]
Kiko Jones Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 2:14 am
Joe Torre:
You are so sad in your pathetic hatred I shouldn’t have to waste my time correcting your tangential nonsense. No one assumes or expects the Yankees will win just because of the amount they’ve spent. What you do expect is a much more than fighting chance at winning it all, period.
What was it that former Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo said recently? Oh, yeah:
“If you ask any owner whether they would rather make $20 million and come in last place or lose $20 million and win a World Series, there’s only one guy who honestly would take that championship: George Steinbrenner. Nobody else.”
But go ahead and hate the Yankees while you cheer for the teams who get $30m in revenue sharing and then field a $26m team-–and that’s before the TV money comes in; before they sell a seat or even a hot dog–-to ensure they make a profit. Who cares if they sell false hope to their team’s fans? Losing seasons? So what? At least their books aren’t in the red. Right?
That’s what baseball needs. Not owners willing to spend to give their fans a championship. Suckers. Why waste money on trying to win, when selling false hope and suffering is way cheaper?
[Reply]
November 5th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
It’s amazing how wrong this article is.
[Reply]
November 5th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
eat sh*t moron.
[Reply]
November 5th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
serious question:
since this team was supposed to crash and burn under the weight of their stars’ egos, doesn’t that mean Girardi is Manager of the Year?
[Reply]
Ghost of Brian Cashman Reply:
November 5th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
How do you like me now, bitches?
Hey Taibbi - maybe taking huge financial gambles and betting you’re right is what made the Yankees (and America) great. Sure beats letting self-procliaimed small-dick experts like you make the call in the name of sustainability or self-esteem boosting or whatever red crap you’re in love with this week.
By the way, that burning smell is your flaming jacknifed trailer on the Cross-Bronx Expwy exploding after it crashed into the idiot barrier. Yankee fans are taking up a collection and willingly paying a luxury tax to pour gasline on the smoldering embers.
Take your socialist-loving BS and choke on it. For the rest of you Yankee haters - keep telling yourselves that it was all a dream. We’ll be back to steal your lunch money, kick your ass and kidnap your women next year, too. After all, it’s the American way.
[Reply]
November 6th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Ahem. Checked the box scores lately, Matt?
[Reply]
November 6th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
“And unless the karma gods decide to spend the summer in a diabetic coma, it’s almost certainly what’s going to happen to this year’s Yankees. God, is it going to be fun to see. Nothing is more entertaining than watching the rich choke on their own greed.”
Time to chow down on some crow, Matt.
[Reply]