Brian Cashman Places Jeff Pearlman in His Crosshairs

Already in spring training, the majority of baseball’s general managers are focused on the daily operations of their clubs and applying leadership for the future. But for Yankee’s GM Brian Cashman, it’s become a call for spring cleaning, looking to wipe away the dirt of months past.

Damage control first began with his taking aim at Joe Torre for a book co-written by the Dodgers’ skipper, which makes claims about the Yankees relationship with Alex Rodriguez, while also taking a swipe at New York management.

Before he could fully address and deny “A-Fraud” references in his clubhouse, a discovery reveals that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for banned substances in 2003, forcing the GM to lock and load for the press, and come firing with answers.

And though you would think an injury and lost time for Rodriguez would bring temporary silence and a much needed period of calm, Cashman has already found a new target, this time placing best selling author, and Sports Jabber friend, Jeff Pearlman in his cross hairs.

Pearlman, formerly of ESPN and recently employed by Sports Illustrated, is known for tackling high profile and often controversial sports topics for publication.

His personal works include The Bad Guys Won, focusing on the 1986 New York Mets, Love Me, Hate Me, a biography of Barry Bonds, Boys Will Be Boys, covering the off field antics of the Dallas Cowboys dynasty, and a new book scheduled for release on March 24th called The Rocket That Fell To Earth, which has become the latest thorn in Cashman’s side.

Bound in the pages of the new book, Pearlman uses an anonymous source to recall a situation where Brian Cashman, watching from television, saw a struggling Jason Giambi at the plate and reacted openly by saying, “Jason, whatever you were taking in Oakland, get back on it”.

An exclamatory “PLEASE” was used to complete the thought. Cashman publicly denies the occurrence and claims of words said. But in a recent questions and answers session with Sports Jabber, Jeff Pearlman stands by his source and offers more opinion of the leader in New York.

Do you think Cashman is overreacting to the comments in the book?

I think he’s overcompensating—that’s the word I use. On the one hand, he’s right—I messed up by not calling him for a comment, which, as a journalist, I should have done. It was an oversight during a rushed deadline, but that’s no excuse. I should have crossed that T.

However, I also trust my source 100%, and also know Cashman has never been hold accountable for the staggering number of Yankee players who used performance enhancers.

To me, the thing Cashman has never had to answer for is how he brought in three known-within-the game users (Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Kevin Brown) yet claims he had no idea that anyone was using. Just not believable.

Are you sticking by what was written?

Yes, 100 percent.

Writers often protect their sources, opening themselves for any backlash. Has their ever been a time where you wished a particular source would have came forward and admitted to saying something?

Honestly, no. There’s a long-running debate among journalists on the utilization of anonymous sources. I believe strongly in them, because anonymity often leads to vital information; key stories; etc.

However, I’m no fool, and it comes with a price: Namely, you’re out there all along when the info is questioned. I’ve never wished for someone to come forward because I know what I’m getting into, and if I use an anonymous source, it’s with the guarantee that he/she will never be identified.

Have you retracted statements in the past, and if so, what were the reasons?

I mean, I’ve written stuff that later proved to be off, and I’ve apologized to the person. But I think it’s almost always along the lines of “My mom’s name is Shirley, not Betty” or “I played 128 games in 1994, not 127.” There’s no such thing as a perfect journalist.

Of all your publications, where do you rank The Rocket That Fell to Earth, in terms of favorites to research and write?

This is an admittedly lame answer, but that’s impossible for me to do. All the books have their highs and lows; all take a ton out of me. I mean, the hardest was probably The Bad Guys Won! since it was my first, and I had no clue.

But it was probably also the most joyful, because I lived the ‘86 Mets. The Clemens book was definitely the hardest, because I had less time than in the past, and Clemens is a genuinely hard guy to nail down. You know, the Mets and Cowboys were wild and fun, and Barry Bonds was a jerk. But Clemens is so many different characters—very tough. But rewarding.

When you take into consideration the most recent discoveries in the Yankees clubhouse, Clemens and Rodriquez, you see a lot of truth in what Pearlman says. Cashman has been a man slow to react in regard to steroid use, alleged or factual, yet quick to respond to the content of books that appear minor in comparison.

Think about it. His preseason answers to the toughest questions have been proposing a ban that would restrict Yankees employees from writing books about their experiences with the organization and disallowing Alex Rodriguez’ cousin from having contact with the team.

Both answers insinuate that writers and relatives are the problem, and outside of that, the Yanks and baseball are just fine.

The Rocket That Fell to Earth will be released on Mar. 24 by Amazon.com. Having read his work before, my anticipation is high. If this book can ruffle feathers before it’s publicly released, I can’t wait to dig into the pages to see who will be riled and come forward with denial next. 

The Yankees are one of the most powerful sports franchises in America, and their GM has been wielding a sharp tongue to slice controversy and negative press. But no matter the weapon of deterrence, the pen is mightier than the sword.

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