The Yankees Should Develop From Within, And Not Just On The Field

People had a lot to say about my last article, however most of it had to do with how it was written. I'm not out out to insult people, but I will point out that Yankees Universe isn't full of Rhodes Scholars. And hell... the backlash did help create a nickname for my readers, something that I never in my wildest dreams would have thought would happen. So I'd like to welcome all my Mulch Heads back!

An admittedly small crowd.

Well, let's see if I can inadvertently offend people again...

The purpose of my last article was to defend the people that are running the Yankees, particularly Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi. While they make some questionable... oh, who am I kidding? While they make some incredibly bone-headed decisions, neither man is an imbecile. They've been around winners, and helped develop winners, for a long time.  But I don't want to drive down that road again.

I was getting ready to reply to another post when I realized there was something else about Brian Cashman that made me a fan of his, and allows me to trust him. He's not like CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Brian McCann, and others that the Yankees need to contribute in order to succeed. While those guys have been a part of the Indians, Brewers, Braves, and Angels, the only team Brian Cashman has ever known is the New York Yankees.

Brian was born in Rockville Centre, NY, which is a little over 20 miles away from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. He was actually raised in Washingtonville, but even that town is only about an hour away from the home of the Bombers.

After getting his degree at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, Brian finally returned to New York City to work as an intern for the Yankees. Cash spent the next 12 years in the Yankees front office before being named the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the team, a job he's held for 17 years.

Like I said, Cashman could have left the Yankees for the Washington Nationals in 2005. At the time the Nationals were a brand new team, meaning there's a very good chance Brian would have had full autonomy... something he's fought for with the Yankees during his entire time here. And it's not like the Nats were the next Houston Astros, a team that is seemingly content with losing. Washington has been one of the better teams in baseball for a few years now, and with the addition of Max Scherzer I don't think they are going away any time soon.

That smile doesn't fool me, Max. I know you'd rather be wearing a Yankees uniform.

And Brian Cashman could have been a part of that. Would he have made less money as the Nationals' General Manager? Possibly. Although, I'm willing to bet the Nats compensate Mike Rizzo quite well, as he's been that team's GM for 7 years now, and they likely would have done the same for Cash.

The point is that Brian Cashman is a Yankee through and through, and that makes me feel good about him. This isn't just a job to Brian. The Yankees are his life, and it's been that way for 17 years now, and will likely be that way until his final breath.

So while you beg the Yankees to develop their own stars, and stop simply hiring mercenaries like Sabathia, Teixeira, and McCann, perhaps you should root for younger guys within the organization to be Brian's successor, instead of clamoring for them to hire the "next big thing" in baseball operations.

I may have actually convinced myself that Don Mattingly would have been a better choice as the Yankees manager instead of Joe Girardi, although... as a Donnie Baseball fan from year's back... I felt that way at the time too.