Former Mets GM Frank Cashen Dies

Frank Cashen, the general manager who built the great Mets of the mid-1908s, died Monday. He was 88 years old.

Cashen was hired to rebuild a moribund Mets franchise after Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday bought the team in 1980. He methodically acquired such key pieces as Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and Bobby Ojeda while youngsters such as Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry were getting ready down on the farm. It all culminated in the 1986 World Series championship.

Frank Cashen was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 2010.

Fred Wilpon said in a statement:

“On behalf of all of us at the Mets, we extend our deepest condolences to Jean Cashen and her entire family. 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.”