Frank Cashen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frank Cashen
Cashen speaking after being inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame, 2010.
Born	John Francis Cashen (1925-09-13)September 13, 1925 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Died	June 30, 2014(2014-06-30) (aged 88) Easton, Maryland, U.S.
Occupation	Baseball executive

John Francis "Frank" Cashen (September 13, 1925 – June 30, 2014) was a very important person in Major League Baseball. He was a general manager, which is like the boss who builds the team. He helped the Baltimore Orioles win the 1966 World Series and the 1970 World Series. They also won the American League championship three times in a row from 1969 to 1971. Later, he became the General Manager for the New York Mets from 1980 to 1991. Under his leadership, the Mets won the 1986 World Series.

Early Life and Career

Frank Cashen was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1925. He loved baseball from a young age. He played second base in college but decided not to become a professional player. Instead, he became a successful sportswriter for 17 years. He also studied law and became a lawyer.

Later, he started working for a brewing company that owned the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. In 1965, he became an executive for the Orioles. This was the start of his amazing career in baseball management.

Building a Champion: Baltimore Orioles

As an executive for the Baltimore Orioles, Frank Cashen helped make big decisions. He worked with the team's general manager, Harry Dalton. They made a famous trade to get a future Hall of Fame player named Frank Robinson. He came from the Cincinnati Reds. The very next year, in 1966, Frank Robinson won the "triple crown" (leading in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in). The Orioles then won their first-ever 1966 World Series championship!

In 1968, Cashen and Dalton hired a great manager, Earl Weaver, who also became a Hall of Famer. The Orioles continued to be very strong. They won the American League championship in 1969, 1970, and 1971. They also won the 1970 World Series. After 1971, Cashen took over as the Orioles' General Manager.

In 1975, Frank Cashen left the Orioles to work for the brewing company again. But he returned to baseball in 1979, working for the Baseball Commissioner.

The Magic Returns: New York Mets

In 1980, new owners bought the New York Mets. The Mets had been struggling for a few years. The owners were told to hire Frank Cashen. He told them it would take about four or five years to turn the team around. They hired him, and he got to work!

Cashen wanted to make the Mets popular again. He hired a public relations company to create a new slogan: "The Magic Is Back!" They made TV commercials that showed famous New York baseball players from the past.

Key Players and Big Trades

Cashen made some smart moves to build the Mets team.

• He drafted a talented high school player named Darryl Strawberry. Strawberry later became the Mets' all-time leader in home runs.
• In 1981, he brought up young players like Hubie Brooks and Mookie Wilson.
• In 1982, he traded for George Foster, a former Most Valuable Player.
• He also traded away a fan favorite, Lee Mazzilli. But in return, the Mets got Ron Darling (who became an All-Star pitcher) and Walt Terrell. Terrell was later traded for another great player, Howard Johnson.
• Cashen also drafted a young pitcher named Dwight Gooden in 1982. Gooden became a superstar pitcher for the Mets.

One of Cashen's best trades was in 1983. He got Keith Hernandez, a former MVP and batting champion, from the St. Louis Cardinals. Hernandez became a huge leader for the Mets, both in hitting and defense.

Winning the World Series

In 1984, Cashen hired Davey Johnson as the Mets' manager. Johnson had played for the Orioles when Cashen was there. The Mets had a winning season in 1984, their first since 1976.

Then, Cashen made another big trade. He sent Hubie Brooks and others to the Montreal Expos for Gary Carter, a future Hall of Fame catcher. With these players, the Mets were ready to win!

The Mets almost made the playoffs in 1985. Then, in 1986, they had the best record in baseball and won the 1986 World Series! It was a huge victory for the team and their fans.

Decline in New York

Even though Frank Cashen built the 1986 World Series champions, the team didn't stay on top. Many fans were upset when the team started to decline. Cashen traded away several popular and talented players. These included Kevin Mitchell, Lenny Dykstra, Roger McDowell, Wally Backman, and Mookie Wilson. He also traded pitchers Rick Aguilera and Kevin Tapani.

The players the Mets got in return often didn't perform as well. Some key players like Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter left the team. The Mets hoped a young player named Gregg Jefferies would become a star, but he struggled. After the team finished in fifth place in 1991, Cashen stepped down as the Mets' general manager. This was only five years after they won the World Series.

Later Life

After leaving his general manager role, Frank Cashen still worked with the Mets for a few years. He was a chief operating officer in 1992 and a consultant in 1993.

On August 1, 2010, Frank Cashen was honored by being inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. He was inducted along with some of the great players he brought to the team: Davey Johnson, Dwight Gooden, and Darryl Strawberry.

Frank Cashen passed away on June 30, 2014, at the age of 88. He was known for often wearing a bow tie. He and his wife Jean had seven children.

Record as General Manager

This table shows Frank Cashen's record as a General Manager for the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets. It lists how many games his teams won and lost each year.

Death

Frank Cashen died on June 30, 2014, when he was 88 years old.