“Last year GM Brian Cashman hired Marty Miller to run the conditioning program and it was a disaster. There was an epidemic of hamstring pulls combined with a group of players – notably Bobby Abreu and Johnny Damon – who were not in peak shape. Miller was fired May 2 and replaced by his assistant, Cavalea, who is far more popular than Miller, who was roundly ignored.
“We made the playoffs last year because we finally got in shape in June,” Mussina said.”

anyone who thinks that brian cashman doesn’t need someone higher up on him all the time should never forget last year’s conditioning debacle. cashman is simply not driven to excell at all times. he’s learned how to keep his job. that’s two different things. i will give him that after screwing up he eventually gets it better once his job is threatened as it was last spring.

he needs to be bumped up and a young new gm with the equivalent energy of girardi needs to replace him. keep the cashman doctrine on course, but get someone who is driven to win all the time and not just when his job is in jeopardy.

i’m still ticked off about last spring. anyone who has ever set foot on a baseball field could see that players were not in shape. one thing that really annoys me is that people assume because they are the yankees that they do everything first class.

they obviously didn’t last spring, and i’m not thrilled with dana cavalea being in charge of conditioning this spring. great guy from all accounts, but among the least experienced strength and conditiong coaches in baseball . i want real doctorates and a slew of baseball conditioning experts. cavalea should be about 3-4 down on the depth chart and not in charge.

i think girardi will make a big difference in conditioning, but that shouldn’t be his main focus because the yankees neglected to hire someone with worls class credentials to take charge of that area.cashman still doesn’t get conditioning. but by hiring girardi, it’s at least better.

When I saw Girardi at practice yesterday, I said the same thing. Especially cause the managers wear the same thing as the players. He’s in better shape then most of the team.

So far I like what I’m hearing/seeing with Girardi. I guess the proof will be in the pudding, so to speak, but if the manager is so full of enthusiasm and energy, and willing to put in the exra steps, then you certainly hope that it boils over onto his team.

Girardi is a young ex-catcher. If Hank doesn’t become the manager-firing machine which was his daddy, Girardi could be around for a while and we’ll see him reach the golf cart years.

That doesn’t change the point: Girardi is energetic enough to lead a team we hope will be energetic.