Yankees General Managers and Winning

By Paul Semendinger

August 3, 2023

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There was a time when the Yankees did not suffer years and years of failure happily or contentedly. There was a mission - the Yankees were supposed to win.

This philosophy came long before George Steinbrenner.

The Yankees hired General Managers to build winning teams. The Yankees also used their financial strength to build great teams. The Yankees used to never apologize for their vast wealth and resources. They used those tools to their advantage. There was one mission - to win.

Today, as we have seen, the mission of the Yankees is not to win.

Here's a list of the Yankees' General Managers (since 1921) who served in that role for three or more years and their World Series appearances and championships along with the longest period that GM survived without winning.

• Ed Barrow (1921-1944):

  • World Series Victories: 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943

  • World Series Losses: 1921, 1922, 1926, 1942

  • Most Consecutive Years Without a World Series Appearance: 3

• Larry MacPhail (1945-1947)

  • World Series Victories: 1947

  • World Series Losses: X

  • Most Consecutive Years Without a World Series Appearance: 2

• George Weiss (1948-1960)

  • World Series Victories: 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958

  • World Series Losses: 1955, 1957, 1960

  • Most Consecutive Years Without a World Series Appearance: 1

• Roy Hamey (1960-1963)

  • World Series Victories: 1961, 1962

  • World Series Losses: 1963

  • Most Consecutive Years Without a World Series Appearance: 0

• Ralph Houk (1964-1966)

  • World Series Victories: X

  • World Series Losses: 1964

  • Most Consecutive Years Without a World Series Appearance: 2

• Lee MacPhail (1967-1973)

  • World Series Victories: X

  • World Series Losses: X

  • Most Consecutive Years Without a World Series Appearance: 7

• Gabe Paul (1974-1977)

  • World Series Victories: 1977

  • World Series Losses: 1976

  • Most Consecutive Years Without a World Series Appearance: 2

• Gene Michael (1990-1995)

  • World Series Victories: X

  • World Series Losses: X

  • Most Consecutive Years Without a World Series Appearance: 6

• Brian Cashman (1998-Present)

  • World Series Victories: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009

  • World Series Losses: 2001, 2003

  • Most Consecutive Years Without a World Series Appearance: 14*

*including 2023

In the long history of the Yankees, there has been only on general manager who has presided over a period of more than 7 years without getting the team to the World Series. That general manager is Brian Cashman and his consecutive years without a World Series appearance will be double that of any other general manager in Yankees history.

Here is the same chart as above shown a different way:

Yankees General Managers With Most Consecutive Years Without a World Series Appearance

1. Brian Cashman - 14

2. Lee MacPhail - 7

3. Gene Michael - 6

4. Ed Barrow - 3

The numbers speak for themselves.

It is clear, it is abundantly clear, that the Yankees of today do not put an emphasis on World Series appearances. This is a departure from the way the team was built, structured, and organized since the arrival of Babe Ruth.

The Yankees of today are content with not winning. (And, as such, the not winning will continue...)

These are the Yankees of today.