George Steinbrenner and the Ghost of Yankees Past Part III

This post was written on December 24, 2016. A lot has changed since these posts started being written, but unfortunately a lot has stayed the same as well. 

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Every good trilogy needs a good ending. Well, I take that back. Back to the Future didn’t have a great ending and if you want to count the Karate Kid movies when they had a female Karate Kid as a trilogy then that didn’t have a good ending either. Hopefully this will have a great ending though as I conclude my trilogy to my series entitled “George Steinbrenner and the Ghost of Yankees Past.” Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy the story.




When we last checked in with Hal Steinbrenner he was left on Christmas morning with his head hanging in shame. The empire and the organization that his father had built was crumbling. The Yankees had missed the postseason again after an embarrassing show the season before that resulted in the team limping into the postseason only to get shutdown in the AL Wild Card Game and in years past heads would be preparing themselves to roll. Not this year, not this regime. Not the Hal regime. In the Hal regime money has become the main focus of the team and its owners and winning has taken a step back from it all. When it comes to Christmas time though the Yankees and their fans want a shiny new toy each and every year. Has Hal learned anything from the past two seasons and should Yankees fans around the world expect something big to wake up to tomorrow morning? Keep reading.




Set the scene once again. Hal Steinbrenner sitting in his huge office that we have all grown accustomed to seeing this time of year. Hal, sitting at his desk, is nodding off as he shuffles through miscellaneous paperwork and reads through various emails when an all too familiar face appears behind him, George Steinbrenner. George Steinbrenner, the Ghost of Yankees past. Hal looks over at his father with a look that suggests he halfway expected to see his father show up at any time and he barely even acknowledges that there is a ghost standing beside his desk that is about three times the size that it should be. Hal looks over at his father with a sarcastic grin and asks “What did I do this time?” Without saying a word the two are off on another adventure that should last through the night and into the wee hours of the morning. Hopefully this time Hal and George can beat Santa Claus home.

The first stop on the magic adventure is back to the Burch house and to the home of the owner of The Greedy Pinstripes, Daniel Burch. The duo didn’t have to go too far back in time for this one, earlier in the same week Daniel was sitting at his desk frustrated, stressed out and trying to hammer out an apology letter to his readers, subscribers, friends and family about his lack of a presence on the site lately. Daniel had grown frustrated with the whole ordeal and with life and even typing out something from his heart had become troublesome. This was weird for Daniel as he has been able to pump out content left and right for the better part of four or five seasons now. You know what though? That’s not because of anything the Yankees, and specifically Hal Steinbrenner, had done for once. As Hal watches Daniel struggle through the article there is a flash the two flash back to the 2016 season where a much happier, less frustrated, Daniel is sitting in the same spot still violently typing away at 70-some words a minute. Instead of that discouraged look on his face the blog owner has a smile. Why? The Yankees have recently traded away Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller for top prospects while Dillon Tate and others were being fitted for uniforms after Carlos Beltran had also been traded. Gary Sanchez was getting the bulk of the playing time behind the dish for the Yankees and the youth movement was in full effect. The Yankees were out of the playoff race by the time the calendar changed to September but Daniel knew brighter, and much better days, were to come.




George smiled at the sight and that scared Hal. Hal wondered in his head, but wouldn’t dare say it out loud, why his father was happy that the Yankees were going through a youth movement, trading away veteran pieces and about to miss the playoffs again. He didn’t dare ask and before he even could anyway his father had swept him away to the second house on their tour. The house of the Yankees GM Brian Cashman.




It’s the Hot Stove season and despite Cashman declaring that the Yankees “heavy lifting” was over after acquiring Aroldis Chapman and Matt Holliday the Yankees GM was still working the phones and fielding calls, even on Christmas Eve. It’s unclear what GM that Cashman was speaking to or what player or players could potentially be traded in the deal but the discussion ends abruptly when Cashman is overheard saying “no deal” before quickly hanging up the phone. Hal didn’t catch the entire discussion but he did specifically hear the names Luis Severino, Clint Frazier and Jorge Mateo uttered. George looks at his son and tries to fill him in with his eyes, as George has still yet to say a word on the evening, but before he can the flash reappears and the two go back in time once again to sometime in the mid-2000’s. Cashman and George are sitting in an office having a heated discussion over control. Cashman wants more power and wants at least the power of the other 29 general managers around Major League Baseball while George wants it done “his way.” Phrases like “he’s just a prospect” and “trade ‘em all!!” are uttered before Cashman storms out of the room angrily. Again, back in the same office as before, Cashman is back on the phone with another GM but the mood is much lighter this time. Cashman is seemingly in the positon of need and not in the positon of power in this deal and simply asks the unnamed GM to “name his price.” Cashman agrees and hangs up after a “thank you, and great doing business with you” and the deal is announced. The Yankees have acquired another superstar for prospects, the farm system is barren and Cashman is once again unhappy.

George still doesn’t speak as they flash back into the present, Cashman still sitting in his office looking at his computer. He’s likely reading The Greedy Pinstripes blog for ideas but neither George nor Hal can see his screen, just his concentrating face. This time George says, again with his eyes, that maybe this was not the best way to handle that situation. George knows that he handled the situation poorly and by the time he had tried to rectify it he was too late in his life for the scars to heal and the feelings to be mended. George’s biggest regret, presumably, was leaving the world with people still disgusted by the mention of his name. George wanted to be loved by all and wanted nothing more to win, and sometimes the two don’t go hand-in-hand. George knows that now and by the look on Brian Cashman’s face he may know that now as well. Cashman wanted to keep two of his top five prospects plus Luis Severino and he did despite the fact that this deal would make the team an immediate contender for a postseason spot in 2016. It’s Cashman’s world now though and the tyrant is long gone. Austerity, youth and the future now control the lay of the land in the Bronx.




Hal is still confused as to what his father is trying to show him but before he could even think of asking the two are swept away to the third and final stop on their journey for the evening. As the two fly into the house of Ken Hans the world as they know it begins to erupt. One minute they are in Ken’s house, the next they are in patrick (always with a little “p”) Walsh’s house, then Ken Reed’s house, then Daryl “he who have no last name’s” house, then Jeff Levin’s house, then Kip Raymo’s house and the so on and so forth. The duo spent just a few minutes in each house getting just a glimpse what they were doing in each before being shifted away with another bright flash. Some were happy with the direction of the team, some were still angry with the direction of the team or they felt like what the team had done was inadequate and one in particular just wanted to see one last World Series title before the good lord took him home. Screams of “This is a $3.4 billion franchise” and “Yay we got Chapman” and “Dammit I’m too old for this” ring out as the flashes increase in speed and brightness until everything goes white….






George finally speaks.






“Son, do you know why I brought you to these specific places and showed you these specific lives and stories?” Before Hal could answer George, in a way only George knows how, continued to speak as if the question was rhetorical. “I took you to Daniel Burch’s house because the young man is frustrated now but he is happy overall in what you’ve done. You’ve committed to a youth movement, even on the fly, after years of begging from him and I think he has a voice that many Yankees fans can relate to. Despite not seeing a youth movement in my entire time as the Yankees owner I have to say that losing for a season or two will be a flash of someone’s memory if and when the team creates another dynasty. Well done on that front.”






George continues.

“I was never the best human being but my heart was always in the right place and I think, well more so I hope, people knew that and accepted that in my final days. When I demanded things of my managers, my general managers, my employees, my players, my family and friends it was always out of a good place in my heart. Good plan, bad execution is what I always used to say and unfortunately it was a motto that I could live by. I treated people like crap, son. People didn’t adore me like I thought they did, not until after I calmed down and after I was gone. They were scared of me. They hated me. You have a long way to go to win over the fans, the toughest fans in the world to win over, but you’ve done well with Cashman I think. I can tell.”









And George concludes.






"Hal, I couldn't be more proud of you. I take that back, I could be more proud of you. You've done a lot of good things for this team, the fans and the organization in your short time calling the shots but there are also a lot of things you still haven't quite grasped yet. Ticket prices are too high. You've run the families out of the stadium and most of the Bleacher Creatures including Bald Vinny Milano. You can't print tickets at home anymore and it's no longer fun or feasible to take the family out to the ballpark a couple times a week just to watch the Yankees play no matter who the opponent was. No matter what we're still the New York Yankees, dammit. We are a $3.4 billion franchise, no scratch that. We are a $3.4 billion EMPIRE. Start acting like it Hal!!!!"




As soon as George finishes his sentence he's gone. Another flash. Hal is back in his office and it's one minute before midnight. As the clock strikes 12 it is officially Christmas Day 2016. Hal decides to finish off a glass of wine and head to bed but not before he sends out a text message to Brian Cashman, his GM. It reads "Merry Christmas Brian, best wishes from your friend Hal. Also, and no this is not the egg nog talking, we need to talk on Monday. It's time to start acting like the Yankees again. Hope you're well. - Hal."




The scene fades out from Hal as he enters his bed for a slumber and fades into a close up on George Steinbrenner and the Ghost of Yankees past....






"I'm George Steinbrenner after all, you didn't think this was going to be ALL good... did you?"






Merry Christmas everyone! And if you don't celebrate happy holidays or happy Saturday for you as well! Hope everyone has a great day, stay safe out there. Much love.


Daniel Burch

George Steinbrenner and the Ghost of Yankees Past Part III

Every good trilogy needs a good ending. Well, I take that back. Back to the Future didn’t have a great ending and if you want to count the Karate Kid movies when they had a female Karate Kid as a trilogy then that didn’t have a good ending either. Hopefully this will have a great ending though as I conclude my trilogy to my series entitled “George Steinbrenner and the Ghost of Yankees Past.” Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy the story.




When we last checked in with Hal Steinbrenner he was left on Christmas morning with his head hanging in shame. The empire and the organization that his father had built was crumbling. The Yankees had missed the postseason again after an embarrassing show the season before that resulted in the team limping into the postseason only to get shutdown in the AL Wild Card Game and in years past heads would be preparing themselves to roll. Not this year, not this regime. Not the Hal regime. In the Hal regime money has become the main focus of the team and its owners and winning has taken a step back from it all. When it comes to Christmas time though the Yankees and their fans want a shiny new toy each and every year. Has Hal learned anything from the past two seasons and should Yankees fans around the world expect something big to wake up to tomorrow morning? Keep reading.




Set the scene once again. Hal Steinbrenner sitting in his huge office that we have all grown accustomed to seeing this time of year. Hal, sitting at his desk, is nodding off as he shuffles through miscellaneous paperwork and reads through various emails when an all too familiar face appears behind him, George Steinbrenner. George Steinbrenner, the Ghost of Yankees past. Hal looks over at his father with a look that suggests he halfway expected to see his father show up at any time and he barely even acknowledges that there is a ghost standing beside his desk that is about three times the size that it should be. Hal looks over at his father with a sarcastic grin and asks “What did I do this time?” Without saying a word the two are off on another adventure that should last through the night and into the wee hours of the morning. Hopefully this time Hal and George can beat Santa Claus home.

The first stop on the magic adventure is back to the Burch house and to the home of the owner of The Greedy Pinstripes, Daniel Burch. The duo didn’t have to go too far back in time for this one, earlier in the same week Daniel was sitting at his desk frustrated, stressed out and trying to hammer out an apology letter to his readers, subscribers, friends and family about his lack of a presence on the site lately. Daniel had grown frustrated with the whole ordeal and with life and even typing out something from his heart had become troublesome. This was weird for Daniel as he has been able to pump out content left and right for the better part of four or five seasons now. You know what though? That’s not because of anything the Yankees, and specifically Hal Steinbrenner, had done for once. As Hal watches Daniel struggle through the article there is a flash the two flash back to the 2016 season where a much happier, less frustrated, Daniel is sitting in the same spot still violently typing away at 70-some words a minute. Instead of that discouraged look on his face the blog owner has a smile. Why? The Yankees have recently traded away Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller for top prospects while Dillon Tate and others were being fitted for uniforms after Carlos Beltran had also been traded. Gary Sanchez was getting the bulk of the playing time behind the dish for the Yankees and the youth movement was in full effect. The Yankees were out of the playoff race by the time the calendar changed to September but Daniel knew brighter, and much better days, were to come.




George smiled at the sight and that scared Hal. Hal wondered in his head, but wouldn’t dare say it out loud, why his father was happy that the Yankees were going through a youth movement, trading away veteran pieces and about to miss the playoffs again. He didn’t dare ask and before he even could anyway his father had swept him away to the second house on their tour. The house of the Yankees GM Brian Cashman.




It’s the Hot Stove season and despite Cashman declaring that the Yankees “heavy lifting” was over after acquiring Aroldis Chapman and Matt Holliday the Yankees GM was still working the phones and fielding calls, even on Christmas Eve. It’s unclear what GM that Cashman was speaking to or what player or players could potentially be traded in the deal but the discussion ends abruptly when Cashman is overheard saying “no deal” before quickly hanging up the phone. Hal didn’t catch the entire discussion but he did specifically hear the names Luis Severino, Clint Frazier and Jorge Mateo uttered. George looks at his son and tries to fill him in with his eyes, as George has still yet to say a word on the evening, but before he can the flash reappears and the two go back in time once again to sometime in the mid-2000’s. Cashman and George are sitting in an office having a heated discussion over control. Cashman wants more power and wants at least the power of the other 29 general managers around Major League Baseball while George wants it done “his way.” Phrases like “he’s just a prospect” and “trade ‘em all!!” are uttered before Cashman storms out of the room angrily. Again, back in the same office as before, Cashman is back on the phone with another GM but the mood is much lighter this time. Cashman is seemingly in the positon of need and not in the positon of power in this deal and simply asks the unnamed GM to “name his price.” Cashman agrees and hangs up after a “thank you, and great doing business with you” and the deal is announced. The Yankees have acquired another superstar for prospects, the farm system is barren and Cashman is once again unhappy.

George still doesn’t speak as they flash back into the present, Cashman still sitting in his office looking at his computer. He’s likely reading The Greedy Pinstripes blog for ideas but neither George nor Hal can see his screen, just his concentrating face. This time George says, again with his eyes, that maybe this was not the best way to handle that situation. George knows that he handled the situation poorly and by the time he had tried to rectify it he was too late in his life for the scars to heal and the feelings to be mended. George’s biggest regret, presumably, was leaving the world with people still disgusted by the mention of his name. George wanted to be loved by all and wanted nothing more to win, and sometimes the two don’t go hand-in-hand. George knows that now and by the look on Brian Cashman’s face he may know that now as well. Cashman wanted to keep two of his top five prospects plus Luis Severino and he did despite the fact that this deal would make the team an immediate contender for a postseason spot in 2016. It’s Cashman’s world now though and the tyrant is long gone. Austerity, youth and the future now control the lay of the land in the Bronx.




Hal is still confused as to what his father is trying to show him but before he could even think of asking the two are swept away to the third and final stop on their journey for the evening. As the two fly into the house of Ken Hans the world as they know it begins to erupt. One minute they are in Ken’s house, the next they are in patrick (always with a little “p”) Walsh’s house, then Ken Reed’s house, then Daryl “he who have no last name’s” house, then Jeff Levin’s house, then Kip Raymo’s house and the so on and so forth. The duo spent just a few minutes in each house getting just a glimpse what they were doing in each before being shifted away with another bright flash. Some were happy with the direction of the team, some were still angry with the direction of the team or they felt like what the team had done was inadequate and one in particular just wanted to see one last World Series title before the good lord took him home. Screams of “This is a $3.4 billion franchise” and “Yay we got Chapman” and “Dammit I’m too old for this” ring out as the flashes increase in speed and brightness until everything goes white….






George finally speaks.






“Son, do you know why I brought you to these specific places and showed you these specific lives and stories?” Before Hal could answer George, in a way only George knows how, continued to speak as if the question was rhetorical. “I took you to Daniel Burch’s house because the young man is frustrated now but he is happy overall in what you’ve done. You’ve committed to a youth movement, even on the fly, after years of begging from him and I think he has a voice that many Yankees fans can relate to. Despite not seeing a youth movement in my entire time as the Yankees owner I have to say that losing for a season or two will be a flash of someone’s memory if and when the team creates another dynasty. Well done on that front.”






George continues.

“I was never the best human being but my heart was always in the right place and I think, well more so I hope, people knew that and accepted that in my final days. When I demanded things of my managers, my general managers, my employees, my players, my family and friends it was always out of a good place in my heart. Good plan, bad execution is what I always used to say and unfortunately it was a motto that I could live by. I treated people like crap, son. People didn’t adore me like I thought they did, not until after I calmed down and after I was gone. They were scared of me. They hated me. You have a long way to go to win over the fans, the toughest fans in the world to win over, but you’ve done well with Cashman I think. I can tell.”







And George concludes.






"Hal, I couldn't be more proud of you. I take that back, I could be more proud of you. You've done a lot of good things for this team, the fans and the organization in your short time calling the shots but there are also a lot of things you still haven't quite grasped yet. Ticket prices are too high. You've run the families out of the stadium and most of the Bleacher Creatures including Bald Vinny Milano. You can't print tickets at home anymore and it's no longer fun or feasible to take the family out to the ballpark a couple times a week just to watch the Yankees play no matter who the opponent was. No matter what we're still the New York Yankees, dammit. We are a $3.4 billion franchise, no scratch that. We are a $3.4 billion EMPIRE. Start acting like it Hal!!!!"




As soon as George finishes his sentence he's gone. Another flash. Hal is back in his office and it's one minute before midnight. As the clock strikes 12 it is officially Christmas Day 2016. Hal decides to finish off a glass of wine and head to bed but not before he sends out a text message to Brian Cashman, his GM. It reads "Merry Christmas Brian, best wishes from your friend Hal. Also, and no this is not the egg nog talking, we need to talk on Monday. It's time to start acting like the Yankees again. Hope you're well. - Hal."




The scene fades out from Hal as he enters his bed for a slumber and fades into a close up on George Steinbrenner and the Ghost of Yankees past....






"I'm George Steinbrenner after all, you didn't think this was going to be ALL good... did you?"






Merry Christmas everyone! And if you don't celebrate happy holidays or happy Saturday for you as well! Hope everyone has a great day, stay safe out there. Much love.


Daniel Burch

This Day in New York Yankees History 10/23: Enter Bob Watson

On this day in 1996 David Cone shut down the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the 1996 World Series with the Yankees down two games to none. This would be the first of 14 consecutive World Series games victories for the Yankees before the New York Mets ended the streak in the 2000 Subway World Series.


Also on this day in 1995 the Yankees hired a new GM, replacing Gene Michael, in former Astros GM Bob Watson. Watson would only last two years in the Bronx before the Brian Cashman regime started after being upset with the "chain of command" in the Yankees organization, I think that probably means George Steinbrenner. Watson would be the GM when the Yankees would win their first World Series in 1978 when they were crowned the 1996 champions.

Would Brian Cashman Really Head to Miami in 2018?

Here we stand on August 31^st with the trade deadline now past and the rumor mill has already begun for the 2018 offseason. That’s typical in baseball but this story kind of hits close to home as some publications are already speculating that the Yankees GM Brian Cashman may be done in pinstripes after the season. Cashman, who is set to be a free agent at the end of the year, is speculated to be joining the Miami Marlins who were recently bought by a group headed by former Yankees legend Derek Jeter in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past six months or so but this begs the question, Cashman wouldn’t really leave New York for Miami…. Would he?

Honestly I can’t see Cashman bolting from the Yankees to go anywhere, let alone the Miami Marlins. Why? Giancarlo Stanton. That contract is moveable, sure, but that contract is going to hinder the Marlins ability to spend for a long, long time. Cashman, in his own defense, has been great lately with his handling of prospects and in trading for young, cheap and controllable players but at the end of the day Cashman has always and will always look to bail himself out with the big money grab of a veteran player or a key piece. That just simply, and I am obviously speculating here, won’t be the case down in Miami. The Miami Marlins will never have the payroll that the Los Angeles Dodgers or the New York Yankees have. The market would never support it, the attendance would never support it and I doubt the group headed by Jeter could support it.

Cashman finally has the power and the ability to basically make trades at will here in the Bronx. Sure, he has a spending limit but his spending limit here is much higher than it would be anywhere else in the league with the obvious exception of the Los Angeles Dodgers so why would he want to go anywhere else? Cashman has a young team brewing here with plenty of star power and has a Top 5 – Top 10 farm system to boot because of recent developmental changes and philosophies in the system which begin and end with the man handing out the checks and trading, or in this case not trading, the Yankees prospects. Cashman has fought for a long time for this kind of team, this kind of farm system and this kind of control over it and I simply can’t see Cashman moving on from it now.

The only way I can see Cashman leaving is if he gets a huge pay raise and promotion much like the Tampa Bay Rays executive Andrew Friedman a few years back. If Jeter were to offer President of Baseball Operations to Cashman and full control over the team… then maybe… but if it were just to be a GM I think Cashman will be back in the Bronx for the 2018 season, and I’m okay with that. 

This Day in New York Yankees History 3/14: YES Network for Free!

On this day in 2003 Cablevision agreed to a one year interim deal to offer the Yankees YES Network to New York Yankees fans for a fee, ending a bitter and costly year long feud. This essentially made the YES Network a premium channel instead of a basic cable channel preventing the company from forcing every subscriber to pay for the channel whether they wanted it or not. The rest, my friends, is history.


Also on this day in 1961 the New York Mets landed former Yankee general manager George Weiss out of retirement to become the team’s first president. Weiss had been the Yankees' general manager from 1947-1960 before retiring.

George Steinbrenner and the Ghost of Yankees Past Part III

Every good trilogy needs a good ending. Well, I take that back. Back to the Future didn’t have a great ending and if you want to count the Karate Kid movies when they had a female Karate Kid as a trilogy then that didn’t have a good ending either. Hopefully this will have a great ending though as I conclude my trilogy to my series entitled “George Steinbrenner and the Ghost of Yankees Past.” Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy the story.

When we last checked in with Hal Steinbrenner he was left on Christmas morning with his head hanging in shame. The empire and the organization that his father had built was crumbling. The Yankees had missed the postseason again after an embarrassing show the season before that resulted in the team limping into the postseason only to get shutdown in the AL Wild Card Game and in years past heads would be preparing themselves to roll. Not this year, not this regime. Not the Hal regime. In the Hal regime money has become the main focus of the team and its owners and winning has taken a step back from it all. When it comes to Christmas time though the Yankees and their fans want a shiny new toy each and every year. Has Hal learned anything from the past two seasons and should Yankees fans around the world expect something big to wake up to tomorrow morning? Keep reading.

Set the scene once again. Hal Steinbrenner sitting in his huge office that we have all grown accustomed to seeing this time of year. Hal, sitting at his desk, is nodding off as he shuffles through miscellaneous paperwork and reads through various emails when an all too familiar face appears behind him, George Steinbrenner. George Steinbrenner, the Ghost of Yankees past. Hal looks over at his father with a look that suggests he halfway expected to see his father show up at any time and he barely even acknowledges that there is a ghost standing beside his desk that is about three times the size that it should be. Hal looks over at his father with a sarcastic grin and asks “What did I do this time?” Without saying a word the two are off on another adventure that should last through the night and into the wee hours of the morning. Hopefully this time Hal and George can beat Santa Claus home.

The first stop on the magic adventure is back to the Burch house and to the home of the owner of The Greedy Pinstripes, Daniel Burch. The duo didn’t have to go too far back in time for this one, earlier in the same week Daniel was sitting at his desk frustrated, stressed out and trying to hammer out an apology letter to his readers, subscribers, friends and family about his lack of a presence on the site lately. Daniel had grown frustrated with the whole ordeal and with life and even typing out something from his heart had become troublesome. This was weird for Daniel as he has been able to pump out content left and right for the better part of four or five seasons now. You know what though? That’s not because of anything the Yankees, and specifically Hal Steinbrenner, had done for once. As Hal watches Daniel struggle through the article there is a flash the two flash back to the 2016 season where a much happier, less frustrated, Daniel is sitting in the same spot still violently typing away at 70-some words a minute. Instead of that discouraged look on his face the blog owner has a smile. Why? The Yankees have recently traded away Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller for top prospects while Dillon Tate and others were being fitted for uniforms after Carlos Beltran had also been traded. Gary Sanchez was getting the bulk of the playing time behind the dish for the Yankees and the youth movement was in full effect. The Yankees were out of the playoff race by the time the calendar changed to September but Daniel knew brighter, and much better days, were to come.

George smiled at the sight and that scared Hal. Hal wondered in his head, but wouldn’t dare say it out loud, why his father was happy that the Yankees were going through a youth movement, trading away veteran pieces and about to miss the playoffs again. He didn’t dare ask and before he even could anyway his father had swept him away to the second house on their tour. The house of the Yankees GM Brian Cashman.

It’s the Hot Stove season and despite Cashman declaring that the Yankees “heavy lifting” was over after acquiring Aroldis Chapman and Matt Holliday the Yankees GM was still working the phones and fielding calls, even on Christmas Eve. It’s unclear what GM that Cashman was speaking to or what player or players could potentially be traded in the deal but the discussion ends abruptly when Cashman is overheard saying “no deal” before quickly hanging up the phone. Hal didn’t catch the entire discussion but he did specifically hear the names Luis Severino, Clint Frazier and Jorge Mateo uttered. George looks at his son and tries to fill him in with his eyes, as George has still yet to say a word on the evening, but before he can the flash reappears and the two go back in time once again to sometime in the mid-2000’s. Cashman and George are sitting in an office having a heated discussion over control. Cashman wants more power and wants at least the power of the other 29 general managers around Major League Baseball while George wants it done “his way.” Phrases like “he’s just a prospect” and “trade ‘em all!!” are uttered before Cashman storms out of the room angrily. Again, back in the same office as before, Cashman is back on the phone with another GM but the mood is much lighter this time. Cashman is seemingly in the positon of need and not in the positon of power in this deal and simply asks the unnamed GM to “name his price.” Cashman agrees and hangs up after a “thank you, and great doing business with you” and the deal is announced. The Yankees have acquired another superstar for prospects, the farm system is barren and Cashman is once again unhappy.

George still doesn’t speak as they flash back into the present, Cashman still sitting in his office looking at his computer. He’s likely reading The Greedy Pinstripes blog for ideas but neither George nor Hal can see his screen, just his concentrating face. This time George says, again with his eyes, that maybe this was not the best way to handle that situation. George knows that he handled the situation poorly and by the time he had tried to rectify it he was too late in his life for the scars to heal and the feelings to be mended. George’s biggest regret, presumably, was leaving the world with people still disgusted by the mention of his name. George wanted to be loved by all and wanted nothing more to win, and sometimes the two don’t go hand-in-hand. George knows that now and by the look on Brian Cashman’s face he may know that now as well. Cashman wanted to keep two of his top five prospects plus Luis Severino and he did despite the fact that this deal would make the team an immediate contender for a postseason spot in 2016. It’s Cashman’s world now though and the tyrant is long gone. Austerity, youth and the future now control the lay of the land in the Bronx.

Hal is still confused as to what his father is trying to show him but before he could even think of asking the two are swept away to the third and final stop on their journey for the evening. As the two fly into the house of Ken Hans the world as they know it begins to erupt. One minute they are in Ken’s house, the next they are in patrick (always with a little “p”) Walsh’s house, then Ken Reed’s house, then Daryl “he who have no last name’s” house, then Jeff Levin’s house, then Kip Raymo’s house and the so on and so forth. The duo spent just a few minutes in each house getting just a glimpse what they were doing in each before being shifted away with another bright flash. Some were happy with the direction of the team, some were still angry with the direction of the team or they felt like what the team had done was inadequate and one in particular just wanted to see one last World Series title before the good lord took him home. Screams of “This is a $3.4 billion franchise” and “Yay we got Chapman” and “Dammit I’m too old for this” ring out as the flashes increase in speed and brightness until everything goes white….

George finally speaks.

“Son, do you know why I brought you to these specific places and showed you these specific lives and stories?” Before Hal could answer George, in a way only George knows how, continued to speak as if the question was rhetorical. “I took you to Daniel Burch’s house because the young man is frustrated now but he is happy overall in what you’ve done. You’ve committed to a youth movement, even on the fly, after years of begging from him and I think he has a voice that many Yankees fans can relate to. Despite not seeing a youth movement in my entire time as the Yankees owner I have to say that losing for a season or two will be a flash of someone’s memory if and when the team creates another dynasty. Well done on that front.”

George continues.

“I was never the best human being but my heart was always in the right place and I think, well more so I hope, people knew that and accepted that in my final days. When I demanded things of my managers, my general managers, my employees, my players, my family and friends it was always out of a good place in my heart. Good plan, bad execution is what I always used to say and unfortunately it was a motto that I could live by. I treated people like crap, son. People didn’t adore me like I thought they did, not until after I calmed down and after I was gone. They were scared of me. They hated me. You have a long way to go to win over the fans, the toughest fans in the world to win over, but you’ve done well with Cashman I think. I can tell.”

And George concludes. 

"Hal, I couldn't be more proud of you. I take that back, I could be more proud of you. You've done a lot of good things for this team, the fans and the organization in your short time calling the shots but there are also a lot of things you still haven't quite grasped yet. Ticket prices are too high. You've run the families out of the stadium and most of the Bleacher Creatures including Bald Vinny Milano. You can't print tickets at home anymore and it's no longer fun or feasible to take the family out to the ballpark a couple times a week just to watch the Yankees play no matter who the opponent was. No matter what we're still the New York Yankees, dammit. We are a $3.4 billion franchise, no scratch that. We are a $3.4 billion EMPIRE. Start acting like it Hal!!!!" 

As soon as George finishes his sentence he's gone. Another flash. Hal is back in his office and it's one minute before midnight. As the clock strikes 12 it is officially Christmas Day 2016. Hal decides to finish off a glass of wine and head to bed but not before he sends out a text message to Brian Cashman, his GM. It reads "Merry Christmas Brian, best wishes from your friend Hal. Also, and no this is not the egg nog talking, we need to talk on Monday. It's time to start acting like the Yankees again. Hope you're well. - Hal." 

The scene fades out from Hal as he enters his bed for a slumber and fades into a close up on George Steinbrenner and the Ghost of Yankees past....

"I'm George Steinbrenner after all, you didn't think this was going to be ALL good... did you?" 

Merry Christmas everyone! And if you don't celebrate happy holidays or happy Saturday for you as well! Hope everyone has a great day, stay safe out there. Much love. 

Daniel Burch

This Day in New York Yankees History 10/23: Enter Bob Watson

Watch the entire Game 3 of the 1996 World Series right here for FREE. Click above. 

On this day in 1996 David Cone shut down the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the 1996 World Series with the Yankees down two games to none. This would be the first of 14 consecutive World Series games victories for the Yankees before the New York Mets ended the streak in the 2000 Subway World Series.


Also on this day in 1995 the Yankees hired a new GM, replacing Gene Michael, in former Astros GM Bob Watson. Watson would only last two years in the Bronx before the Brian Cashman regime started after being upset with the "chain of command" in the Yankees organization, I think that probably means George Steinbrenner. Watson would be the GM when the Yankees would win their first World Series in 1978 when they were crowned the 1996 champions.

…But Fire Cashman for Trading Montero for Pineda

“I want Brian Cashman’s head on a stake! How could he trade away our top prospect Jesus Montero for an arm like Michael Pineda?” That’s a dramatization of what many Yankees fans were screaming when news broke that the Yankees had indeed traded their top prospect away for Michael Pineda of the Seattle Mariners but it’s not an exaggeration by much. Many wanted Cashman fired despite attitude, maturity and defensive problems that were always surrounding Montero as a catcher and as a ball player in general. Many wanted Cashman fired for making the trade but as we stand here now four years later I think you can say without any doubt that the New York Yankees won this trade hands down. Especially after the latest bit of news involving Montero.

Montero, now a prospect with the Toronto Blue Jays after falling out of grace with the Mariners, was suspended for 50 games this week for, you guessed it, a failed steroid test. Montero, who tested positive for dimethylbutylamine, has now failed two drug tests in his MLB career including his inclusion in the Biogenesis scandal back in 2013 when he was with Seattle. That was before Montero got suspended again by the Mariners in 2014 after a heckler asked an overweight Montero if he wanted an ice cream sandwich while he was down in the Minor Leagues rehabbing. I found it funny, Montero apparently did not.

Anyone still think the trade and who “won” is still up in the air? I don’t. Anyone still think Brian Cashman should be fired for that trade? Me either.

Yankees Off Night Open Thread

The New York Yankees are off tonight and traveling to sunny California to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim over the weekend. The Angels are struggling mightily here lately so I am hoping the Yankees don’t lay down and get caught napping against a “lesser” team like they have so many times before this season. Keep the good times rolling and keep the “W’s” piling up. We’ll worry about that tomorrow though as we take one step at a time, tonight we rest.

With that said I leave you with the open thread for the night like I do on each and every Yankees off day to enjoy and talk about whatever you would like. Enjoy and we’ll be back at full strength tomorrow. Go Yankees and have a great night everybody.

And we’re still praying for Bob Watson. He’s going to need it!

Praying for Bob Watson Open Thread

The Yankees game is over and the team is off tomorrow so I leave you with this open thread for the night. As bad as I feel about leaving the night on a somber note I feel like it has to be said because Bob Watson, former Yankees GM and the man that some call the architect along with Gene Michael for the 1996 World Series and subsequent Yankees dynasty to follow, is battling for his life and he needs our thoughts and prayers. Watson, who was hired in October of 1995 to be the GM under George Steinbrenner, is battling kidney failure.

Watson wanted to be at Yankee Stadium while the organization celebrated the 1996 World Series but his health would not allow it. Watson is in Stage 4 of his kidney failure and doctors give him a couple years to live, tops.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Watson and his family in this tough time. Keep fighting Bob!

ICYMI: Brian Cashman Refuses to Acknowledge the Problem He Created

For many, many years the biggest gripe among Yankees fans was the constant meddling in the player acquisition and trades aspect of the game. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was known for “getting his man” at whatever cost and at whatever risk and damage it did to the team in the long term. Just win and just win now. This caused many of the current Brian Cashman supporters to use this notion as a means of defending the GM and for a while it was true. Cashman was held down by bulky contracts he fought against giving and aging veteran players past their primes that he wanted no part in acquiring. That is still the case to an extent these days with current owner Hal Steinbrenner but Cashman has seemingly been given more power than ever over the Yankees and yet the team is still in a pickle, a pickle that Cashman refuses to acknowledge and refuses to fix.


No longer can one say, in my opinion anyway, that this is a Hal Steinbrenner led and assembled team. Sure he has had his hands in acquiring the likes of Ichiro Suzuki and Rafael Soriano and sure the Alex Rodriguez contract that is set to run out was against Cashman’s wishes but for the most part Cashman handed out most of these deals and made most of these trades. This is finally Brian Cashman’s team for better or worse and as a Brian Cashman apologist I find it hard to stick up for the man these days. Especially when he has basically told the team and the media that this is the team we are running with for now until he is “forced to” change and improve the team and that we basically have to deal with it. Say what?


Cashman told the media after the Yankees sweep in Boston this past weekend that he is not willing to bench Chase Headley much like the Red Sox have done with Pablo Sandoval. He’s just not going to do but don’t worry he finished the topic with this little nugget. “If anybody wants to earn opportunities in the future they have to earn it.” So let me get this straight, anyone who wants to replace Headley has to “earn” it but until then we’re going to sit on our hands and watch the guy set a new low in batting average, defense and slugging.


I’m done. I’m done defending Cashman and I’m done defending this team. I’m not giving up on this team, that’s a whole other story and a huge difference, but I am done spraying hope all over the blog and Twitter for better days and for the team to turn things around. Attitude reflects leadership and if Brian Cashman doesn’t care then I don’t either.

Brian Cashman Refuses to Acknowledge the Problem He Created

For many, many years the biggest gripe among Yankees fans was the constant meddling in the player acquisition and trades aspect of the game. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was known for “getting his man” at whatever cost and at whatever risk and damage it did to the team in the long term. Just win and just win now. This caused many of the current Brian Cashman supporters to use this notion as a means of defending the GM and for a while it was true. Cashman was held down by bulky contracts he fought against giving and aging veteran players past their primes that he wanted no part in acquiring. That is still the case to an extent these days with current owner Hal Steinbrenner but Cashman has seemingly been given more power than ever over the Yankees and yet the team is still in a pickle, a pickle that Cashman refuses to acknowledge and refuses to fix.

No longer can one say, in my opinion anyway, that this is a Hal Steinbrenner led and assembled team. Sure he has had his hands in acquiring the likes of Ichiro Suzuki and Rafael Soriano and sure the Alex Rodriguez contract that is set to run out was against Cashman’s wishes but for the most part Cashman handed out most of these deals and made most of these trades. This is finally Brian Cashman’s team for better or worse and as a Brian Cashman apologist I find it hard to stick up for the man these days. Especially when he has basically told the team and the media that this is the team we are running with for now until he is “forced to” change and improve the team and that we basically have to deal with it. Say what?

Cashman told the media after the Yankees sweep in Boston this past weekend that he is not willing to bench Chase Headley much like the Red Sox have done with Pablo Sandoval. He’s just not going to do but don’t worry he finished the topic with this little nugget. “If anybody wants to earn opportunities in the future they have to earn it.” So let me get this straight, anyone who wants to replace Headley has to “earn” it but until then we’re going to sit on our hands and watch the guy set a new low in batting average, defense and slugging.

I’m done. I’m done defending Cashman and I’m done defending this team. I’m not giving up on this team, that’s a whole other story and a huge difference, but I am done spraying hope all over the blog and Twitter for better days and for the team to turn things around. Attitude reflects leadership and if Brian Cashman doesn’t care then I don’t either. 

Joe Girardi & His Hypothetical Leash

In the immortal words of George Steinbrenner, before presidential nominee Donald Trump made them cool, the words “you’re fired” came out far more times than the Yankees would like to admit in the 70’s, 80’s and into the 90’s. Steinbrenner was a passionate fan and the Yankees were his passion and his hobby, he had made his money before buying the team and regularly operated in the red due to payroll, and when a manager wasn’t cutting it then he got cut. Simple as that. The only constant was change but ever since the Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman regime took over in the Bronx right around the 2008/2009 timeframe there has been one man at the helm and in the dugout for New York but on a long enough timeline everyone moves on or gets fired so after this putrid start in 2016 you have to wonder how long Joe Girardi’s leash is with the club.  

Obviously this is all pure speculation as I am not an insider, contrary to popular belief Hal does not have me on speed dial and I know no more than you. Again, I like to use common sense, history and a little bit of speculation and predictions in posts like this. The Yankees are a well-oiled business marketing machine that makes the Steinbrenner family an absolute ton of money but if history has told us one thing about this team it’s this, they don’t make as much money when they are losing as they do when they are winning. When a team is losing and when the management wants to shake things up the first person to go is usually the manager and you have to wonder how much patience the AL Wild Card Round trip to the postseason last season bought Girardi from the Steinbrenners. 

I know I sound like a spoiled brat right now but this is the worst start and possibly the worst team I have ever seen in my lifetime. I started watching religiously in 1994 at just eight years old, I would later turn nine after the World Series, and I’ve been spoiled and come to expect the best out of this team. I was crushed when Girardi took over and the Yankees missed the postseason in the final year of Yankee Stadium and I am even more crushed thus far this season because this team is so loaded down with talent. What frustrates me is that the team had obvious needs this winter, the middle of the lineup and the starting rotation specifically, and the GM did nothing to address either. That’s not as much Girardi’s doing and fault as it is Cashman’s but we all know how this works. The manager goes first and so does his coaching staff before the organization realizes it was the GM’s fault all along so if Girardi wants to remain in pinstripes he needs to turn things around quickly, preferably now, or he may be headed to the free agent market. My opinion only. 

Listen I like Joe Girardi. Sure he frustrates the hell out of me with his constant veteran over prospects decisions, see Stephen Drew and Andruw Jones as recent examples of this, and I would be a liar if I said I didn’t want to take his binder (which is now an iPad) and light the thing on fire before breaking it into a million pieces. I do. The thing is though he has shown an uncanny ability to work with a bullpen and piece together a game for a victory that the Yankees had no business winning. He took the same exact bullpen that fell apart time after time in 2007 for Joe Torre and turned them into a powerhouse in 2008 and has in every single season since and that I will miss. I have to say though, there isn’t a whole lot more that I would miss. Especially when Girardi gives me a day when I’m ready to pump out another two or three articles. 

You May Miss George Steinbrenner But You Shouldn’t

You may miss George Steinbrenner, hell I do too, but if it is only because we would “fix” this mess the team is in right now, well you shouldn’t. George Steinbrenner was a great man God rest his soul and he was a great owner for the most part as well. Sure he meddled where he didn’t need to meddle and sure he stuck his nose and check book where it didn’t always belong but he treated this team like his hobby and not like his only source of income. This was not a job for him, this was what he did in his down time and it showed in his passion for the team and the way he handled it. Passion can lead to knee jerk reactions though, bad trades and even worse signings and that’s what George would be doing right now, not necessarily fixing things.

I mean zero disrespect in this post but let’s use his track record and the history of the franchise under his tenure to dissect what we think would happen if he were still running this team today. First and foremost you can kiss the Yankees young guns goodbye. You say you’re attached to Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Robert Refsnyder, James Kaprielian, Domingo Acevedo, Ian Clarkin and others? Sorry, they are all gone. Mateo is in San Diego right now and Craig Kimbrel is in the Bronx. The team wouldn’t have an average age under 30-years old like they do now, it’s be more like 35-years old after the bulk of these players would likely be traded for aging veterans and hired mercenaries. Again, we’re using history as an indicator of the future as I have no crystal ball and I barely watch ESPN let alone use my psychic ESPN…..

There wouldn’t be all bad though. You think George would shy away from eating the contracts of CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez or Chase Headley if they continued to struggle and didn’t lead the team to their ultimate goal, their 28^th World Series championship? You don’t think George would flip Jacoby Ellsbury for another bad contract like Shin-Soo Choo of the Texas Rangers just to be rid of the devastating contract to the organization? Many of you would love to wake up and see the news that both Joe Girardi was fired and Brian Cashman is cleaning his desk out as we speak, FYI I wouldn’t, and many of you would then jump for joy when the next flavor of the week is hired in their places.

“If George were alive…” Enough. George is not alive and if he were I am not certain things would ultimately be any better. Sure the team would have more big names and wouldn’t treat the organization like we’re clipping coupons and qualifying for food stamps just to keep the doors open but at the same time I’m not sure how much the team would be any better. Let’s remember, again using history as an indicator of the future, that it took George being banned from baseball completely to undo everything that was done and to build the Core Four and a perennial World Series winner. It was when this core grew older, key parts moved on and when George had too much say in the free agent market that the team began losing in the first round of the playoffs year in and year out.

Reaching the Wild Card Round or ALDS is not good enough for me and it wouldn’t be good enough for George either. Unfortunately it’s good enough for Hal and it would unfortunately be all we would see if George were still here running the show. It’s a different game now, you can’t just throw money at a problem and make it go away. Injuries will happen and so will declines and that’s where you need depth and a strong farm system. One last piece of history for you and I’ll stop because I know I ruffled a few feathers with this post. It was in 2005 that a high priced veteran-laden roster fell apart that George Steinbrenner assembled and threw money at and it was a Yankees farm system that George tried to trade away on numerous occasions (let’s remember it is well documented that Cashman did not want Alex Rodriguez and that Robinson Cano was offered in the A Rod deal) that saved that team and led them to another trip to the playoffs.

History and science are the only two things that theoretically can never lie.

This Day in New York Yankees History 3/14: YES Network for Free!

On this day in 2003 Cablevision agreed to a one year interim deal to offer the Yankees YES Network to New York Yankees fans for a fee, ending a bitter and costly year long feud. This essentially made the YES Network a premium channel instead of a basic cable channel preventing the company from forcing every subscriber to pay for the channel whether they wanted it or not. The rest, my friends, is history.



Also on this day in 1961 the New York Mets landed former Yankee general manager George Weiss out of retirement to become the team’s first president. Weiss had been the Yankees' general manager from 1947-1960 before retiring.

So Far So Good on the Robert Refsndyer at Third Base Experiment

Early on in the winter I was told to let it go. The Yankees know more than me and (a general use of the word) you trust the Yankees organization. There’s no way Robert Refsnyder could or should learn the third base position let alone have the starting second base position. No way no how. Trade Refsnyder! What a difference a couple months makes though as before I was hounded for wanting to try Refsnyder at third base or in a super utility role because the idea was “dumb.” Now that the Yankees and their coaches that you (again, a general use of the word and aimed at no one in specific) trust so much used him there and the idea is actually working out it’s a marvel idea. Say what?

The whole me vs. them thing and the whole “TGP vs. Everybody” t-shirt idea aside Refsnyder was given a shot at third base this spring and in a Grapefruit League game and the results have been so far, so good for the Yankees second baseman. Refsnyder made his first career appearance at third on Sunday behind Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka and he was tested early and often at the position. Refsnyder fielded a rocket hit to his left and started a double play that got the Yankees out of trouble in the game but more importantly he looked comfortable at the position, he looked like he belonged there.

Refsnyder’s bat was never questioned by anyone who watched him actively at the University of Arizona and in the minor leagues (and I say watched him, not read the box scores or read what the doubters had to say) and it’s always been the defense that was the main concern. If Refsnyder could simply make the plays he can get to and the plays he is supposed to that would be a great addition to the Yankees bench and would help fill the lack of depth problem New York currently has at third base.

The Yankees manager Joe Girardi has already stated that he preferred to fill the last bench spot with someone who could back up Headley at third base next season and right now, as it stands at the beginning of March anyway, that man may be Robert Refsnyder. So far so good for Refsnyder but we still have a long way to go, just know that I’m rooting for you Rob like I always do. Good luck and more importantly, have fun. 

Brian Cashman & The "He Sucks At Drafting" Myth?

I knew my post about Brian Cashman and comparing him to other general managers around the league would be like comparing apples to oranges would get the discussion going but I had hoped it had been on the Yankees LoHud blog as a pinch hitter. I had it saved as a draft forever just waiting for Chad Jennings to contact me for a third straight year and I realized it was not going to happen so I released it. It caused a stir and it created discussion here on my blog for both the Brian Cashman apologists and the Brian Cashman "haters." One "hater" in specific, and notice that I had the word hater in parenthesis as I use the term loosely and not literally, questioned Cashman's tenure as the Yankees and specifically his ability to draft MLB caliber players. Hmmm, that sounds like a great idea for a blog post.

I told Mr. Hans, someone I have the utmost respect for, that I would humor him sometime this weekend with a comment of some of the guys that Cashman has drafted during his tenure with the Yankees (1998-present) and I decided to do it in a blog post rather than a comment that may not be seen by all. All of these players that I will list below were drafted by Cashman during his tenure, granted not all of them signed with the Yankees unfortuately and not all made their names with New York. It should not be held against Cashman in my opinion to draft a top talent only to trade him later, you cannot hold onto them all.

With that said here we go with the player, the year they were drafted and their career WAR in parenthesis:

1998 - Mark Prior (16.5)
1998 - Nook Logan (3.0)

2000 - Chris Dickerson (3.4)

2002 - Phil Coke (2.0)

2003 - Tyler Clippard (11.6)
2003 - Jeff Karstens (3.2)
2003 - Daniel Bard (4.3)

2004 - Phil Hughes (12.3)
2004 - Mike Dunn (2.5)
2004 - Chris Davis (yes that Chris Davis... 14.9)

2005 - Brett Gardner (26.9)
2005 - Doug Fister (19.4)
2005 - Austin Jackson (22.2)
2005 - Justin Turner (Los Angeles Dodgers version.... 8.9)

2006 - Ian Kennedy (10.5)
2006 - Joba Chamberlain (7.5)
2006 - George Kontos (2.0)
2006 - Dellin Betances (7.2)
2006 - Mark Melancon (7.0)
2006 - David Robertson (11.5)

2007 - Drew Storen (5.7)

2008 - Gerrit Cole (7.6)
2008 - David Phelps (2.2)

2009 - Adam Warren (5.1)
2009 - Jake Petricka (3.5)

2011 - Greg Bird (0.9)

Is Cashman the mad magician in the draft? Nope, not at all. It is worth mentioning though that unlike a GM like Andrew Friedman, John Mozeliak, Dave Dombrowski or others who pick at the beginning of the draft more consistently Cashman had to deal with many of his picks being traded or used as compensation to sign free agents without his consent. Sure many teams find talent late in the drafts as much as teams see busts in the first two rounds but still, it doesn't hurt having the better odds at the more talented players in your favor.

Will this convince Mr. Hans that Cashman has had a better tenure as a Yankes GM and a better draft record than he originally thought? Probably not, this was still fun to do the research and to write though and that's all that matters. After my little rant from Saturday about getting my feelings hurt and feeling disrespected I decided I'm going back to doing this because I want to, because it's fun.. and that's what I did here. I hope you all enjoyed.

If Seattle Doesn’t Want Dae-Ho Lee….

The Seattle Mariners are desperate for any kind of offense to show their face inside SafeCo Field this season and they have gone to great lengths to find that offense. The team has been searching desperately for anyone and everyone they can to protect Robinson Cano in Seattle and their search went as far as Asia this winter. The Mariners signed 33-year old slugger Dae-Ho Lee to a minor league deal with an invitation to their spring training camp out of South Korea hoping to take advantage of his power and if they decide they don’t want him I think the Yankees should snatch him up, ASAP.

Lee has played for 15 seasons in Japan and has been a part of two consecutive Japanese Series championship teams and will now look to make a name for himself in the Major Leagues. While the Lee signing flew sort of under the radar the imposing figure that is Lee cannot as he stands at 6’4” and 250 pounds, which FYI is down 15 pounds from his playing weight while in Japan. Lee lost the weight hoping to be more nimble, quick and better on the defensive side of the baseball. Lee is listed as a first baseman.

The Yankees have Chris Parmelee slated to be the new “Greg Bird” in Scranton this season but a power threat like Lee may be too intriguing to pass up. Lee will be competing with former Yankees prospect Jesus Montero in Seattle for a backup platoon spot while Gaby Sanchez, the former Pittsburgh Pirates player, is also in the mix. Lee would have a lot less competition in New York for a backup first base job.

If Lee were to come to New York, which is extremely unlikely, he would bring his career .303 average with his 323 career home runs with him. Lee hit .282 with 31 home runs and 98 RBI in 2015 and describes himself as “not really a big home run guy” despite his frame. Lee just tries to hit everything with the sweet part of the bat and when he does he says it goes far. Sounds like a good plan to me. This is one spring training competition I will personally be keeping an eye on because if it doesn’t work and I’m the Yankees GM, which admittedly I’m not, I am handing him an opportunity in the Bronx whether on a MLB or MiLB deal.

The Yankees Tried to Hire Alex Anthopolous

I want to start this off by apologizing to the Yankees GM Brian Cashman and the entire Yankees organization. I went on a bit of a rant on Twitter recently (shameless plug, follow @GreedyStripes) wondering why the Yankees never seem to look outside the organization for front office help. When the Los Angeles Dodgers added former Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos to the organization I was a bit livid. First there were no reports of the Yankees being interested, until now, and secondly I believe Anthopoulos was the best GM in baseball and I wanted him on the Yankees. That didn’t happen but that’s not because the Yankees didn’t try.

New York and Brian Cashman did attempt to sell Anthopoulos on a job much like they have sold the likes of Jim Hendry, Kevin Towers and almost Omar Minaya in recent seasons before losing out to the Dodgers. The announcement did not mention specifically what job Anthopoulos was offered by the Yankees but it wasn’t a sweet enough gig to get him away from his new vice president of baseball operations job working under Andrew Friedman in Los Angeles.

Anthopoulos would have been a great mind to have inside the Yankees organization with a fresh outlook and opinion on the rest of the league but it just didn’t happen. Remember Anthopoulos was the man that not only brought David Price, Troy Tulowitzki and Ben Revere to the Blue Jays but also made trades to acquire Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes, RA Dickey and Josh Donaldson as well. You win some and you lose some I just hate that the Yankees lost out on this one. 

Cashman: Is the Rotation Full or is the Rotation "Full?"

"Who is Bubba Crosby?" - Hal Steinbrenner

Brian Cashman once garnered the name from Yankees fans "Ninja Cashman" for the way he carried himself and the way he conducted business as the GM of the New York Yankees. Whenever Cashman would make a deal, and most of his major deals specifically, no one would read about it on MLB Trade Rumors or other media sites weeks or days or even hours in advance. You wouldn't hear about the first bit of interest and then boom, the player is acquired. Remember when "Bubba Crosby was the Yankees starting center fielder" only to see him sign Johnny Damon a few weeks later? There's plenty of other instances as well including the most recent trade involving Aroldis Chapman but that's not important, what is important though is the fact that Ninja Cashman could be lying in the weeds for another attack.

In an interview with reporters during a conference call last week Cashman responded that the "rotation was full" when asked about whether he was going to acquire another starting pitcher or not. Sorry Cashman but I find it hard to take you at face value anymore. Is the rotation full? Or is the rotation "full?"

It's hard to say either way. A trade could be in the works and he could be saying this to keep the price down. He could be working on a deal that bring Wei-Yin Chen to the Bronx and doesn't want to tip his hand or he could be serious about the seven starting pitching options he currently has at his disposal on the 40 man roster. The thing at this point is, who know for sure?

Does Cashman even know? I doubt it. Stay tuned.