Yanks' GM Brian Cashman....
Meanwhile, down the turnpike......
Phillies' president Dave Montgomery....
The Boss, Cashman said, simply told him to do what he wanted and after yesterday's transactions it's clear why Cashman wanted to come. He stood on the field before the game and spoke about how the standard around baseball is to give a team about 40 games before getting worked up one way or the other about its results.
Of course, the Yankees - as usual - are different.
"After 25 (games), I don't want to see it anymore," Cashman said. "I want to be on top of it while we're going through some rough times. . . . Given the circumstances, I didn't feel I should be far from the club."
Of course, the Yankees - as usual - are different.
"After 25 (games), I don't want to see it anymore," Cashman said. "I want to be on top of it while we're going through some rough times. . . . Given the circumstances, I didn't feel I should be far from the club."
"I'm not happy with how things have unraveled," Cashman said.
Meanwhile, down the turnpike......
Phillies' president Dave Montgomery....
PHILADELPHIA -- Dave Montgomery sat serenely behind the conference table in his office at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday afternoon. It couldn't have been a better day for the Phillies' president. The stands were filling up on a beautiful day to celebrate the Phanatic's birthday, and Montgomery was there to remind fans that there are still five months left in the season.
The Phillies are 11-14, after an 8-6 victory over the Florida Marlins, and they sit near the bottom of the National League East. And yes, it's a talented team that's limped through the first month of the season, but it isn't a team that, by any means, is dead, despite what some may think.
"This wasn't the April that we were hoping to have, but there are [five] months still to play," Montgomery said. "We felt from the get-go that the National League East was going to be a very competitive division, and that we'd have to win our share of games."
"Let me stress that there is opportunity for us to play better baseball, but we are far from dead. We're in a stretch of our schedule where we can move into the middle of things, and this club is capable of doing that."
Montgomery pointed out the success of the starting pitching, especially the acquisition of Jon Lieber, who has started the season 4-1. Brett Myers has made a nice turnaround from a subpar 2004 campaign, and the offense has been productive, if inconsistent.
Montgomery was also emphatic that his organization cares about winning and does care about the fans.
"I don't want to minimize the fact of the first 24 games, but it is the first 24 games of the season," Montgomery said. "There was some disappointment from last year. We did have high expectations, but the final result was not what our fans expected and what we expected.
"That's why we went out and got pitchers who could go deep into games. Adding Kenny Lofton helped solidify center field, and it's given us a platoon in center field that's been positive. I know we've received some criticism, but I don't know what's justified and what's not justified. It's something I don't dwell on.
"All I ask is that our fans could give us a chance. This period will pass. We still have 137 games left to play, and we're not mathematically eliminated yet. We'll show we're a winning team by the end of the year. We're not blowing off April, but there's too much talent on this team to believe there isn't something better ahead."
Joseph Santoliquito is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
The Phillies are 11-14, after an 8-6 victory over the Florida Marlins, and they sit near the bottom of the National League East. And yes, it's a talented team that's limped through the first month of the season, but it isn't a team that, by any means, is dead, despite what some may think.
"This wasn't the April that we were hoping to have, but there are [five] months still to play," Montgomery said. "We felt from the get-go that the National League East was going to be a very competitive division, and that we'd have to win our share of games."
"Let me stress that there is opportunity for us to play better baseball, but we are far from dead. We're in a stretch of our schedule where we can move into the middle of things, and this club is capable of doing that."
Montgomery pointed out the success of the starting pitching, especially the acquisition of Jon Lieber, who has started the season 4-1. Brett Myers has made a nice turnaround from a subpar 2004 campaign, and the offense has been productive, if inconsistent.
Montgomery was also emphatic that his organization cares about winning and does care about the fans.
"I don't want to minimize the fact of the first 24 games, but it is the first 24 games of the season," Montgomery said. "There was some disappointment from last year. We did have high expectations, but the final result was not what our fans expected and what we expected.
"That's why we went out and got pitchers who could go deep into games. Adding Kenny Lofton helped solidify center field, and it's given us a platoon in center field that's been positive. I know we've received some criticism, but I don't know what's justified and what's not justified. It's something I don't dwell on.
"All I ask is that our fans could give us a chance. This period will pass. We still have 137 games left to play, and we're not mathematically eliminated yet. We'll show we're a winning team by the end of the year. We're not blowing off April, but there's too much talent on this team to believe there isn't something better ahead."
Joseph Santoliquito is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.