Home Delivery

Hank Steinbrenner must support GM Cashman

Ken Davidoff

February 26, 2008

Article tools

E-mail

Share
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
- Facebook
- Fark
- Google
- Newsvine
- Reddit
- Yahoo

TAMPA, Fla.

To hear Hank Steinbrenner yesterday, when he was gracious enough to give a few of us a few minutes at Legends Field, you'd nominate him for Mr. Big Picture of 2008.

"Nobody's going to be as patient with the young pitchers as me," the junior Boss said.

" ... You don't throw them to the sharks when they're 22 years old. Otherwise, their arms fall off. I'm very confident in the next 10 years."

Ken Davidoff Bio | E-mail | Recent columns

Of course, this is the same guy who last week told Newsday, "It's clear that if we don't get the job done this year, if [Johan] Santana could have made the difference for us and the young pitchers aren't ready, people have to be held accountable."

For the Yankees to move forward and challenge the Red Sox for world domination, they need Hank to truly fall in line with his general manager, Brian Cashman, and his brother, Hal Steinbrenner. To not flip-flop, which his dad turned into an art form.

Because if Hank spends all summer fuming about Santana's success with the Mets - and Hank intends to be in New York a great deal - then the Yankees will lose Cashman. If not by Steinbrenner's choosing, then by Cashman's.

That's just a hunch, albeit one forged by being around Cashman for his entire run as GM. Cashman put up with George Steinbrenner's endless nonsense because he felt a sense of gratitude toward The Boss, who gave Cashman his first chance. I'm not sure there will be such loyalty toward the junior Boss.

"All I can tell you is, I'll do the best job I can, as always, and live with the results that come with my decision-making," Cashman said Sunday. "I'm never afraid of responsibility and accountability, but I think I've demonstrated that I don't necessarily take the easy path."

Even yesterday, playing his paragon-of-patience role, Hank conceded that he wouldn't be able to ignore Santana on the other side of town.

But what Hank must appreciate is the courage that his brother and Cashman exhibited in executing this non-move. No doubt, the 2008 Yankees would be better with Santana in their rotation. Yet how would Santana look as an American League pitcher in 2013, at age 34, earning $25.5 million? Perhaps fine, but that's a question you'd rather contemplate with someone you've developed in your own organization.

There's an anecdote from "Feeding the Monster," the best-selling book on the Red Sox by Seth Mnookin, focusing on an October 2005 organizational meeting. Red Sox GM Theo Epstein asked a group of his co-workers: "What if we win 85 games [in 2006]? We're bringing up some young players that are going to be better in '07 than they will be next year. And they'll probably be even better than that in '08."

Epstein proved prophetic, as the '06 Bosox won 86 games, missing the playoffs, before winning it all last year.

Cashman nodded when asked if he read the book and recalled that tidbit, and whether he sees similarities between that moment with the Red Sox and this moment with the Yankees.

"I think we have a lot of talent in that clubhouse," he said. "A lot of good things can happen. But just like any season, they could go both ways.

" ... I choose not to look at something as six months. Whatever happens, it's only six months. I've got a bigger picture in mind. And I think that the next five to 10 years of the franchise, [people] will be very proud of a lot of the work we are doing, and I'm willing to walk through fire to get there.

"Even if it doesn't mean I'm a part of it going forward, that's all right. I'm being paid to set up this franchise in the now and the future. I'm taking it seriously."

If the Yankees win 85 games this year, Hank just might utilize his trigger finger and promote senior vice president Damon Oppenheimer to GM. Or Cashman, in the last year of his deal, might opt to hit the lecture circuit and get some face time on ESPN in 2009, or take a GM job in a more sane environment.

But if they miss the playoffs even as the kids blossom, and Hank sticks to his words from yesterday, then Cashman can continue the very promising endeavor he has built here.