Via Mark Feinsand -
The Yankees haven’t held their organizational meetings yet, but a change in Joe Girardi’s coaching staff could come before the team’s brass meets later this month in Tampa.
According to a source, Brian Cashman has been asking some players to give evaluations of the coaching staff, giving the general manager information to use as he figures out what moves need to be made.
“I think there are going to be some changes,” the source said. “But I’m not sure which direction they’ll go.”
Third-base coach Bobby Meacham appears to be the coach most likely to be replaced, although he was one of two coaches – Mike Harkey was the other – that Girardi brought with him from Florida, so the manager could try to go to bat for him. Luis Sojo, who has been managing the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate in Tampa, could be a candidate to replace Meacham.
The one coach who appears to be safe is Kevin Long, especially since the hitting coach is the only one on the staff with a contract for next season. Long, who signed a three-year deal before last season, recently spoke with Cashman, although they didn’t discuss the status of the other coaches.
While there’s something to be said for 360-degree feedback, if used correctly, I have to wonder how much Joe Girardi appreciates Cashman going to the players for opinions on the coaching staff that he (meaning Girardi) put together.
Also, baseball clubhouses can sometimes be small places. If some player says something to Cashman that may cost a coach his job, and it gets out, how do you think life is going to be for that player, with the remaining coaches, after the fact?
Maybe, while his intentions are good, this is not the smartest move for Cashman to make…
13 Responses to “Cashman To Ask Players To Evaluate Coaches”
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October 11th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Also, baseball clubhouses can sometimes be small places. If some player says something to Cashman that may cost a coach his job, and it gets out, how do you think life is going to be for that player, with the remaining coaches, after the fact?
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do you really think that cash would talk to someone that if word got out could received reprocussions? I doubt it. I think he would ask players of the Jeter Pettite Moose type..you know people who nobody could argue with.
October 11th, 2008 at 11:05 am
This ship is sinking before it gets off the dock. Cash Man should not have been resigned. The Yanks needed a fresh set of eyes , that will guide this organization to the next level. The coaches are not the problem, the team is ancient with no gamers or grinders.BTW, the Red Pox seem to be fufilling that stupid mission statement that Yankees Inc used to employ. And guess what, that don’t even have to announce they have one.
October 11th, 2008 at 11:08 am
If some player says something to Cashman that may cost a coach his job, and it gets out, how do you think life is going to be for that player, with the remaining coaches, after the fact?
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Somehow, I don’t think the players will fear the wrath of Eiland, Thompson, Meacham or Pena.
If the scuttlebutt of the players “quitting” (whatever that’s supposed to mean) on Girardi’s true, then I don’t think it will make a lick of difference.
October 11th, 2008 at 11:12 am
The coaches are not the problem
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Agreed, but they are the sacrificial lambs in any organization.
October 11th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I haven’t been as depressed about the Yankees immediate future since 1990.
Cashman is the classic example of The Peter Principle. He is a man in a dark room working on a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. He can’t even be trusted to evaluate coaches, it’s pathetic.
This organization is really at it’s darkest time since the late 60’s. Hank and Hal are waiting for George to go so they can put the club up for sale. In the meantime, this uninterested duo let’s Cashman, an ineffective GM, continue to operate the organization because to look for someone who could retool the organization would take something they don’t have, an interest in the on field baseball side of the business.
The next thing I expect is for Cashman to visit his local Japanese restaurant to get input on potential talent from the far east.
October 11th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I agree Joseph M…
To me, this is another example of what happens when you don’t have someone with “baseball” experience as your GM.
Just like Cashman can’t scout players, because he has no scouting, playing or coaching background, he cannot tell a good coaching job from a bad one – without relying on someone else telling him. (In this case, he’s asking players for help.)
You think Stick Michael would ever have to ask a player what kind of job a coach did – after being able to watch the coach work, himself, from above, for 162 games?
October 12th, 2008 at 11:57 am
This isn’t something he has to do, this is something he chose to do. Big difference.
There is nothing wrong with getting feedback from the players. None of you guys have worked in a corporate environment?
Having said that, the coaches aren’t the problem.
October 12th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Steve, I wonder where you are getting this “Cashman has no playing experience, that is why he’s bad” schtick. Did you know that he played baseball in college, and hit .348 his junior year? In any case, Theo Epstein and Andrew Freidman have substantially LESS playing experience, and yet you rate them better.
Not arguing whether you’re right or not on their talent evaluation, but how do you justify basing your GM pick on whether he ‘played baseball’ or not? Cashman was a baseball player, a substantially better one than Theo or Andrew.
Also, Cashman had substantial scouting experience before becoming the GM. He was assistant GM to Stick and Watson. Theo, for one, came from nowhere. How do you account for him?
Could it be because the Red Sox have on their payroll a massive amount of very talented and very knowledgable ‘baseball people’, and Theo listens to them for his scouting knowledge? This may be the point you should be hammering, instead of continually ringing the “no scouting ability” bell. Just like it’s not the plant manager’s job to coordinate individual workers’ workload, it’s not the GM’s job to individually scout players.
October 12th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
~~Did you know that he played baseball in college, and hit .348 his junior year? ~~
OMG. What school? What division did they play in? How many PA did he have? What was the team batting average?
Context Andrew, context! It’s always about context!
October 12th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
~~In any case, Theo Epstein and Andrew Freidman have substantially LESS playing experience, and yet you rate them better.~~
Have I? Really? Funny, I don’t remember that…
Now, I *may* have said that the Rays and Sox have done better at netting talent lately…but, have I ever pointed directly at Epstein and Friedman and said they were great?
No.
Maybe they are like Cashman – meaning they’re white-collar paper-pushers? If true, it suggests that WC/PP GM’s *can* do well…I guess…if they know how to use their inputs the correct way.
But, if true, isn’t that more damning of the job Cashman has done – rather than give him a pass?
October 12th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
~~~Cashman had substantial scouting experience before becoming the GM. He was assistant GM to Stick and Watson. ~~~
Name one player where Cashman was credited with being the scout who signed him.
And, being the assistant GM means that he took their calls when they were busy and he did all their paperwork for the league office. It doesn’t mean he learned to spot talent in the way that their years on the field allowed them to do.
Jean Afterman is now the Yankees Asst-GM. You think she can be a scout too?
October 13th, 2008 at 12:26 am
This organization is really at it’s darkest time since the late 60’s.
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Are you serious? It’s not even close.
October 13th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Jean Afterman is now the Yankees Asst-GM.
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Assistant *TO* the GM…
Yes, I’m a fan of “The Office”