Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman sat for an extended, public interview today and Joe Pawlikowski from the excellent River Ave Blues blog was there. He has video and an extended synopsis up over at RAB. My favorite part is about the process Cashman went through when looking for Joe Torre’s replacement in 2008:
He put the Yankees projected 2008 roster in front of each candidate and asked what he would do in the following situation. It’s July. CC Sabathia is on the mound. How do you arrange the lineup? He noted that at least one chose to sit the lefties in that situation. Then he presented the same scenario, but changed it to Game 1 of the ALDS. Still Sabathia, still the same roster. Yet at that point, the manager left the lefties in the lineup. The exercise wasn’t to find a per se correct answer. Rather, Cashman wanted an explanation for the dissonance, if it were present.
Of course, if the quiz had included something about the ideal use of Alfredo Aceves the Yankees would have won Game 3 of the ALCS . . .