Brian Cashman is the General Manager for the New York Yankees—no small responsibility. The Yankees are the highest paid team in Major League Baseball, and Cashman is the man who decides which multimillion-dollar contracts to offer. It turns out the baseball bigwig is also a charitable sort of man.
Last week, Cashman broke his right fibula and dislocated his ankle after participating in a charity parachute jump in Florida. The charity jump was being conducted as a way to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization that offers support to military veterans when they return from service.
But despite the fact that Cashman had to undergo surgery last Monday following the break, his attitude was positive. “I’m in great spirits and it was an awesome experience,” he said in a statement last week. “The Golden Knights are first class. While I certainly didn’t intend to raise awareness in exactly this fashion, I’m extremely happy that the Wounded Warrior Project is getting the well-deserved additional attention.”
“The Golden Knights” is the nickname for the U.S. Army’s parachute team. Cashman’s break occurred on his second of two tandem jumps at the Homestead Air Reserve Base near Miami. He was accompanied by a parachutist from the group.
Whether breaking his leg will be enough to deter Cashman from future daredevil activities remains to be seen. He is also known for rappelling from the Landmark Building in Stamford, Connecticut a few years past. The building is 22 stories high, and rappelling during Christmastime has now become tradition.
“The attempt of this whole jump was to raise awareness. And some much-needed funds,” he said in an interview last week. And despite the fact that he made a mistake that cost him a broken leg, he doesn’t regret it. “… I was so honored to participate and do something I’d never done before. Even though maybe I’m not good at it.”