Coaching Changes Coming?

From George A. King III:

Sunday in Boston manager Joe Girardi said there had been no discussions about changes in his coaching staff. Nevertheless, that was before general manager Brian Cashman officially returned. Now, every department in the organization is under review. That could result in a coaching change being made.

"Those things will be discussed," Cashman said. "Those things weren't on the table. Now that I am in place we will sit down and review every aspect of the organization."

Because the lineup underachieved in the clutch, hitting coach Kevin Long was mentioned to be in trouble. But Cashman likes Long, who is the only coach with a multi-year deal that has two seasons remaining.

If Cashman makes a change it could involve third base coach Bobby Meacham, who seems to have been unfairly criticized for Robinson Cano's supbar season.

Nevertheless, some players grumbled about Meacham's work at third. If Meacham, who was brought in by Girardi, isn't retained, Larry Bowa, the Yankees New York Yankees ' former third base coach, could return. Bowa, considered the best third base coach in baseball, signed a two-year deal with the Dodgers but has an out after this one.

I'd keep Eiland, Pena and Thompson. They all did a good job this year.

How can anyone blame Meacham for anything Cano did or didn't do? You want to blame Meacham for something, then blame him for being a bad third base coach. How about bringing Willie back? He did a great job while he was here, and the players and fans love him.

I doubt Bowa is going to leave L.A., he followed Torre out there, so there's no reason why he will leave him now to come back to the Yanks.

I also would like to see Kevin Long go. Offensively the Yankees were great last year, and I guess Long deserves credit. But remember, Don Mattingly was still with the team and may have helped the hitters last year. He was gone this year and we all saw how this team hit.

What about you, what coaches would you like to see stay or go?

Who's the boss?

From Ken Davidoff:

But in their quest to regain the mantle as baseball's elite team, they still face a quandary that shows no sign of going away:

They're muddled at the top, above Cashman.

From speaking to employees up and down the organizational food chain, you still get the sense that no one knows who's truly in charge.

Whereas George Steinbrenner ruled all in his prime, obsessing over both $189-million agreements with Derek Jeter and uncollected garbage on the practice field in Tampa, the organization lacks clarity today. The power flows, very unevenly, through these four outlets:

1. Hal Steinbrenner. He has worked hard in the last year to establish a relationship with Cashman and the baseball people, commuting to Yankee Stadium from his Tampa home nearly every week. But he is human, unlike his dad, in that he can't get his tentacles over everything.

2. Hank Steinbrenner. The "advisory-board" comments - there will be no advisory board, Cashman confirmed yesterday - provide further proof that Hank is a highly entertaining fraud. As long as he's got his last name, however, Hank won't be ignored altogether.

3. Felix Lopez. The husband of George Steinbrenner's younger daughter Jessica, Lopez has exploited Hal's and Hank's limits to gain a surprising amount of power over the Tampa-based operations. Lopez is known as such a bully and a boor that he makes Hank Steinbrenner look like a gentleman and a scholar, in comparison.

4. Randy Levine. The head of everything in New York, including the Yankees' role in YES and the new Yankee Stadium, team president Levine used to be predictable in that he would carry out George Steinbrenner's wishes. Now, with The Boss largely resting in the background, Levine sits as more of a wild card.

From this, you have people wondering who really runs things. It's a question that, in reality, probably will fade only if, or when, the Steinbrenner family sells the team.

From everything I've read and heard, Hal has starting to become the main man, and has been handling most of the everyday stuff. I've also heard that they're trying to get Hank to shut up and fade a bit into the background. Apparently the rest of the organization is getting as sick of his comments as some of the fans.

The Yankees can not get to where they need to be if five people are trying to runs things. It's just not going to work, it's part of the problem that's led them to where they are right now.

However, I don't believe Cashman would have come back for three years if there wasn't some guarantee that he had total control. It's the only reason he came back in 2005, so why would he back off those demands now?

Yanks backing off the idea of signing CC?

According to this article on Baseball Prospectus (membership required), the Yankees are "backing off the idea of signing Brewers left-hander CC Sabathia." Maybe those rumors about Sabathia not wanting to play in New York and the AL were true after all.

The article also states that the Yankees will instead set their sights on Angels' first baseman Mark Teixeira, and will also try to trade Robinson Cano for pitching or a center fielder. If Cano is traded they would then try to sign Orlando Hudson to play second.

If this is true I'm glad they're going after Teixeira, he would be a great addition. But I was really hoping that a boat-load of money would convince CC that New York, and the AL East isn't such a bad place after all, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

If the Yankees are going to trade Cano I would much rather the Yankees trade him for a top of the rotation starter instead of a center fielder. Starting pitching is the most important thing the Yankees need to improve this off-season. They could always give Brett Gardner a shot in center and see what he can do. I like the idea of signing Hudson if the trade Cano, there aren't many other good options out there, and when healthy Hudson is a very good ballplayer.

(hat tip to trueyankee.org for the link)

Cashman Wants To Change The Story

From Bryan Hoch:

In the end, a key component of what pushed Brian Cashman to return as the general manager of the Yankees turned out to be what would have been written had he not finished the job.

Recalling Reggie Jackson's oft-repeated comment: "When you have a bat in your hands, you can always change the story," Cashman insists that he will not see his legacy in pinstripes cemented with 2008, a year that saw the third-place Yankees miss the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons.

"I'm staying to change the story, that's the fact," Cashman said. "I'm not telling you that it's going to change overnight, but I am telling you that it's not going to be written inaccurately."

"When you decide to do another round, you've got to be up for it," Cashman said. "They need you to be up for it. The entire fan base needs you to be up for it, the people that are working for me or with me. You need to basically be all-in."

Cashman admitted that he had not enjoyed reading criticism about himself in newspapers while the Yankees struggled. A member of the organization since 1986, Cashman reminded reporters that he served as assistant general manager under both Gene Michael and Bob Watson for six years.

He was also the club's assistant farm director when a core of young players like Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera were cultivated under similar circumstances to what the Yankees are attempting to deal with now.

"It just seems like some people forget that," Cashman said. "And the storyline that was going to be written if I left, I didn't agree with. I'm not going to let that story be written.

"If I left, I wasn't going to like the story that was going to be written, because it wasn't going to be an accurate depiction of my time here. I've given my heart and I've given my soul to this franchise and they've given their heart and soul back to me."

Hank Steinbrenner had spoken recently about the implementation of an advisory board to assist in baseball decisions, but Cashman said that the so-called advisory board would remain as it was in 2008. That arrangement consists of the GM, manager, coaching staff, the farm director, amateur scouting director and professional scouting director.

"That's all Hank is talking about, to get as many people as possible involved," Cashman said. "It's nothing we haven't done in the past, I promise you that."

"At the end of the day, there's a story that I want to have written here and I want to have it written in a certain way," Cashman said. "The only way to do that is to suck it up and win."

Cashman was also on the Mike Francessa show earlier in the day and said that the plan is to have Joba in the rotation for all of 2009, and that the Yankees need to add to the rotation and add a first baseman. He said that center field is also an issue, but that may be dealt with from within, with either Damon, Melky or Gardner, but the team is open to making a trade for a center fielder too as long as the deal makes sense. That interview can be found here. (Hat tip to River Ave. Blues for the link.)

Also, according to Peter Abraham, Cashman was "feisty" and "defiant" at the press conference today at Yankee Stadium, and said that “We have to win, and we will.”

Here's another quote from today's press conference from Peter Abraham:

“For a long time, we’ve been old and everybody knows it, right?” Cashman said. “For a long time people have pointed it out. So now when you start to fix it, people are ‘Oh my God, you missed the playoffs.’ Off with his head, right? That’s fair, that’s fine, that’s part of this town. I accept it. I’m not running from it.

“I care about my name and I care about how I’m perceived and I care about this franchise. I need everybody that works for me who feels the same way to pull in the same direction. If I wanted something easy, I could do a hell of a lot of other things than run the Yankees.”

2008 Postseason Picks

ALDS

Red Sox vs. Angels - I think this is the year the Angels final get past the Sox. Beckett was pushed back to game three, and there's a slight chance that he may not even start in the series. The Angels also beat up on Boston this year, going 8-1, and they're heading into the postseason healthy, which is always important. With all that said I still think it will be a good series.

Prediction: Angels in 5

White Sox vs. Rays - All year people were expecting the Rays to collapse, they were too young and inexperienced, and there was no way they could keep it up for a full year. Well they proved a lot of people wrong. Still, with what the White Sox did over the last two days they've shown me they're a lot tougher than I had thought they were.

Prediction: White Sox in 4

ALCS

Angels vs. White Sox - The only AL team that can beat the Angels is the Red Sox, but as I said earlier, this is the year I think they can get past them. If they do, I think they roll over Chicago.

Prediction: Angels in 5

NLDS

Dodger vs. Cubs - I'm rooting for the Dodgers, but the Cubs were the NL's best team all year and I see no reason why that will change now. They're healthy, and they're stacked. Overall they are a much better team than the Dodgers and should have no problems moving on.

Prediction: Cubs in 4

Brewers vs. Phillies - If Ben Sheets were healthy this would be a much more interesting series. But with him on the shelf the only thing the Brewers have going for them is CC Sabathia, and I don't think he's going to be enough to get them over the hump.

Prediction: Phillies in 4

NLCS

Cubs vs. Phillies - This should be a very good series. These are the two best teams in the NL, and it would only be fitting if it came down to them. Everything I said before about the Cubs still stands.

Prediction: Cubs in 6

World Series

Angels vs. Cubs - The cream rises to the top and the two best teams face off in the 2008 Fall Classic. This is a very tough one to call, both teams are very, very good. The Angles were baseball's only 100 win team, while the Cubs finished second in wins with 97.

I would be rooting for the Cubs, the suffering of their fans is unmatched; they haven't won in 100 years, and they haven't even been to a World Series since 1945. But I think the Angels are the better team so I'm going to have to say that the pain last another year.

Prediction: Angels in 7

Yankee Stadium Tours to Continue

From the NY Post:

Just when you thought Yankee Stadium was closed forever, fans will have another chance, starting today, to tour the House That Ruth Built, The Post has learned.

The Yankees have decided to extend tours of the famed ballpark until the end of the year, officials said yesterday.

The team held its last tour on Sept. 19, but the decision to resume came after hundreds of fans called and sent e-mails begging for one last chance to say goodbye to the Stadium before it's demolished next year, officials said.

Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for children 14 and under.

For more information on Stadium tours, fans can call (718) 293-4300.

For some stupid reason I've never taken a tour of The Stadium, and I was disappointed when I found out a few weeks ago that they had stopped on the 19th. Now that they've restarted them I think have to go.

Joba: Everything's good with the shoulder

From the NY Daily News:

"I'm not going to train any different, I'm not going to do anything different as far as preparation wise," said Chamberlain... "Just the mentality factor - getting set up for the grind of, 'Are you going to be in the bullpen? Are you going to be a starter?' But preparation-wise as far as physically, isn't going to be any difference. I just want to win."

Although Chamberlain said he "just couldn't get loose" Sunday against the Red Sox, he mentioned that "everything's looked good since the last checkup," and that "everything's good" with his shoulder.

Hopefully the tightness he felt on Sunday wasn't a big deal and he just needs rest. But I'm still a little concerned that it could be more than that.

As for his role, I know people want him to stay in the pen, but the Yankees problem is not a setup man, it's starting pitching. The Yankees need an ace, and he has the potential to be that ace, he just needs to stay healthy.

If he these shoulder problems persist the Yankees may have to keep him in the pen so he can stay healthy, but until that point they have to keep him in the rotation. He can help the Yankees more as a dominant starter than a dominant reliever.

Statement from the Steinbrenners

From Yankees.com:

"Before we could move forward as an organization this offseason, we needed to come to a resolution on the person who would hold the important position of general manager and allow us to make another run at a 27th World Championship. We are thrilled that Brian has accepted to renew his commitment to this organization for at least three more years.

"Holding the position of general manager for any Major League team is a challenge. But to do so in the great city of New York, where baseball is passionately followed 12 months a year, you must possess a number of unique attributes.

"Brian has shown throughout his Yankees career that he has the dedication, integrity and know-how needed to perform-and succeed-in this environment. Having him in place allows us to begin an offseason of hard work, and we are pleased he will be working hand-in-hand with us to bring the New York Yankees back to the postseason."