Felger & Mazz: Cashman On A-Rod Scandal, 'Much Ado About Nothing'
With Felger on vacation for the weekend, Tony Massarotti was joined for Thursday's show by Marc "The Beatle" Bertrand, as they broadcasted live from Patriots training camp in Foxborough. However, before getting to football talk, the guys were first joined by Brian Cashman, General Manager of the New York Yankees, to discuss the state of the Red Sox rivals, this weekend's upcoming series at Fenway, and the latest controversy to surround Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.
In the wake of reports that A-Rod allegedly participated in high-stakes underground poker games involving Hollywood A-listers and millionaire ponzi schemers, the Yankees star has once again found himself in the middle of a media firestorm. Although many people, including Mazz and Bertrand, have been speculating about the potential seriousness of A-Rod's actions, Cashman doesn't seem so worried. In fact, he went as far as to say that he felt the scandal was something that was created purely by the media, and was really, "much ado about nothing."
After he was finished dismissing the seriousness of the A-Rod gambling allegations, Cashman then went on to discuss his thoughts on the Yankees roster, the team's season so far, and how his team stacks up with the hometown Boston Red Sox.
While Cashman did concede that he was not as successful as Theo Epstein was at filling roster needs during the off-season, he seemed very pleased with the way his team has come together, and the way a lot of unexpected names - like Bartolo Colon, Ivan Nova, Russell Martin and Freddy Garcia - have stepped up and played big roles for the team and enabled them to remain competitive. Not surprisingly, Cashman also noted that these unexpected performances played a big role in the Yankees' inactivity at the trade deadline.
With that in mind, is this the start of something new in New York? The Yankees have long been known as a team that goes out and buys any big name on the market, but they seem to be turning the page and focusing more and more on the importance of developing the talent already in their organization. Cashman's admission that he was willing to make a deal, but simply didn't like any of the ones that were available, shows that the Yankees may be heading in a somewhat different direction with Cashman calling the shots.
But, are Cashman and the Steinbrenners always on the same page? And, perhaps more importantly, will Cashman even be at the helm of the Yankees' baseball operations come next season with his contract expiring at the end of the year? Cashman says he wants to stay in New York, but his status there may be in jeopardy if the Yankees flounder against the Sox once again this weekend, and continue to fall short when it really counts. Will the Yankees step up, or will Cashman ultimately look foolish for not making a move at the deadline? For all this and more, tune in now!
