Ready … aim …
Fire?
George Steinbrenner finally came out swinging yesterday, and his target this time wasn’t manager Joe Torre. Instead, The Boss directed his anger at general manager Brian Cashman and indicated that his patience is being tested – possibly enough to kick Cashman to the curb.
With the Yankees (21-24) riddled with pitching injuries and 9½ games behind Boston in the AL East entering last night, the 76-year-old Yankees owner is putting the turn-around solely on Cashman’s shoulders.
“He’s on a big hook,” Steinbrenner told The Associated Press from Tampa. “He wanted sole authority. He got it. Now he’s got to deliver.”
Steinbrenner, who hasn’t been interviewed in months, came out of the background following series with the Mets and Red Sox. The reclusive Boss, who normally issues imperious press releases, spoke with the AP from his office and said he hoped the worst was over.
Of Torre, he said, “We are not considering a change.”
But Cashman understands that he’s in a precarious position, even noting that he wasn’t sure whether he’d be in Scranton for Roger Clemens’ minor-league start on Monday or with the Bombers on their next road trip in Toronto.
“I guess I’m day by day,” Cashman said.
The GM was asked if he felt his job status was tenuous, and he answered, “I would think so.”
Although he couldn’t answer exactly what “on a big hook” meant and joked that he’d soon be the subject of a newspaper cartoon, he emphasized, “I take it seriously. I understand where I’m at.”
Before signing a three-year contract before the 2006 season, Cashman asked for and received sole responsibility for baseball operations, giving him final decision-making on scouting, drafting and acquiring players. He expressed no regrets for requesting that stipulation.
“It’s the way it should be,” Cashman said. “When things go wrong, people need to know who to come to.
“In fairness to him, at least he knows now who he needs to talk to about it. You hire somebody to do a job, and then when things go bad, you shouldn’t have all these hands in the pot.
“It’s got to be a streamlined situation like it is elsewhere.”
Cashman said he didn’t sense other people within or outside the organization would reach for power – although it seems like a possible side-effect of Steinbrenner’s statement.
“He can say whatever he says, because this is his team,” Cashman said. “No one cares about this situation more than he does. He’s passionate about it.
“He’s not undermining anything. I respect his opinions on it.”
Torre strongly defended Cashman yesterday, noting that the slight-looking executive was as tough as nails. He also stepped in the line of fire.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m the manager and Cash is the one I report to,” Torre said. “We work close together.
“So as far as anything aimed at him, I feel it’s my responsibility, too.”
Cashman wasn’t the only subject of Steinbrenner’s ire. Jason Giambi, who recently told USA Today that he was “wrong for doing that stuff,” put himself back into the steroids spotlight.
“He should have kept his mouth shut,” Steinbrenner barked.
Said Giambi: “He has that right. He’s my boss.”
Although The Boss has no immediate plans to change managers, he said Don Mattingly “could possibly” manage the team someday.
“Mattingly is a good one,” he said. “He is very thorough guy. He understands what it is to be a Yankee.”
Steinbrenner said Clemens is capable of sparking the team but thought the Rocket needed another start in the minors. He also praised Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte, calling Pettitte “gutsy.”