Brian Cashman Sounds Like A Man Ready To Leave New York Yankees
January 25, 2011 · Larry Barnes · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Let’s play a little game.
I’m going to give you a quote from Brian Cashman. It has been transcribed, as best as humanly possibly, word for word and stammer for stammer. The quote comes from a Tuesday afternoon Cashman interview on the Michael Kay show on ESPN radio in New York. Read the quote, then see if you can guess the question that was asked, which will be revealed at the end.
CASHMAN’S QUOTE:
“Listen, you know, as long as I can handle the, the media (Cashman laughs and Kay interjects: “you do that just fine.”) Alri… ya know… uh… di… but… after… you know… listen… I think that… I like what I do. I think I’ve gotten, maybe, better, over time, I understand the job better, I understand the people and the processes better. I think we’ve gotta a good structure and philosophy that we’ve put in place. And think we’ve, you know, my job is to hire good people to help me make, you know, better decisions, and I think we’ve got a good system, so let’s put it this way: Uh, ya, I like what I do as long as… it’s not easy… as long as I can take it, you know, both mentally and physically, and that we’re, if we’re successful with the decisions that I, I make, uh… but, at the same time if at any point I become a problem, where, for instance, the job’s not getting done to the best of its abilities, I think, the thing I’m proud about is I think we’ve got a system now in place that you know, hey, uh… we can promote people on various levels. Uh… If we lose our amateur scouting director to a GM job, I think, you know, we have people, you know, that, that can step up and step in ‘cause we’ve trained ‘em well. Just like if I lost out and they wanted to take me out, and something happened at that level, I think we have people here in place that can step up and replace me and I think that, you know, we have a great farm system, we have great players, that’s what it’s all about, on the field, we have a tremendous manager now and coaching staff (illegible) awesome ownership… So I think that, there’s a hell of a system here in place that uh, whether I’m here, or somebody else, it’ll thrive, and uh, and I’m proud to be a part of it., and uh, and, but, at the same time, I’ll be proud to watch from a distance if somebody decided it’s time for me not to be here. But uh, that’s not stuff we’re dealing with, and, and, thankfully, and, and uh, I’m happy, and look forward to being here for, uh, as long as it works, and uh, but I’m also not afraid if it doesn’t work, you know, I’m a big boy, too, I understand all that, that comes with it. It’s not an easy job, and, you know, some years I’ve done better than others, but I’m (big breath) one thing is, I’m always trying, and will keep, that’s the Yankee way, and that’s the way George wanted it. You gotta keep fightin’, and you’re not going to be successful all the time, but you better be in it, you know, just like I’m talking about Andy (Pettitte) earlier, you gotta be all-in, and, and ya, we’re, at this stage, I’m all-in, no doubt about it.”
Did you make it through? Are you still awake? Did you set yourself on fire, like the guy who couldn’t stand to listen to any more of one passenger’s long, boring story in the Airplane! movie?
Assuming you made it this far, can you guess the question asked that prompted such a long journey of an answer from Cashman.
Believe it or not, that was Cashman’s answer when Michael Kay, speaking to Brian’s being the GM of the Yankees, asked him, and I quote: “Do you wanna be here long term?”
That was it! That’s the ENTIRE question. All seven words of it! Have you ever seen ANYBODY go so far out of the way to answer such a direct and simple question?
The answer, if Cashman truly wants to be the Yankees GM, is a very simple one to answer. Do you wanna be here long term? ANSWER: Yes! Or, perhaps, ABSOLUTELY! You only take the scenic route Cashman took if you don’t have an answer or don’t want to answer the question.
It’s not as if Kay asked Cashman if he THINKS he’ll be the Yankees GM long term. He only asked if he WANTED to be the Yankees GM long term.
Break it down into parts and think about how often Cashman’s filibuster of an answer proved somewhere between far off-topic and absurd.
Hey, Brian, do you wanna be here long term? “We have a good manager and coaching staff.’
Hey, Brian, do you wanna be here long term? “We have a good farm system.”
Hey, Brian, do you wanna be here long term? “I like what I do and I think I’ve gotten better.”
Hey, Brian, do you wanna be here long term? “I think we can replace our amateur scouting director if he gets a GM job.”
And while we’re at it, and In the interest of saving SOME time, riddle me this, Brian. What exactly does “the way George wanted it,” and “hiring good people,” and the Yankees “having a good structure and philosophy in place,” and having “great players on the field” have to do with “do you wanna be here long term?”
Perhaps the closest Cashman came to actually answering the very direct question came in the final words of his filibuster.
KAY: “Do you wanna be here long term.” CASHMAN: “… AT THIS STAGE, I’m all-in.”
Whether he meant to or not, all of Cashman’s long-winded dancing around such a direct question proved as revealing as any direct answer the Yankees GM could have possibly offered.
Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com
Yankee Tickets
Shop Yankee
