The New York Yankees beat Cleveland Guardians to qualify for World Series after 15 years i.e for the first time since the franchise last won a ring in 2009. This decade long wait was unusual given the franchise’s storied history of winning as many as 27 titles in the past.
However, the New York Yankees did came close to advancing to World Series in 2017 when the Houston Astros beat them in ALCS before a shocking cheating scandal broke out, leaving the baseball fraternity in absolute shock. And till date, Yankee general manager Brian Cashman is salty about the unwarranted robbery.
Brain Cashman Reopens Old Wounds Ahead Of World Series
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has fired back at the notion that the team has been in a 15-year World Series drought, insisting the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal is to blame for much of that gap. Speaking on “Mad Dog Radio” with Chris Russo, Cashman was quick to remind fans and critics that the Yanks were cheated out of potential World Series appearances, specifically referencing the infamous 2017 Astros. “I hate the 15-year thing because it completely forgets and discounts that some other organization cheated us,” Cashman said, hinting at Houston’s well-documented tactics of stealing signs and relaying them to hitters. He also looked frustrated with the narrative that the championship drought is merely a reflection of the team’s performance.
Notably, the New York Yankees were eliminated by the Astros in the playoffs four times since 2015, with the most painful loss coming in the 2017 ALCS. Cashman remains convinced that, without Houston’s illegal tactics, New York would have advanced to the World Series that year. The Astros eventually won the championship in 2017, but the title is now viewed as tainted due to their cheating scandal, which was first exposed in 2019. Before Cashman, Gleyber Torres and other Yankees players have long believed that the Astros’ sign-stealing persisted into 2019, another year in which the Yanks were knocked out by Houston in the ALCS. Fortunately for the Bombers, they didn’t have to face Houston this postseason, as the Astros were eliminated in the wild-card round by the Tigers. This cleared the way for the New York-based franchise to face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
Yankees GM Reaffirms Championship Goal
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman knows that, despite the team’s return to the World Series after a 15-year absence, second place won’t cut it for an organization with such high expectations. “The truth is you want to win a world championship because that’s how you’re remembered,” he said on MLB Network.
For Cashman, the World Series represents the pinnacle of success, and if the New York Yankees fall short against the Los Angeles Dodgers, it will linger with the team and the front office. “We have high goals; it’s about winning a World Series. Whoever doesn’t win is going to have regrets,” he further added.
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