Brian Cashman has now been at the helm for 2,500 Yankees victories as general manager—a run that includes building championship rosters and weathering long title droughts. Since taking over in 1998, he’s collected five World Series rings.
But out of all those regular-season wins, there’s one that means more to him than the rest—the one that saved his job before it truly began.
In an interview with MLB.com’s Bill Ladson, Cashman reflected on the rocky start to his career. While most fans remember 1998 as the year the Yankees dominated with 125 total wins, the season actually started with an 0-3 skid after being swept by the Angels. And just three games into his new role, the pressure was already mounting.
“George Steinbrenner was getting ready to fire me,” Cashman recalled.
The Yankees’ longtime owner had pulled him off the road—never a good sign. But then came April 4, 1998. The Yankees eked out a 9–7 win in extra innings against Oakland. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win. And for Cashman, it was a lifeline.
After the game, manager Joe Torre mailed him the lineup card, signed by the entire coaching staff. Scrawled across it was a message to “Crash”—Cashman’s nickname at the time:
“Crash, the first of many.”
And they were right. The Yankees went on to win 114 games that regular season and breezed through the postseason to capture the World Series title.
Still, that scrappy extra-inning win in Oakland remains the most meaningful to Cashman. He says it was the late Gene Michael who convinced Steinbrenner to hold off on firing him. “Give him time,” Michael told him. “He’ll be fine.”
Over 25 years later, Cashman is not only still here—he’s still winning.
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