Anyhow, good piece. Peace!

For me, I added new writers, who I thought would add variety but also maintain a level of quality. But while Banter has never been strictly about the Yankees, it has moved away from being a baseball blog or even a Yankee blog over the past few years. I wouldn’t have been able to sustain my interest in writing exclusively about the Yanks, they just aren’t that stimulating for me, not after 9 years. So for me, the Banter is better suited for me as a NYC blog that features the Yanks. That way I can keep a clean sense of being a fan and can write from a place that is sometimes fresh.

Plus, this past season, I think that Hank and Jon were wonderful with their game recaps, which can be painful as a writing exercise if you do it too often.

Maybe Steve will just chill for a year or two and then come roaring back when he’s inspired again.

I just think he was burnt out, and honestly, he has had very little to say in the last few years. It’s too bad in a way, because early on, he produced a tremendous body of work… far more than any other individual blogger.

I guess he had said everything he has to say.
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In terms of Cashman, I have said before, there are 29 GMs in MLB, and then there is the Yankees GM. Simply not in the same ballpark. I guess if you believe the President of Spain, or of Uganda, has the same responsibilities and burdens the the President of the US has, maybe you will disagree.

The question is not if someone else could do as good a job as Cashman…. the question is could someone else even survive in the job for 3 years… no less 14.

I think Cashmoney has done a GREAT job. That is not to say there havent been mistakes and misjudgements, but that is part of the job. I hold Cashman resposible for those maitakes in the same way I hold Swisher responsible for not getting on base 62% of the time.

In other words, like everything else, the job he has done is relative. Relative to other GMs some, but much more to the unique situation that is New York and the Yankees.

While we have not come out as well in the PS over the last 10 years as I would I liked, I have this bizarre, insane take on it. As opposed to taking Cashman to task for the teams he has built, I believe that the players were/are responsible for what goes on in the field.

Like this year, I don’t think Cashman threatened the families of ARod, Teix, CC and Swisher unless they sucked beyond all expectations.

The truth is ANY team can beat any other team in a 5, or even 7 game series.

This is just the CRNB.
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(Chaotic Random Nature of Baseball).

Too funny.

Seriously, anyone with that depth of antipathy towards Cashman is probably better off, healthwise, not blogging about it obsessively.

But then again, I put the Cashman haters in the same box as birthers, truthers and the-moon-landings-were-faked nitwits …

In recent years, the Yankees have had depth. Instead of Tony Womack or Clay Bellinger, there was Jerry Hairston Jr., and Eric Chavez.

Wasn’t Hairston added at the deadline? So it’s not really fair to use him as evidence of Cashman designing a team with depth.

But my only request: can we PLEASE stop lumping Giambi in with the bad signings??

Its the truly great GMs who can succeed regardless of the circumstances: Ed Barrow, Pat Gillick, Branch Rickey all come to mind.

I think Cashman is closer to “truly great” than the other side, but I may not be entirely objective on that one.

Yes indeed. Excellent point, Will.

That said, I think one aspect of his performance has been underexamined: the “manager” part of “General Manager”. Cashmoney has clearly surrounded himself with quality executives: Eppler, Oppenheimer, Mark Newman, Jean Afterman (and was it him or Watson who gave Kim Ng her first exec-level job?). Other teams wanted to possibly hire Cashman’s assistants, which is a plus in his column. The Yanks’ drafts in the 5 years since Oppenheimer took over have been significantly better than the 5 years prior. I’ve read many things about how the Yanks’ “data department”, run by Eppler, is among the best in the game.

Cashmoney doesn’t do it all himself, and he’s clearly got good people around him. I’m glad he’s back.

[2] I was an original commenter back when Steve started WW, but like you, I couldn’t take the virulent Cashman and A-Rod (and Hughes) bashing. I can’t say I’m surprised Steve shut it down, but I am a little sad.

It’s hard enough to win a game, because the other team has talented players as well — the best that played at high school, the more gifted ones in college. And they’re doing everything they can to win as well. Plus they are beneficiaries of improved training, medical and scouting too. I think it’s remarkable, and a testament to the whole organization that the Yankees have made the postseason 16 of the last 17 years.

Now, do I feel the season is a disappointment if the Yankees don’t win the championship? Yes. I feel that way about every team I follow. But to bash a team for only winning 5 of the last 17 championships is an insult. You’re basically saying that we should have the best 25 players and they should be playing junior varsity teams. The first part is beating other highly talented players and making the postseason. That proves you are a very good team. And nowadays you then have to play three rounds against, guess what, other very good teams. And then factor in luck.

Once in a great while, 1927, 1998, you have a team/season for the ages. They are to be treasured. Just don’t expect it every year.