Frank Cashen

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 Major League Baseball general manager. He was an executive when the Baltimore Orioles won the 1966 World Series, and 1970 World Series while winning three consecutive AL pennants from 1969 to 1971. Later he became General Manager of the New York Mets from 1980 to 1991, and the club won the 1986 World Series during his tenure.

Cashen was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1925 and grew up admiring and playing baseball. He played second base at Loyola College in Maryland but was unable to hit well and did not pursue a playing career. Instead, he joined the Baltimore News-American becoming an award-winning sportswriter over 17 years at the newspaper. He spent nights at University of Maryland School of Law, graduating with a JD in 1958. He assumed his career would either be in journalism or law. Instead, he was hired by Jerry Hoffberger to be a publicity director for two Baltimore race tracks and later the advertising head at Hoffberger's National Brewing Company. In 1965, Hoffberger's brewing company purchased the Baltimore Orioles and Cashen eagerly accepted the position of executive vice president of the team.

With Cashen overseeing baseball operations in Baltimore, general manager Harry Dalton made a deal to acquire future Hall of Famer Frank Robinson from the Cincinnati Reds, sending pitcher Milt Pappas, pitcher Jack Baldschun and outfielder Dick Simpson. The following year, Robinson won the triple crown and Baltimore won the 1966 World Series for their first championship. In 1968, the Cashen/Dalton front office hired eventual Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver. The Orioles won all three American League pennants from 1969 to 1971 and won the 1970 World Series. After 1971, Dalton left to become general manager of the Los Angeles Angels and Cashen took over G.M. duties for the Orioles.