MLB Franchise Notes: Yankees Want Cashman To Return For '09
 |
Yankees Want Cashman To
Return As GM Next Year |
Yankees co-Chair Hal Steinbrenner said that the Yankees "want Brian Cashman back as their [GM] next year, and have told him so," according to Kat O'Brien of NEWSDAY. Steinbrenner said of Cashman, "He knows that we're with him, that we want him back." Steinbrenner noted that "conversations took place" among himself, Yankees Chair George Steinbrenner, co-Chair Hank Steinbrenner and Cashman earlier this month in Tampa. Cashman has "yet to make up his mind about whether he wants to return" (NEWSDAY, 9/23).
RAY OF LIGHT: The Rays Saturday clinched their first playoff birth in team history, and Rays Owner Stuart Sternberg said next season "will be a pivotal one for the business." Rays President Matt Silverman added of the team's success, "It eliminates one of the key question marks about the organization: Can it ever win? And the answer is yes, and there's a good chance that we're going to have winning baseball in Tampa Bay for the foreseeable future" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 9/21). Meanwhile, Fox Sports' Jeanne Zelasko in an e-mail apologized to Rays fans for "often referring to the team as the 'Tampa Rays' this season." Zelasko said, "You are the Tampa Bay Rays. Plain and simple. Don't drop the Bay, stupid! And if you're going to mention the ballpark -- get the address correct. ... Your team earned respect on the field. You the fan have earned my respect by speaking out and making your voice heard!" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 9/23).
PLAYING POLITICS: In Chicago, Fran Spielman reports the Cubs have offered the city's 50 aldermen throughout the MLB postseason the "right to purchase a pair of playoff tickets at face value -- $60 to $80 a seat for the first two rounds." Also, the White Sox have "renewed their traditional invite to alderman and their guests to watch potential playoff games and a possible World Series from a VIP suite at U.S. Cellular Field, with free food and drink" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/23).
ATTENDANCE NOTES: Fans attending Thursday's Pirates-Brewers game at Miller Park "will receive a voucher redeemable for a free ticket to a select game in the 2009 season" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/23)....Yesterday's Marlins-Reds game, the Reds' final home game of the season, drew a crowd of 13,565 at the Great American Ball Park, and the team's final season attendance of 2,058,632 is "39 more than last year" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 9/23)....The Royals for 79 home games at Kauffman Stadium drew 1,578,922 fans, down from 1,616,867 for 81 games in '07, though the average attendance increased from 19,961 last year to 19,986 this season (K.C. STAR, 9/22).
|
