Girardi In Charge

The Yankees direction less off season finally got a little direction with their new manager being announced. Joe Girardi has agreed to a 3 year, $7.5 million contract to become the new manager of the New York Yankees. Girardi follows in the footsteps of another Joe, Joe Torre, but is a needed change of pace from the man who preceded him. It was a rare occasion for Yankee fans to witness Torre being ejected from a game, as he was the consummate example of cool. Girardi is likely to be ejected twice as often as Torre was during his tenure if he should spend an extended period as manager. Girardi’s not Lou Piniella by any means, but he’s certainly more hot headed then Torre. Girardi spent four years as a player with the Yankees and won three World Series titles (1996, 1998, 1999), spent 2005 as the Yankees bench coach under Torre, and in his only season as a manger Girardi won the NL Manager of the Year award in 2006 with the Florida Marlins. Girardi led a Marlins team that people expected to be one of the worst teams of all time to a respectable 78-84 record. Girardi is known to be good with young players and the Yankees have plenty of them, his relationship with the veterans on the team is still undetermined. Girardi played with several of the players on the Yankees currently, Jeter, Posada, Rivera, and Pettitte to be specific, so he will have to earn the respect of his former teammates. Girardi is also known for his work ethic, as he often does the exercises and drills with his players as he still has the physique of a marine. He will also have to prove that he can get along with Hank and Hal, as Girardi’s tiff with Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins owner, caused his exile from the team, but if they were willing to hire him over Don Mattingly then they most be somewhat affectionate for him. Still, Girardi has some awful large shoes to fill, as the man who preceded him never failed to make the playoffs, so Girardi will be expected to do the same even after losing this season’s MVP as well as possibly some other players. The Bosses would have hesitated to fire Mattingly after a lost season, but they may not hesitate so much to do it to Girardi if need be.