Baltimore Orioles: Remembering Frank Cashen

If you had to pick a Cinderella team for the 2014 season, one could easily argue it’s the Baltimore Orioles. A season of ups and downs and historic moments, the Orioles have made the playoffs, played against future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter in his final game of his career, and most importantly suffer the loss of former Orioles executive, the late Frank Cashen. And as Baltimore clinches the AL East early, a big advantage they needed, let’s look back at the man who arguably defined the Baltimore Orioles.

Frank Cashen came into the Baltimore Orioles’ lives in 1965 as executive vice president of the team. A native of Baltimore, Cashen played second base at Loyola College before joining the Baltimore News-American where he spent 17 years as an award winning sportswriter. Cashen was a leading candidate for American League presidency and to replace then Commissioner Bowie Kuhn in 1975. Shocker, a sportswriter with a great mind for baseball also has a great mind for beer.

Frank was seen as a shrewd business man. Many trade proposals came from his brillance. While in Baltimore, Frank Cashen orchestrated perhaps the greatest trade in the history of baseball when he acquired Hall of Fame hitter Frank Robinson in 1966. Truly a “How the hell did he pull that off?” move, Robinson would go on to win the Triple Crown, three American League pennants from 1969 to 1971, and the 1970 World Series.

After Harry Dalton left for the Los Angeles Angels, Cashen took over as General Manager for the rest of his tenure in Baltimore. He would eventually be led away by the New York Mets, but his impact helping shape the Orioles franchise still resonates in fans today.

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Sadly, the baseball world was shocked to learn Frank Cashen passed away June 30 at the age of 88.

A man of integrity and passion with a penchant for bow ties, no one had a more diverse career than Frank Cashen. His greatest successes and most unsettling disappointments came from building a juggernaut of the Baltimore Orioles in the 1970’s. I was tickled to learn Frank commonly said the phrase “Another day in paradise,” a phrase I say at least once a day to a coworker.

Orioles fans know exactly just how difficult it is to be a fan. Having not seen a World Series title since 1983 and a horrible string of seasons in the 90’s, a Baltimore Orioles fan can sometimes be a life of heartache. The Baltimore Orioles are good this year. Really good. AL East champs and poised to make a deep playoff run, the Baltimore Orioles are in prime position to pay tribute to Frank Cashen. Who doesn’t love a great feel-good story? Let’s win one for Frank, Baltimore.