The Mets will honor the late general manager Frank Cashen on Friday night, before the start of their game against the Texas Rangers at Citi Field.
The team announced that they will wear a patch with Cashen’s initials on it, and that it will be worn on the right sleeve for the remainder of the season, just below the patch remembering late broadcaster Ralph Kiner.
The Mets also will have a moment of silence in memory of Cashen.
June 30
Sadly, the New York Mets announced that former general manager Frank Cashen died today at Memorial Hospital in Easton, Maryland, after a short illness at the age of 88.
Known for his signature bow tie, Cashen was the architect of the 1986 Mets World Series championship team.
Hired in 1980, Cashen transformed a last-place team into a juggernaut that became the most dominant force in baseball.
He made the trades that brought first baseman Keith Hernandez and future Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter to the Mets, and was responsible for drafting Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry.
“Frank was our leader,” Strawberry said in a statement. “I always admired the way he put together our team. He mixed young guys, like me and Doc, with guys like Carter and Hernandez. He was able to find the perfect blend to build a championship.”
Cashen also hired his former second baseman in Baltimore, Davey Johnson, to be the Mets’ manager.
“He was a man of integrity and honestly, and that was most important. He told you the truth,” Keith Hernandez said. “It was a day when the general managers didn’t pal around with the players. We hardly ever saw him, but there was a relationship there. He was just a wonderful man.”
“On behalf of all of us at the Mets, we extend our deepest condolences to Jean Cashen and her entire family,” Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon said in a statement. “Frank Cashen revitalized our franchise when he took over in 1980 as general manager and helped engineer us to a world championship in 1986.
“I dealt with Frank on a daily basis, and he was a man of integrity and great passion. No one had a more diverse career than Frank. He was also a lawyer, sports writer and marketing executive. His accomplishments will always be an integral part of our team history.”
Before working with the Mets, Cashen had been a front office executive with the Orioles during their World Series title years in 1966 and 1970 and later served as their GM.
In recent years, Cashen spent his time in Easton and in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where the Mets hold spring training. He was in camp with the Mets this year.
He is survived by wife Jean, seven children and nine grandchildren.
R.I.P. Mr. Cashen.
