Sweeny: Twitter, Hal, F-Bomb And A-Rod — Brian Cashman Faces The Media

By Sweeny Murti
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Brian Cashman said he regretted his choice of words regarding A-Rod and the tweet heard 'round the Yankee universe.

He also said he knew that Hal Steinbrenner was disappointed in him too, though it was Hal who spoke to A-Rod Wednesday and made sure that Cashman's message was heard in clearer terms:

Cashman did not think there were any bad intentions on A-Rod's part, just a lack of understanding:

The chain of command was the greatest issue.  The team and the team-employed medical staff are responsible for releasing the information to avoid contradictory messages:

So why were A-Rod's tweets a bigger deal than those of Mark Teixeira or Curtis Granderson during their rehab stints?

The friction in the Yankees relationship with A-Rod is real, although they do their best to get to the place where it is once again about the baseball player and the baseball team:

MORE: YANKEES GM REGRETS 'CHOICE OF WORDS' IN F-BOMB OUTBURST

Probably more than any other team, the Yankees are acutely aware of the dangers that Twitter can present and they would probably prefer it just went away.  It's not going away.  So Cashman has to reiterate his message to the players, making sure they do not do anything that will get them called into the principal's office:

As for the conspiracy theories that the Yankees are trying to hold back A-Rod to recover insurance money or keep him away until the Biogenesis scandal is resolved, "False and false" Cashman said:

And now maybe the focus shifts back to the team on the field, a team that is somehow still in the race despite a lineup that has not—and now will not—see its starting infield of Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez play even one inning together this season.  Are the suddenly budget conscious Yankees prepared to add payroll at the July 31^st trading deadline if needed?  Team president Randy Levine gave this answer on Tuesday:

And how about the possibility of taking on salary for 2014 in order to field the best team they can in 2013?

The Yankees have a little over a month to put their money where their mouths are.

Sweeny Murti
@YankeesWFAN

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