David Cone, John Flaherty throw caps in Yanks’ managerial ring
David Cone, left, and John Flaherty have expressed interest in the Yankees' managerial opening. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Joe Girardi is out. The Yankees need a manager. Brian Cashman is looking. And the GM can actually look toward the team’s telecasting crew for two willing candidates if he’s so inclined.
Both David Cone and John Flaherty were at Cipriani in lower Manhattan Wednesday night for the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation’s annual fall benefit to combat domestic violence. And both former Yankees and current analysts made it clear that they’re willing to come down from the YES booth to the dugout and take over.
Asked directly if he wants to be the next manager of the Yankees, Cone said, “I wouldn’t turn down an interview if one came my way.”
Cone just completed his 10th season as a YES analyst. The 54-year-old former pitcher has a 17-year major-league career behind him that included 194 wins, five All-Star selections and a Cy Young Award. He was with the Yankees from 1995-2000, winning four rings.
He said he has talked with Cashman “a couple of times over the last couple of weeks.”
“I wouldn’t characterize what he said to me, but he didn’t say no — as of yet,” Cone said.
Besides having the communication and connection skills that Cashman deemed lacking in Girardi after 10 years, the next manager is going to have to embrace the analytic aspect. Cone speaks fluent analytics.
“I understand how to strike the balance between old school and new school,” Cone said. “You can’t be leveraged one way or the other too much. Otherwise, you lose the clubhouse.”
Flaherty just completed his 12th season with YES. The 50-year-old former catcher played 14 seasons in the majors, including 2003-05 with the Yankees.
“I’m at a point in my life right now where my kids are getting older,” Flaherty said. “I’m very happy with the YES Network and what I’ve been doing there. But there’s always been a desire to get back on the field, whether it’s here in New York or someplace else.”
So he had his agent, Alan Nero, speak to Cashman.
“I wanted to make sure that Cash knew that I was interested,” Flaherty said, although it has yet to go further. “Whatever happens from there, I’m totally fine with.”
Flaherty heard about Girardi’s bench coach, Rob Thomson, coming up first in the interview order Wednesday. He said he was excited for Thomson, adding, “He represents . . . everything that the Yankees are about.”
