Brian Cashman: Last Year as Yank GM?

[Bob Kohm]

Having quite a bit of personal experience with Levine from back int he days when he was one of Rudy Giuliani's Deputy Mayors I am totally unsurprised that his ego is exercising itself in this way. The guy is a creep and the fact that George is no longer there to keep him in his "useful box"-- negotiating business deals and labor agreements-- portends bad things for the Yankees.

[revo]

Somehow the Yankees really bungled this off-season, screwing around with Jeter for too long and doing it way too publicly, then missing out on Lee, turning Andy Pettitte into Brett Favre and generally turning everyone off. I'm not sure how much of it was Cashman's doing, but I don't think things would be better for the Yankees without him.

....and, at the same WFAN event as the Jeter to the OF comment, Cashman says that "Joba has not been the same pitcher since his shoulder injury in 2008." It's refreshing to hear the honesty, but this is also a pitcher who they said they would deal for a starting pitcher just a couple of weeks before.

[schlesinj]

....and, at the same WFAN event as the Jeter to the OF comment, Cashman says that "Joba has not been the same pitcher since his shoulder injury in 2008." It's refreshing to hear the honesty, but this is also a pitcher who they said they would deal for a starting pitcher just a couple of weeks before.

He flat out said Joba is in the pen.

[Don Quixote]

Having quite a bit of personal experience with Levine from back int he days when he was one of Rudy Giuliani's Deputy Mayors I am totally unsurprised that his ego is exercising itself in this way. The guy is a creep and the fact that George is no longer there to keep him in his "useful box"-- negotiating business deals and labor agreements-- portends bad things for the Yankees.

I love comments like that. I'm curious, though--Is Levine just a creep in general, or a creep even by NYC standards?

IMO the Yankees are becoming a case of "too many chiefs, not enough Indians". It looks like too many guys are throwing their weight around, trying to be The Boss.

[TopChuckie]

Rotoworld:

The Yankees want to retain general manager Brian Cashman once his contract expires after this coming season.
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said he "absolutely" wants Cashman to return. Cashman, in turn, expressed his desire to remain in the Big Apple. "Am I trying to get fired? Absolutely not," Cashman said. Cashman clashed with management over the signing of Rafael Soriano, but apparently the rift has been smoothed. Steinbrenner, in fact, called the controversy "drummed-up drama."

"Am I trying to get fired? Absolutely not," Cashman said. I think it's funny to have to say that.

[Bob Kohm]

Randy Levine is a creep by anyone's definition-- he's always been the first person to throw around the weight reflected on to him by the powerful people he's served whether a situation might justify it or not. In terms of his days under Rudy Giuliani, he served as the Mayor's point person in many municipal labor negotiations, always a dirty business. Levine would reach deep-- I'll protect myself and say "I've been told" that he'd have his staff doing oppo on the spouses and kids of those he was negotiating with and quite frequently (and gratuitously) used what he'd found, sometimes revealing extramarital affairs or outing someone simply because he could even if it gave him no material advantage in the negotiation. The only thing that ever keeps Levine in check is the fact that, like most bullies, he's an inveterate coward and any cross look from his superior (be it Giuliani or George Steinbrenner) was enough to get him to put away his sh1t-heel personality flaws until he was told to bring them back out of the box. Now that he has this split Steinbrenner Junior structure above him and Brian Cashman (whom I can just about guarantee despises him and whom he despises based on their personalities and approaches) below him, it is totally Levine's personality to try and break off the shackles "unjustly" put upon him and to finally ascend to his god given position of boss. If nobody snaps the leash on this bitch he'll throw the Yankees back into a 1965-style tail spin.

[Bob Kohm]

"Am I trying to get fired? Absolutely not," Cashman said. I think it's funny to have to say that.

I think anybody who does say that is obviously writing his departure ticket.

[Don Quixote]

Randy Levine is a creep by anyone's definition-- he's always been the first person to throw around the weight reflected on to him by the powerful people he's served whether a situation might justify it or not. In terms of his days under Rudy Giuliani, he served as the Mayor's point person in many municipal labor negotiations, always a dirty business. Levine would reach deep-- I'll protect myself and say "I've been told" that he'd have his staff doing oppo on the spouses and kids of those he was negotiating with and quite frequently (and gratuitously) used what he'd found, sometimes revealing extramarital affairs or outing someone simply because he could even if it gave him no material advantage in the negotiation. The only thing that ever keeps Levine in check is the fact that, like most bullies, he's an inveterate coward and any cross look from his superior (be it Giuliani or George Steinbrenner) was enough to get him to put away his sh1t-heel personality flaws until he was told to bring them back out of the box. Now that he has this split Steinbrenner Junior structure above him and Brian Cashman (whom I can just about guarantee despises him and whom he despises based on their personalities and approaches) below him, it is totally Levine's personality to try and break off the shackles "unjustly" put upon him and to finally ascend to his god given position of boss. If nobody snaps the leash on this bitch he'll throw the Yankees back into a 1965-style tail spin.

So if I'm reading this right, (a) he's not a nice person, (b) he hides behind powerful people, (c) he dumps on people just for fun, and (d) you don't like him.

He sounds like my last boss in my last corporate world position. uke:

[Judge Jude]

I can say objectively that several people have given me exactly Bhob's perspective on Mr. Levine across the board.

He also is getting killed these moments in the bloggo/twittosphere for Yankees taxpayer-funded subsidies re stadium that his critics are callng "welfare" as well.....

[BigJonEmpire]

I think anybody who does say that is obviously writing his departure ticket.

That's exactly what I was thinking too. I like Cashman but it is pretty obvious he wants something else at this point.

[revo]

Randy Levine is a creep by anyone's definition-- he's always been the first person to throw around the weight reflected on to him by the powerful people he's served whether a situation might justify it or not. .....

And just yesterday, Randy Levine had this nugget about Chuck Greenberg -- owner of the defending AL champs:
"I think Chuck is delusional [about their last-minute meeting with Cliff Lee changing his mind about signing with the Yanks]," Levine told ESPNewYork.com. "He has been running the Rangers for a few minutes and seems to believe he's mastered what everyone else is thinking. I think he should let Cliff Lee speak for himself. I'll be impressed when he demonstrates he can keep the Rangers off welfare. What I mean is make them not be a revenue-sharing recipient for three years in a row, without taking financing from baseball or advance money from television networks. Then I'll be impressed."


Nice!

[Don Quixote]

Clearly Chuck Greenberg should be overly concerned with whether Levine is impressed with him.

What an ass.

Greenberg should walk up to Levine and say one word--"Scoreboard". Then walk away before the a** can come up with anything.

In addition, he should put Levine on the "No Admittance" list for the security guys at his ballpark. "Sorry, Mr. Levine, but it says here that you're a stuck-up a-hole who doesn't know sh** about baseball, and that our ballpark shouldn't be polluted with your presence. Go pound sand."

Seriously, who the f*** IS Randy Levine that his comments should matter to anyone?

[TopChuckie]

Levine may be an ass, but that doesn't make him wrong about what he said about Greenberg or about what Greenberg said about the Cliff Lee situation.

Greenberg's statements already indicate an unusual fixation with the Yankees, so maybe he is concerned with what Levine thinks. Greenberg should remember he was a loser in that situation as well. Greenberg asked for Levine's response.

And as far as scoreboard goes, I'm pretty sure when it comes to results, no one would trade the Yankees' for Texas'.

[BigJonEmpire]

Very true. Greenberg may be a hero in Texas, doesn't mean he isn't just as much of an *** as Levine.

[TopChuckie]

Speaking of unusual fixation with the Yankees, which side asked for this and why would either side do this?

Carl Crawford's $142 million contract with the Red Sox prohibits him from being traded to the Yankees via another team.
Why merely sign a perennial All-Star when you also can set up a roadblock for your biggest rival? For now, Red Sox Nation can sleep well knowing they've locked up a 5-tool player in his prime. He's not going anywhere any time soon.

Rotoworld

The note implies the Red Sox insisted on that. First of all, why would the Yanks want to be saddled with a contract that only gets less attractive every season and second, do you think the Yankees ever think about restricting players from going to the Red Sox? It's embarrassing.