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Comparing Josh Hamilton’s Response to Brian Cashman’s

By msilva177 on | From nybaseballdigest.com

Even though the primary focus on this site is the game of baseball, there are issues that happen off the field that become a part of the conversation. Yesterday, two such issues came to light with Yankees GM Brian Cashman and Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton.

Back in September, Deadspin reported on a story regarding Brian Cashman having an affair with an unnamed woman. At the time, I noted how no other media outlet other than Deadspin ran this story. In doing some research, I was told one of the major news outlets in this town elected to pass on the story for fear of repercussions by the Yankees. Deadspin has no such concerns, since they don’t need clubhouse access (which the Yankees won’t grant anyway) to conduct their business.

I figured the story would “die” as the power of the Yankees brand has a way of making “things go away.” To my surprise, it resurfaced, and the details of the affair were out there for everyone to see; shared voicemails, text messages, and a recommendation letter. Even worse, Deadspin has promised to report some “pillow talk” Cashman had with the woman.

You could make the argument that Deadspin crossed the line. Personally, I stay away from stories that involve families. It’s one thing to criticize someone for the job they do with respect to baseball; it’s another when you report information that could impact the lives of said individual’s wife and children. This is what Deadspin does, and whether you agree with it is a whole separate debate. I’m an op-ed site, and now that the story is public, it’s my obligation to comment on it. This is especially the case when I see the line of media and league/team start to blurry.

The mainstream media’s response was interesting. At 5:45 PM on Thursday, February 2nd, the woman in the Deadspin story was arrested and charged with grand larceny, attempted grand larceny, stalking, and aggravated harassment.

If you don’t read Deadspin, the narrative the mainstream is painting to the public is that an “a woman was arrested for stalking Brian Cashman.” There’s mention of the affair, but the overarching theme is that Cashman’s the victim. Mind you, charges against the woman only happened after the Thursday, February 2nd Deadspin story ran. This isn’t current news; it’s been in Deadspin’s possession for months. The relationship Cashman had with the woman has reportedly been going on since April of last year. Deadspin teased this story in September of 2011.

The same day Deadspin ran the Cashman story, ESPN reported that Hamilton suffered an alcohol addiction relapse earlier in the week. This isn’t the first time this has occurred, as Hamilton fell to his addiction back in 2009. It’s important to note that Hamilton did pass a drug test after the incident.

The response by the Rangers and the Hamilton family was the exact opposite of Cashman and the Yankees. Hamilton already had reported the incident to the team; his wife, Katie, posted a couple of messages on her Twitter account thanking everyone for their support.

Earlier this afternoon, Hamilton held a press conference to apologize to the team, fans, and his family. Despite his demons, Hamilton didn’t hide from the public. As far as I know, the Rangers haven’t tried to ruin the lives of the individuals who were involved in this incident. I am sure ESPN won’t be denied any sort of access for reporting it, either.

A week ago, I wrote over at Sports Media Watchdog about the “tweet” that led to Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Tony Grossi being removed from the Cleveland Browns beat. “He is a pathetic figure, the most irrelevant billionaire in the world,” Grossi tweeted about Browns owner Randy Lerner. The tweet was later deleted, but not before it made its rounds. Despite Grossi’s bad judgment, I didn’t see why expressing an opinion should get someone removed from reporting on the team. Then I remembered how there are multiple conflicts of interest as leagues partner with networks that own news outlets that hire reporters that are paid to cover said league with objectivity. It’s called “follow the money trail,” as power and greenbacks have a way of stifling journalism. That’s why it’s no surprise that reports surfaced the Plain Dealer met with Cleveland before their decision on Grossi.

Two stories, two separate responses. What’s even more interesting is how the narrative differed between Deadspin and the mainstream outlets. Remember, the same mainstream outlets that partner with the Yankees and Major League Baseball.

Would you be surprised if ESPN was given the Hamilton scoop so it didn’t fall into the wrong hands (read Deadspin again), and they could get ahead of the story. Again, leagues partnering with major news outlets.

In the end, the Hamilton story is far more serious than Cashman. Josh is fighting some personal issues that threaten to not only end his career, but take his life. I highly doubt Cashman was “stalked,” since it appears he willingly spent time with the woman since last April. If it was such a big issue, why press charges hours after the Deadspin story ran? Shouldn’t this have been done months ago? Seems suspicious to me. It also sounds like they don’t want more birdies talking.

Two off-the-field incidents, two diverse ways of handling the aftermath.

It would have been nice to see Cashman come clean, admit his mistake, and move on – like Josh Hamilton.