Media life around Yankees contains fewer peaks and valleys in new system

8/9, Neil Best, "Cashman makes media relations a priority," Newsday

• "Obviously, media relations is far down the list of priorities, well after winning. But as a veteran of the New York media wars, Cashman knows that when it goes wrong, it can create headaches that seep into every area of the organization.

The GM takes the matter so seriously,

• he considers it when acquiring players,

• and he said he considered it when assessing potential successors to Joe Torre....

There have been some media brush fires during the past five seasons, notably during Hank Steinbrenner's

• brief but memorable time on the back-page stage. But for the most part, calmness has reigned, which is the way Cashman likes it.

It helps that Hal Steinbrenner does not seem to enjoy talking to reporters regularly himself,

• and it helps that Cashman is far more comfortable doing so than are most front-office types.

It also doesn't hurt having a New York media master such as Derek Jeter rule the locker room. But for the sake of less-savvy players, the team employs intensive media-training sessions.

• Early in spring training, the Yankees show a 20-minute video covering do's and don'ts.

"I'm proud of it,'' Cashman said. "It's really, really good. The message is: It's going to make everyone's job easier.''"

• (With Derek Jeter the role model as Mr. Best states, media may be a priority but they won't get many surprises. ed.)

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