I am a longtime listener of ESPN Radio New York. ESPN NY is unquestionably the superior New York sports radio station. I caught on to the Mike Francesa schtick a long time ago. Mike and the Mad Dog rarely watched the games they were talking about, instead they would listen to what the caller was saying, then loudly (very loudly) play devil’s advocate. Yelling and arguing for the sake of yelling and arguing. They realized they could pull in listeners with the yelling and arguing gimmick, that’s what they ran with.
ESPN Radio New York has always had far more integrity than Mike and the Mad Dog, later just Mike. They would yell and argue if they disagreed, but if a caller makes a good point, they respect the point.
The FAN came across as caricatures of New Yorkers while ESPN New York came across as actual New Yorkers.
As a long time fan of ESPN New York, a long time fan of Michael Kay, Don LaGreca, Anita Marks, Chris Canty, Dave Rothenberg, Larry Hardesty, Gordon Damer, and Peter Rosenberg, it pains me to have to write this commentary. But I can’t listen to the nonsense any longer.
Editor’s Note – (Don’t hassle me in the comments. I didn’t forget anyone when making that list. I’m not surprised a former goalie wasn’t invited to Rosenberg’s wedding)
I have made it known that I cannot stand Brian Cashman. Cashman cannot put together a winning baseball team. Cashman has more resources at his disposal than any other General Manager in MLB, but has only one World Series to show for it. Don’t even think of crediting him for 1998 – 2000, those teams were put together by Gene Michael, Bob Watson, and The Boss. Cashman was handed those teams, he didn’t put them together.
Heck, I’ll give Cashman a pass on the Yankees failures of 2001 – 2007 because The Boss was still running things. However, 2008 to the present day, the last 15 years, are squarely on Cashman.
Brian Cashman has repeatedly failed to put together winning teams. He has repeatedly failed to evaluate starting pitching. He has repeatedly shrugged off responsibility, making comments like the playoffs are a crapshoot. How can he be blamed for all of this? It’s not his fault that anything can happen in the playoffs and there is no possible way to put together a true dominant playoff team!
Despite all of his failures, try listening to Michael Kay or his butt kissing toadie, Rick DiPietro. Don LaGreca too. These guys fawn over Cashman. He’s such a great General Manager. The fans don’t give him credit for all of his good moves!
What good moves are we talking about?
Lowballing Aaron Judge on a contract offer which resulted in having to pay him roughly $100 million more than he had to if he just gave a real “fair” offer?
Trading away a boatload of prospects in multiple failed 2022 deadline deals? Montas, Trivino, Effros, and Benintendi?
Hoarding prospects that he never had any intention of playing regularly in the Yankees’ everyday lineup? Clint Frazier & Miguel Andujar are great recent examples.
Are they talking about taking Josh Donaldson’s contract off the Twins’ hands so they could sign Carlos Correa?
Cashman has been a disaster for years, but ESPN NY can’t praise him enough. Michael Kay will tell you that Brian Cashman would have another job in a heartbeat if the Yankees moved on from him.
My response is this: “So what?”
Who cares if someone else would hire him? How is that even a defense of Cashman? It just means that there are other teams that are okay with mediocrity.
I had to take a temporary break from The Michael Kay Show because I can’t listen to it any more. I can’t listen to anyone defend Brian Cashman. I’m sick of the failure, and I’ll never understand how some people can avoid blaming the guy who has total control of the baseball operations.
Brian Cashman is the root of the Yankees’ problems. When people like Kay, LaGreca, and DiPietro refuse to acknowledge that unquestionable point, it makes me question their integrity. These guys have to be on Cashman’s PR payroll.
I really am a fan of ESPN Radio New York, but it’s time to take a break until these guys can admit what the rest of us are seeing. I’m a fan of Michael Kay, but I’ve hit my boiling point when it comes to the ESPN New York love affair with Brian Cashman.