Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
October 31, 2007
Short Notice

I guess Brian Cashman is supposed to be answering his cell phone 24 hours a day:

Brian Cashman fell asleep Sunday night reading a story to his son, Teddy. His cell phone, in another room, kept ringing, mostly calls from reporters trying to reach the New York Yankees general manager for his reaction to Alex Rodriguez opting out of his contract.

Cashman's wife woke him up at about 10:30 and he checked his messages.
"At 9:32 there was a voice mail from Scott Boras to call him. He wanted to give me a heads up on something, was the message," Cashman said Tuesday. "And then at 9:42 was a text message saying he was opting out."

Cashman wished he had gotten the chance to speak with Rodriguez's agent.

"If there was no public announcement from Scott Boras on that, you could still always unring the bell because from the public standpoint, the bell was never rung," Cashman said during a conference call. "I could have said, 'Hey, listen, you sure you want to do this? Let's talk, you know, you take another crack at an opportunity -- can you please, you know, give us an opportunity to sit down and have the dialogue?"'

That conversation never took place.

"Obviously the message was sent, and it was sent loud and clear, you know, through Scott Boras when he announced it the way he did, that the bell couldn't be unrung after that," Cashman said.

It wouldn't matter. Clearly, Boras wanted this to happen on the national stage of the World Series. I doubt Alex made up his mind at 9:41 that evening. And with ten days to opt out, there was no rush to make this announcement. Cashman answering the phone or not, Rodriguez was gone.

This goes back to my post last night about over worked management. Why should anyone being doing business at 9 PM on a Sunday night? What can possibly get done then that couldn't wait until Monday morning? How many managers and GMs need to get burned out before someone takes action?


Posted by David Pinto at 07:48 AM | Free Agents • | Management | TrackBack (0)
Comments

"Why should anyone being doing business at 9 PM on a Sunday night? What can possibly get done then that couldn't wait until Monday morning? How many managers and GMs need to get burned out before someone takes action?"

David, that is the life he has chosen. Same for many Docs or Bankers working 7 days a week, occasionally sleeping under their desk. He can always take a step back, consultant job for 30% of the pay, 30% of the hours, 5% of the influence. Does not make it right, but it was his choice.

Posted by: abe at October 31, 2007 10:11 AM

I bet Boras wanted to ask Cashman if he thought it'd be more annoying to interrupt the eighth inning, or the ninth inning, of Boston's clinching game.

Because that's just Scott Boras being Scott Boras.

Posted by: Chris at October 31, 2007 10:42 AM

David, this isn't unique to baseball. I work far more hours than I should, for far less than Cashman is being paid. Such is life. I should be so lucky as to at least be doing it in baseball (I am not).

Posted by: JC at October 31, 2007 01:46 PM
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