While retracing Bernie Williams’s unfriendly departure from the Yankees, Cashman said Williams had become more involved in his music “and that took away from his play” and that Williams had a "terrible season" in 2005.
On Joe Torre:
Cashman added Joe Torre had played Williams "ahead of guys who could help us win" in 2006, a reference to Melky Cabrera.
On last year's early struggles:
Cashman said Damon struggled last season because he reported to spring training out of shape, adding that Bobby Abreu was also out of shape.
On Joba vs. the midges:
"I thought our guys weren’t mentally tough enough to get through it."
On working his way up through the Yankees front office:
"It was a great grooming ground. Things kept opening up because people kept getting fired."
None of those things were mysteries to anyone that has paid attention to the Yankees the last few years (or just read this blog) but to see Cashman admit there is some blame to be laid on players and managers is a nice change from his normally stoic and non-candid answers.
As heard on Mike & the Mad Dog today, baseball great Bernie Williams announced his surprise retirement.
He cited family commitments as being the paramount reason that he will be leaving the game he hasn't played since 2006.
Mike Francesca reiterated that he now has no Yankees to root for without Bernie Williams, and that he hates Jason Giambi, and that he's glad Bernie is friends with someone named "Jeetuhh."
In wanting to make a point about the Mitchell Report not being the all-inclusive bible of naming PED users, Kevin Kennedy said that a current colleague of his, who was with the Boston Red Sox in 2004, told him that he (the colleague) witnessed, for a fact, a member of the '04 Red Sox injecting himself in the buttocks with a needle full of PEDs. Kennedy said that the user is no longer a member of the Red Sox - but, he was a player on the team that won the ring in 2004. As per Kennedy, his colleague said that the "user" was giving a demo (to the "colleague") on how to do the injection.
Just for fun, let's all play George Mitchell (if he actually cared to investigate the franchise that pays his check) and run down the list of guys who were on that World Series team and are no longer Red Sox: Alan Embree Bill Mueller Bronson Arroyo Curtis Leskanic Dave Roberts Derek Lowe Doug Mientkiewicz Gabe Kapler Johnny Damon Keith Foulke Kevin Millar Mark Bellhorn Mike Myers Orlando Cabrera Pedro Martinez Pokey Reese Ramiro Mendoza Trot Nixon
Could any of these players be considered Kevin Kennedy's "colleague"? It would seem to be either a jounalist, club official (Kennedy is a former manager), or someone who also works for the LA Dodgers. We can throw out players who are still active for other teams. That leaves Mueller (Dodgers front office), Kapler (minor league manager), or Leskanic (scout).
Remember, this wasn't behind closed doors, this was a player openly shoing others how to use PEDs. Yet, Mitchell did not so much as sniff around the Red Sox. To clairfy, one of these people: Gabe Kapler Bill Mueller Curtis Leskanic
was instructed on how to use PEDs by one of these people:
Alan Embree Bill Mueller Bronson Arroyo Curtis Leskanic Dave Roberts Derek Lowe Doug Mientkiewicz Gabe Kapler Johnny Damon Keith Foulke Kevin Millar Mark Bellhorn Mike Myers Orlando Cabrera Pedro Martinez Pokey Reese Ramiro Mendoza Trot Nixon
Oh wait, Mitchell's investigation is over? He's not interested in pursuing this any longer? Besides calling only Yankees to testify before Congress, this is a closed issue?
On another note can someone explain why Chuck Knoblauch is being called in to testify, but prominent players named in the report (Cy Young winner Eric Gagne, MVP Miguel Tejada, etc.) are not even asked to appear? For anyone who says Mitchell was even slightly objective, I point you to the above paragraphs. Yankee witch hunt.
At least it should be. Thankfully, (hopefully) we'll be talking about the Hall of Fame inductees for a few days instead of just steroidsHGHsteroidsPEDs constantly.
Gossage is the most deserving candidate, and it's a shame it's taken this long for voters to realize that "closers" have changed and evolved over the years. You can't compare Gossage to Hoffman or Rivera - they'd never pitch three or four innings for a save. It's long past due for Goose to get his reward, especially since Sutter made it two years ago.
The other names I'd check on my hypothetical ballot? Raines Blyleven McGwire
No to Dawson, Rice, Morris, John. They just aren't Hall-worthy. Lee Smith I'm a bit torn on, and I'd like to see him get some votes next year. I've addressed Mattingly before and while I didn't think he'd played long enough to be in the Hall, voters inducted Puckett on the first ballot, and if a guy is good enough to make it on the first ballot and has nearly identical yet inferior stats to another guy... well, he should probably make it too, don't you think?
Yes I know McGwire most likely used drugs, but it seems it was so rampant back then, how can you choose to just punish one player? I thought perhaps the first year exclusion was enough. The guy was the premeire homerun hitter of his day and finished with nearly 600. You can't keep him out forever.
That people keep comparing Raines to Henderson is ridiculous, but not as much as people believing Vince Coleman was better than him. Raines deserves a spot.
Rice seems to be getting support from Boston area sportswriters (Gammons) who are pressuring their peers to vote in his favor (Gammons). He doesn't deserve it... not even close.
I'd be surprised if Dave Concepcion gets in, but so many writers have falled for Joe Morgan's campaigning in their articles lately. Let me state this clearly - Concepcion had a few years as an average hitter and a full career as an awful one. Concepcion should have to buy a ticket if he ever wants to see the Hall of Fame.
My guess is it winds up with just Gossage, which is an affront to Blyleven, but we'll see. These inductions are voted on by sportswriters, and any regular reader of this blog knows how I feel about their kind.
