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Brian Cashman: the Yankees' G.M. opens up on being a boss, working for the Boss and living in a Red Sox world

Sporting News, The, March 18, 2005 by James (American musician) Brown

J.B.: What's been the key to your successful relationship with George Steinbrenner for, what, going into your eighth year now?

CASHMAN: Yes, it's my eighth season--surprisingly so. I know when I took the job, I told my wife, "This is probably the first year and the last year working for the Yankees." Because usually you get to this level, and there's only one more door to go through, which is the exit, and it's usually not by your choice.

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But we've had a very successful run for a lot of reasons. We've won seven straight American League East titles and three world championships; we've been in five World Series during that time, so we've had five American League Championships. So we're pretty proud of what we've been able to accomplish. We've had a lot of hands involved with that, as any company that's successful would have, which, obviously, includes great managers, great players, great coaches, etc.

J.B: What do you pride yourself on as a baseball guy?

CASHMAN: One of the things I've noticed from people that joined the organization from the outside who'd had success and became the general manager here, they came in with an ego and made the mistake of saying, "I've seen what happened in the Yankee universe, but that won't happen to me." George Steinbrenner is the boss here, and everyone falls in line, and you've got to check egos at the door. That's tough for some people to handle and manage through. But you've got to fall in line and recognize this is his team and he's going to be hands on. He runs it his way.

I grew up in this situation, so this is all I've ever known. When I had the opportunity, surprisingly, given to me, it came out of the blue; it wasn't something I was aspiring to do. Believe me, seeing it was a hot seat, it's not like you want to be in that hot seat. But when I had the opportunity presented, I was smart enough not to turn it down.

What works for me is I include every body. Just like any good leader, you have to make sure you keep everybody involved and make them feel like they're a part of it. I think the Boss appreciates the fact that we run this thing more like a cabinet or the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He's the president, say, I'm the vice president, and then we have a lot of people from the farm director to the scouting director to our manager who have different roles at that table.

J.B.: Does it get up under your skin at all to see the kind of volleys that are being fired now by the Boston Red Sox players at your squad?

CASHMAN: Does it irritate you? It certainly does. But that's, I think, part of their nature. They've been talking for a number of years now, but they backed it up with a championship last year--finally.

We're different; we're a little more understated. I got a kick out of how they define who's a Yankee and who's not a Yankee. Derek Jeter, they say, is a Yankee, but A-Rod's not a Yankee. But what makes a Yankee? Derek Jeter and Boomer Wells are radically different people, for instance, but Boomer was a Yankee as much as Derek has been a Yankee, obviously. So, it's weird. They kind of complain about A-Rod not being like Derek Jeter, but I don't think there's any Derek Jeters up there in Boston, either. I don't think it's fair to compare anyone to Derek Jeter because he's one in a million.

I'm not sure where it's going and why it is, but I guess it's therapeutic for them to lash out for some reason. We're not going to return fire, but I would concede it gets irritating and curious.

J.B.: Are you concerned about all the barbs coming A-Rod's way possibly driving a wedge between him and Derek Jeter?

CASHMAN: No, I'm really not. First, controversy is part of working here, so our guys are used to it. Second, I think that a lot of this stuff certainly can backfire from Boston's end. Although we're not responding publicly, privately there's a lot of positive dialogue going on down here. And I think it's bringing our team closer together. You protect your own. Right now with Jason Giambi, for instance, our guys--because he's a Yankee and because he's a teammate--they're supporting him. And A-Rod, because he's a Yankee, because he's a teammate, they're supporting him. And the great thing about it is the fact that once you get between those white lines, it all gets tuned out.

J.B.: The press has been making so much of the fact that not many players have come out publicly in support of A-Rod.

CASHMAN: I think it has nothing to do with not supporting A-Rod, because we do. It's just the Red Sox have said so much now for so long, going back to last year when (Boston's trade for Alex Rodriguez) fell apart and they were supporting their guy, Nomar Garciaparra. It just becomes noise after a while. They've spoken so much about Alex Rodriguez that you don't pay attention to it. And if someone doesn't like somebody else, there's nothing to respond to. Trot Nixon doesn't like Alex Rodriguez, or Curt Schilling doesn't like Alex Rodriguez. Well, fine. That's on Curt and Trot. Alex Rodriguez is not just a tremendous baseball player, he's a tremendous person. He's a great Yankee, and he's going to be someone that everybody is going to wish were on their club.

Brian Cashman: the Yankees' G.M. opens up on being a boss, working for the Boss and living in a Red Sox world

Sporting News, The, March 18, 2005 by James (American musician) Brown

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