New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has long been accused of saying that the playoffs are a “crapshoot”, but the quote isn’t his.

In a deep dive through the archives, the New York Post (with the aid of Mike Vaccaro) discovered no evidence that Cashman had ever described the playoffs as a crapshoot. In a recent interview with him, Cashman weighed in on the longstanding rumor and his real feelings about the playoffs.

“Billy Beane said it’s a crapshoot,” Cashman said, according to Dan Martin of the New York Post. “I’ve seen it attributed to me a lot. To the best of my knowledge, and I’ve seen it written and heard it several times over the years, I’ve never said that. Like a lot of things, it’s not accurate.”

“I think because the playoffs are a smaller sample size, there’s a lot more randomness,’’ Cashman said. “You get more random outcomes in a short series in the postseason and there’s a lot less predictability. But I don’t think it’s a crapshoot.”

Aug 23, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks with the media before the game between the Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Steinbrenner Added to the Rumor

The Post did find an example from 2024 where Hal Steinbrenner, the team’s chairman, misattributed the quote to Cashman.

“Once you get to the playoffs, as we know it is, as [Cashman] would say, a bit of a crapshoot,” Steinbrenner said.

It’s useful to know, as the quote could be read to mean that Cashman doesn’t believe outcomes are in the team’s control. Without some feeling of control over the outcome of the game, it’s easy to perpetuate the idea that the Yankees are resting on their rich history of success, and lack hunger in their approach to the game.

The party line from the Yankees’ management to the media in times of failure reads very much like the misattributed “crapshoot” sentiment, something that frustrates invested fans during losing streaks. Yankees manager Aaron Boone has repeatedly used business-as-usual phrases like, “it’s right in front of us” after losses, often taken to mean they see no problem with losing, and they don’t see any need for major changes.

Aug 2, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; A fan holds up a sign referring to New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman during the first inning between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Despite the clarity on this particular quote, fans are out for Cashman and Boone’s jobs after another season ended in defeat. For a franchise that expects to win it all every year, Boone’s leadership has been dissatisfying, and his tenure with the team has been surprising given the now-eight misses. The Yankees fell just short of a World Series win in 2024, and fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS this year. Boone and Cashman don’t appear to be going anywhere this offseason, so it’s unlikely their approach to leadership is going anywhere either.

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