EE fires coaches but GM & manager stay

[SnoBrdr]

BY Mark Feinsand
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Friday, October 10, 2014, 3:05 PM

BALTIMORE — Somebody had to pay the price for a second dark October in the Bronx.

It wasn’t Brian Cashman, whose new three-year contract was announced Friday afternoon. Instead, the ax fell on hitting coach Kevin Long and first base coach Mick Kelleher, who were both fired from Joe Girardi’s coaching staff despite having one more year on their contracts.

“We just wanted to make some changes in the staff, which will put us in position to find higher ground as we move forward,” Cashman said. “Those guys have been assets for us, they’ve helped us and they’re good baseball people.”

Cashman praised the work and effort of both coaches, although the stats were simply too much to ignore when it came to firing Long.

The lineup struggled all year, ranking 13th out of 15 AL teams with 633 runs scored. The Bombers also ranked near the bottom of the league in average (11th, .245), on-base percentage (14th, .307), and OPS (12th, .687).

Cashman said Long “tried everything in his power” to turn the offense around, and while the GM had no issues with the hitting coach’s effort, the results simply weren’t there.

“It’s tough because I know Kevin’s good at what he does,” Cashman said. “But I’m looking for a different voice maybe with a different message and approach to some degree.”

Long had been the Yankees’ hitting coach since 2007, when the team led the majors in runs with 968. The Yankees ranked first or second in MLB in runs during five of Long’s first six seasons as hitting coach, but they have dipped during the past two injury-riddled campaigns.

The free-agent signings of Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann didn’t make much difference as McCann struggled for most of the year and Beltran battled an elbow injury, while midseason additions of Chase Headley and Martin Prado weren’t enough to turn things around.

“We were able to fix a number of issues, but the one issue we couldn’t fix was the offense,” Cashman said. “We struggled from start to finish with trying to produce consistent runs.”

One of the challenges for the new hitting coach will be to help players such as McCann and Teixeira hit against the infield shifts opponents routinely employ against them.

“I’m confident that Kevin has had those dialogues with the players involved,” Cashman said. “I look forward to hiring the right person that will be in the position to communicate the advantages of going against the shift, whether it’s with bunts or going the other way in the right circumstance.

“We’re going to need a guy that is going to use every tool in the toolbox to maximize somebody’s offensive output. Clearly, working against the shift and adjusting to the shift is something that today’s player — even if they’ve played for a while — has to be open-minded to.”

Cashman made a point to say the infield’s early season defensive problems were not on Kelleher, who had also served as infield coach for the past six seasons.

It seems Kelleher’s dismissal had little to do with his job performance, but was done instead to open a spot for at least one new coach. “As you change the dynamic of the staff, it has to come at the expense of some personnel,” Cashman said. “In this case, it’s Mick.”

A source said Mike Harkey, who was Girardi’s bullpen coach between 2008-13 before becoming Arizona’s pitching coach last season, could return. Former Royals manager Trey Hillman, currently a special assistant in the Yankees’ front office, could also join Girardi’s staff.

As for Cashman, his new three-year deal sets him up through 2017, which will be his 20th season in the job. Only San Francisco’s Brian Sabean and Oakland’s Billy Beane have longer tenures than the 47-year-old Cashman among major-league GMs.

Having missed the postseason the past two years, Cashman will have another busy offseason ahead as he tries to get the Yankees back to October.

“Being in this chair for 17 years, I’d say every winter has got its challenges; I don’t feel that this one is any different,” Cashman said. “Obviously we know from our fan base’s perspective that we need to do better than we’ve done for the past two years.

“I say that for myself as well. Being in my chair, I’m responsible for it all: offense, defense and pitching. I’ve got to find a way to get our fan base back to enjoying October sooner than later.”

[skiadikt]

long had to go. agree that offensively team needed a new voice. not sure why they axed kelleher. most ee fans were hoping for cashman to go. you have to do better than a couple games above .500 when your payroll's over 200 mil. he's made some good moves and some bad ones. main problem is the "win now" attitude where you have to overpay for "stars" who may be at the beginning of their decline. you don't have the luxury of building through the draft and your farm system like the royals, pirates, rays, a's etc. it's gotta be on cashman that the farm system's been so unproductive. looks like it'll be business as usual in the bronx ...

[Geoff]

it's gotta be on cashman that the farm system's been so unproductive.

I'd argue that the MLB draft, which was put in place in the 1960's to stop the Yankees from signing every good amateur player, is working as designed. Other big market MLB teams have caught up to the Yankees for free agent payroll money. The Yankees can no longer buy every All Star 29-year-old player as they hit free agency. In addition, every one of those players they do sign costs them their #1 draft pick. In years where they do have a first round draft pick, they're picking in the high 20's where the sure thing picks are long gone. With this new reality, the Yankees can buy "competitve" but they're unlikely to be able to buy enough pitching to beat the playoff teams with the stud 25-year-old pitchers. Instead, you get stuck with players like CC with long term contracts who produce for a few years and then suck down $20+ million paychecks for five years while producing little. Do you really want to sign Lester for 6/$150 or Shields for 4/$100?

Personally, I think it's great that doormat teams with relatively low payrolls like Baltimore and KC are in the ALCS. It means the system to maintain parity in MLB is working. It's what makes the NFL such a great product. Any (well managed) doormat team can make the playoffs the next year with smart draft picks and some mid-tier free agent signings.

[SnoBrdr]

it's gotta be on cashman that the farm system's been so unproductive.

I'd argue that the MLB draft, which was put in place in the 1960's to stop the Yankees from signing every good amateur player, is working as designed. Other big market MLB teams have caught up to the Yankees for free agent payroll money. The Yankees can no longer buy every All Star 29-year-old player as they hit free agency. In addition, every one of those players they do sign costs them their #1 draft pick. In years where they do have a first round draft pick, they're picking in the high 20's where the sure thing picks are long gone. With this new reality, the Yankees can buy "competitve" but they're unlikely to be able to buy enough pitching to beat the playoff teams with the stud 25-year-old pitchers. Instead, you get stuck with players like CC with long term contracts who produce for a few years and then suck down $20+ million paychecks for five years while producing little. Do you really want to sign Lester for 6/$150 or Shields for 4/$100?

Personally, I think it's great that doormat teams with relatively low payrolls like Baltimore and KC are in the ALCS. It means the system to maintain parity in MLB is working. It's what makes the NFL such a great product. Any (well managed) doormat team can make the playoffs the next year with smart draft picks and some mid-tier free agent signings.

The reason why all these teams are suddenly so good now, KC, Balt, Tampa is thta they sucked for so long and were able to draft the best plyers and do it in a intelligent way, unlike Houston and others.

If you keep getting the 1st pick in the draft, unless you are a complete bust at choosing, you should be good at some point.

Why the EE has kept Cashman is unknown, the only real reason I can think of is that the kids are pulling the strings and Cashman is just the front man and has no real say in what they do.

Otherwise why would they keep him. The good teams were put together by Stick and Buck and then they fired Buck and let Torre slide in and take all the glory.

[skiadikt]

it's gotta be on cashman that the farm system's been so unproductive.

I'd argue that the MLB draft, which was put in place in the 1960's to stop the Yankees from signing every good amateur player, is working as designed. Other big market MLB teams have caught up to the Yankees for free agent payroll money. The Yankees can no longer buy every All Star 29-year-old player as they hit free agency. In addition, every one of those players they do sign costs them their #1 draft pick. In years where they do have a first round draft pick, they're picking in the high 20's where the sure thing picks are long gone. With this new reality, the Yankees can buy "competitve" but they're unlikely to be able to buy enough pitching to beat the playoff teams with the stud 25-year-old pitchers. Instead, you get stuck with players like CC with long term contracts who produce for a few years and then suck down $20+ million paychecks for five years while producing little. Do you really want to sign Lester for 6/$150 or Shields for 4/$100?

Personally, I think it's great that doormat teams with relatively low payrolls like Baltimore and KC are in the ALCS. It means the system to maintain parity in MLB is working. It's what makes the NFL such a great product. Any (well managed) doormat team can make the playoffs the next year with smart draft picks and some mid-tier free agent signings.

certainly the draft has been a factor but your own red sox have one of the most productive minor league systems despite usually finishing high. you've still got to pick well with the picks you have and then develop what you have. the yanks have failed on that account.

the luxury tax is another thing bringing about parity. the yanks (and now the dodgers) are paying other teams to get better. teams like the royals have apparently spent their share well. to me the "model" team is the cards who somehow manage to field a playoff team every season w/o going crazy on free agents and could even let a player like puhols walk and not miss a beat.

and no to lester or shields but again with the "win now" mentality wouldn't put it passed them to repeat their mistakes.

and yeah, i'm luving the royals so far. the combined payrolls of the orioles & royals is less than the yanks.