Pinch hitting: Let’s Go Yankees Blog
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jan 25, 2008 
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When the call went out for some guest bloggers, I had a feeling somebody from Taiwan would step up. It was Jessica, who writes the Let’s Go Yankees Blog.
Jessica, who now lives in Australia, has been blogging since May of 2007. She tries to write about the Yankees from the international point of view. She enjoys making friends from different countries and hopes to meet some of her friends from her blog at Yankee Stadium one day.
Jessica says her favorite player is Chien-Ming Wang. Not just because he’s Taiwanese but because she admires his humble personality.
Here is her post:
New episodes between Hank Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman keep coming. Well, most of you probably think I hate Hank Stein’s big mouth, don’t you? How come he just can’t stop talking? I disagree with that. I like the combination of Hank and Cashman.
My major is Mass Communications and I have worked at a television station for few years. From a public relations standpoint, Hank does his part. Hank shouldn’t refuse to answer reporters’ questions. Sport is part of entertainment businesses. As an old saying goes in the entertainment businesses, no news is bad news.
I really don’t think there are many conflicts between Hank and Cashman as the media implies. Some people like to face media and others don’t. Cashman understands his boss and lets him talk. They also may just play their supposed roles in front of media. Cashman is acting as the one doesn’t want to trade prospects. Hank is acting as the one want to make a trade with Twins. In the end, If Yankees make a trade with Twins, they may just try to lower the price they need to pay.
Don’t forget this is the final year of Cashman’s contract. Most of us will do our best to keep our job, right? Obviously, It’s very difficult to depend on three rookie pitchers to carry the team. This is a big gamble for any team, especially for Yankees. On the other hand, if Yankees don’t make a deal for Santana, they may just want to drive up Red Sox’s price or increase the chance for Twins to keep Santana.
I have been worked with different investors as a film producer. There is no way you can get investors who just give you money without saying a word or making any decisions. The only difference is how much investors get involved with and how much they reveal to media. As a film producer, when you have bigger budget to work with, you try to make the film as good as possible.
No film producers will ever complain about having too much money to spend because you never have enough money. On the other hand, when you have small budget to deal with, you try your best to make it work. Ultimately, when you are on your film premiere, no one care how much money you spend. The only thing they talk about is your films and how good or how bad they are.
The same goes to Cashman. People only care whether the Yankees can win a championship. I don’t believe he would want to go to a small-market team to show his true ability. He couldn’t find any better boss than the Steinbrenner family because they are willing to spend money on their team.
It seems Hank, Hal and George all share power in decision making. There is always more than one person to make decisions nowadays in organizations or companies, especially for big ones. This just shows Cashman is good fit for Yankees because he has dealt with this problem well.
Thanks for the post Jessica. We appreciate all our international readers.
Interesting point of view and well-backed up.
Jess–Nice post! I know it can be really hard writing in a language that’s not your first (heh, you should see some of my old Spanish essays), so major kudos for having the guts to do it!
Welcome Peter,
Be able to have a piece on your blog is definitely a honor for me. Hopefully, everyone understand what I try to say. By the way, you have no idea how popular you are in Taiwan.
Nice post Jessica! I really think Cashman declining to engage in a contract extension is an excellent move on his part. He has all the leverage & the imminent Cano deal shows how integral he really is to the Yankee organization.
Great observation.I haven’t thought about this from Cano’s extension angel.
my fault.angle….See… My terrible English
Jessica – don’t be so hard on yourself! Your English is incredible! Great post
Thanks. This is just culture nature for Taiwanese. Taiwanese parents teach their kids humble. You have to respect everyone and work hard all the time.
Jess;
Nice take on Hank , Hal and Cashman.
I don’t think anyone has ever looked past the image put out there for us, and the press, to see. It makes a lot of sense, someone has to be the face of the Yanks, Thus…Hank. Therefore, it lets Cash do his job without the constant questions and second guessing of the press. Case in point; Canos pending long term contract.
Very good blog, hopefully, you will give us some more of your insight again, we are all to close to the team. You would give us a much different take on things. My wife is Vietnamese, so I also understand the problem with the language. 27/08
No problem Jessica, I just read your blog concerning Matsui’s knee, that is worrisome, especially that he can’t run. I wouldn’t be shocked if he needed some additional surgery, which would be a big setback for him.
Hopefully, Matsui don’t have any more setback. I think we need healthy Matsui. According to many news I read from Japanese website. Obviously, Matsui worry about his right knee
Buddy;
I think an article was posted (briefly) on another blog, maybe yesterday. My take on the blog was; he wanted to have the doc check out the leg to make sure he could workout in ST without doing any damage. I really thought it was nothing but a check up. I guess not!? 27/08
I don’t know,but that’s my Japanese housemate told me what the news said.
It’s nice to hear from another Comm Major. Appreciate the perspective. Nice work.
Just let you know that Wang is leaving Taiwan today, afternoon or night flight (Taiwan local time)
Jessica -
I enjoyed reading your post. I do happen to agree with you that having Hank Steinbrenner as the voice of the Yankees is overall a good thing. As you stated, it allows Cashman to step a little bit out of the limelight; talking to the media looks to me to be his least favorite part of his job.
I also thought your analogy between the money raised and spent when making a film and the money the Yankees spend to build a competitive (playoff-contending) team. The difference is that the money the Yankees spend will always be a story, whether they win or lose, at least until the rest of the pack closes in on them (or, conversely, the Yankees shrink the gap themselves). When they spend money and don’t win, it’s a story because, well, they spent all that money on stars who couldn’t get the job done; and when the win, the story is, well, of course they won – they spent money on starts to do just that. No win situation for the Yankees.
I am hopeful that Cashman stays around and a good working relationship with the Steinbrenners continues.
Jessica -
I apologize for my typos. I meant I “liked” your analogy, not I “thought” your analogy.
And also, when “they” win, not when “the” win.
That’s what I get for doing this too early in the morning!
Thanks,Doreen. I am very appreciated at your words. To me, it just doesn’t make sense to keep bring up how much money Yankees spend.
jessica:
Nice post.
I agree with you. I don’t assume that Hank and Cash are at odds with each other. In fact I believe they are more on the same page than some people think.
The interplay between Hank and Cashman reminds me of the “good cop – bad cop” strategy. Sometimes when trying to get a suspect to give information in an interrogation, police will team up and take on different personalities as a strategy. The “good” cop will present a friendly, sympathetic face to the suspect and the “bad” cop will be angry and impatient. The “good” cop plays off the “bad” cop’s intimidating presence and hopes that the suspect will be so afraid of the “bad” cop that he confesses to the “good” cop. It could just be that Hank is the “bad” cop.
Jessica – Your command of English is excellent… better then many Americans in high school right now. You ‘disappeared’ from your blog for a while. Glad to see you are back.
The interplay between Hank and Cashman reminds me of the “good cop – bad cop†strategy.
Absolutely 1000%!!!
I am amazed that people take what is reported by the media about what Hank/Hal/Cashman say as anything other then pure disinformation, BS or publicity. If there was merit to any of it, the Steinettes et al would have to be absolute idiots… which they are not.
We ahould also realize these teams have ‘shills’ on various papers that they feed disinformation to, with the cooperation of the reporter. It’s all a big game. Cashman is good at playing… as is Theo.
There may have initially been issues in the ‘Santana Trade’ about whether to give up Hughes or not, but my guess is that long ago the Yankes decided IF they want Santana and WHAT they will give up. If they do want him (and I hope NOT if it costs up Phil) then I suspect they will pull a Damon: make and offer and give then Twins 12 hours to accept or reject.
I don’t think the Sox are in this… but it doesn’t matter. They Yankees will make a take it or leave it offer. If any team was hot for Santana he would have been traded long ago. Everyone realizes the Twins have very little to zero leverage. The longer it drags on, the cheaper the price.
I suspect the Yankees will make a last minute IPK offer and the Twins will take it.
Cute. Made me smile several times.
I’m not a Hank Hater either.
I think we don’t realize how much the organization uses the media as they negotiate with other clubs and agents and players. I suppose it’s important to always appear that you can be “swayed” from any particular stance you happen to take. By Cashman,Hank and Hal all having three distinct roles/personalities, the organizarion itself could be blowing smokescreens out there all the time and therefore not divulge their real plans/intentions. This gives them a lot more leverage, and leverage means everything.
The business of baseball with regards to transactions between clubs and players has become just one big game of poker. These GMs and owners and agents just stare at each other and time takes its toll: the pretenders generally fade from sight,the real players continue to stare each other down,and in the end some sort of compromise takes place.
Jessica – Very good post and great observation about Hank and Cash. I think it’s great fun having Hank out there, completely accessible to the press, while the ‘real’ work is being done behind the seasons by Cash and his team – and only when it’s finished and signed off by Hank & Hal does it become news that we can all take seriously. In other words, I don’t think Hank is talking too much. I could be wrong, but I think it’s a clever strategy. Thanks again for highlighting that.
Barring a catastrophe, I also agree that Cash is going to be around for a while – and I welcome that.
Your English is fine, Jessica, and your ‘baseball’ is brilliant! My wife is French and after having lived twenty years in the States, she speaks very fluent English, but is still basically illiterate when it comes to baseball. The most fun she ever had at a ball game was trying to spot Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich in the dugout, using a pair of binoculars, just after their family swapping episode! Now that we’ve been living in France these past twenty years, she’s flabbergasted by all the time I spend on baseball blogs.
I look forward to more of your posts, Jessica.
Thank you, Peter, for the guest bloggers – a wonderful idea!
Sorry that obviously should have been ‘behind the SCENES,’ not ‘behind the SEASONS.’ And I can’t even use the excuse of typing early in the morning, Doreen!
Good Job Jess. Think you got those interrelationships exactly right. I have many friends from Taiwan and know that English is not the easiest of languages to speak let alone write. You do a great job.
Great job as always, Jessica. The insight I’ve gained from your blog is invaluable.
this whole Hank/Cashman thing to me feels a little bit like a good cop/bad cop routine.
i do think its grossly overhyped by the media, mostly because thats what the media does when they dont have any other new news or stories to break.
Excellent job. I agree with your observations.
Nice post, and I agree.
As the others say, your command of English is commendable.
Thank for compliments from everyone. It’s so nice to hear I am able to communicate well with everyone by putting my mind into words.
Nice job, Jessica!
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