Steinbrenners need to let Cash do his thing

I get it. Winning is the ultimate goal. Winning is what counts. So, George Steinbrenner has handed the reins over to his sons Hank and Hal who are now in charge of bringing titles to the Bronx. OK, great. There’s just one problem: neither of them has ever run a Major League Baseball team. Do you know who has? Brian Cashman.

Cashman is doing all the things that Theo Epstein and the Red Sox have been doing over the past several years (aside from that little “winning World Series championships” detail) and trying to build a strong organization from the minor leagues up. This is the chic thing to do these days. Why? Because it works. Red Sox. Marlins. Angels. White Sox. All of these teams had strong cores of home-grown talent augmented with some store-bought players. Now Cashman is trying to let the mega contracts of Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Bobby Abreu et al run out while the youngsters get their feet wet and get ready to lead the team on a run at some more titles.

Hank and Hal need to look at all of this and do the one thing their father was always unable to do: step aside. Let Cashman set this team up for a run at titles in ‘09, ‘10, ‘11 and beyond. 2008 is probably not their year anyway, for several reasons. Let’s count ‘em:

1. The AL East is tougher than ever.

2. Big money tied up in aging/deteriorating veterans as noted above.

3. Young guard not yet ready to step up full time and carry the team (i.e. those Innings Pitched limits are going to handcuff Joe Girardi throughout the season)

4. Lack of proven depth (injuries will hit and who will fill those vacancies?)

Then again, maybe the Sox and Blue Jays get devastated by injuries and don’t have the seasons that are being predicted. Maybe Giambi, Andy Pettitte, Hideki Matsui, Mussina, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera all find the fountain of youth and perform like it’s 1999. Maybe Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain are really that good and dominate AL lineups so much that they’re nowhere near their IP limits come October. And who knows, maybe the injury bug doesn’t bite (Joba, it’s a figure of speech, put down the bug spray). If all of these things fall into place, maybe this IS the year for another title run in the Bronx. Come on now, let’s face it, these things all happening are about as likely as ol’ George keeping his mouth shut for an entire season.

So, Hank and Hal, if you’re listening: let Cash do his thing, sink or swim. Give him a preemptive Mulligan for 2008 (all while hoping for the best!) and start judging him in April of ‘09. At that point, you’ll have a shiny new stadium to show off (with so many luxury boxes that money will literally be spilling out the windows and into the Steinbrenner slush fund) and the core of a potential dynasty in the making ready to take over from the former “Bronx Fantasy All Stars”.