It is no secret the New York Yankees have failed to reach the World Series over the past decade, but they’ve gotten close on quite a few occasions. Whether it be lackluster starting pitching or deficient hitting, the Yankees have failed to get over the hump against teams with more consistency.
However, general manager Brian Cashman gets angry when people dismiss his team’s efforts, noting his success in signing free agents, trading players, and developing talent. He’s clearly not afraid to pat himself on the back despite a lack of success, but he didn’t hesitate to take shots at the Houston Astros for holding the Yankees back from reaching the World Series.
“The only thing that stopped (us) was something that was so illegal and horrific,” Cashman told The Athletic. “So I get offended when I start hearing we haven’t been to the World Series since ’09. Because I’m like, ‘Well, I think we actually did it the right way.’ Pulled it down, brought it back up. Drafted well, traded well, developed well, signed well. The only thing that derailed us was a cheating circumstance that threw us off.”
The Yankees also are being investigated for stealing signs, but not nearly to the extent of Houston, who used a myriad of different strategies to gain a competitive advantage.
Cashman aggressively disagrees with the notion that the Yankees aren’t a World Series caliber team, but the reality is simple, one good season isn’t good enough.
“People are like ‘Oh, we haven’t been to a World Series . . .’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I don’t think that’s as true a statement as it could be,'” Cashman said. “We had a World Series team. And either you get it done or you don’t.”