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Though most baseball fans will be certainly be shocked to learn of a front-office shakeup in the Yankees organization, today George's pinstriped playthings announced a high-level move.

Senior vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman resigned -- the phrase used was "asked to be relieved of the role" -- and was replaced by Gordon Blakeley, the vice president of international and professional scouting responsible for last month's signing of Cuban defector Jose Contreras.

Rumors on the internet -- starting right here, right now -- indicate that Steinbrenner has cast a longing eye north toward an as-yet-unnamed Canadian, identified so far only as "The Coach," to fill the international scouting role.
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Coach - Friday, January 24 2003 @ 01:10 PM EST (#33756) #
Some 13 years ago, before there were blogs, I was contacted out of the blue by a Mr. Cashman (Brian's father) who had heard of my success as an innovator at various small Ontario harness tracks, including Orangeville and Elmira Raceways. He asked if I would be interested in moving to Florida to become Director of Racing at Pompano Park, the "Winter Capital" of the sport. I thought it was a hoax, a put-on by one of my friends, and some radio station was going to embarrass me on the air, so I cleverly hedged, and asked for a number to call him back. It was for real, and as I told the local newspapers, I felt like a guy playing slow-pitch who got called up to the SkyDome to start for the Jays.

So I can't say stranger things have happened, Mick, but there is at least a precedent for weird detours in my life. (What a long, strange trip it's been.) Though I got to know Brian Cashman while I was at Pompano, and had a great relationship with George Steinbrenner, I don't think I'm on their short list. My baseball qualifications consist of coaching amateurs, fandom and punditry, if that's what you call my contributions to this space and on ESPN. But thanks for the suggestion; you can be my agent once you get your tongue surgically removed from your cheek.

All kidding aside, this just illustrates how difficult it is to work for GMS III; I always enjoyed his company, but he treats outsiders much better than employees. Yesterday there were stories of a heated argument with the Boss, leading to Newman's resignation, but today, it's being spun as a big, happy, reshuffled Yankee family.
_Chuck Van Den C - Friday, January 24 2003 @ 02:22 PM EST (#33757) #
We all know that Newman was really fired since he wouldn't pick up the calzones after George was banned from the restaurant.
Craig B - Friday, January 24 2003 @ 02:25 PM EST (#33758) #
I think that Big Stein was counting on the payoff from the Michigan Deposit Bottle Scam to pay Jon Lieber's contract. When it didn't come off, it was back to the mail route for Newman.
_Jerry Seinfeld - Friday, January 24 2003 @ 02:53 PM EST (#33759) #
Newman!
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