Interviews start today in Tampa
-
-
- October
- 22
-
The Yankees need to move quickly on finding a new manager.
Brian Cashman is in Tampa today to start the interview process. Joe Girardi will be first followed by Don Mattingly and Tony Pena. In theory, the Yankees could be done their interviews by Wednesday.
Whether there will be a fourth candidate is uncertain. Newspapers in Japan have reported that Bobby Valentine will return to the Chiba Lotte Marines next season.
This entry was posted
on Monday, October 22nd, 2007 at 10:54 am by Peter Abraham.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
To-ny, To-ny, To-ny…..
Let’s go Joe!!! (Girardi!)
Why would the Yankees even need to ask permission to from MLB on announcing the manager? Just hire the guy and then inform only the free agents during negotiations. I don’t think Yankees are forbidden to come to terms on a contract with players and coaching hires during the World Series. MLB just doesn’t want it to be declared publicly.
I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if the Yankees did make an announcement during the World Series, perhaps on one of the days off. But, is it possible that they could choose the manager and then contact the appropriate agents (or players and/or coaches) to let them know prior to making the official announcement?
Will, I see you and I are on the same page.
No decision until after the World Series.
Donnie Baseball is the frontrunner IMO, Tony Pena the bench coach, joe G the third base coach.
Thank God. Bobby V was the last guy I wanted to see manage the Yanks. I watched enough Met games when he was manager to think he tried to put his stamp on every game they played rather than just do what is necessary to win.
I don’t understand the general fascination with the guy at all.
That said, I’d like to see Tony Pena get serious consideration because I just don’t feel comfortable with Mattingly feeling his way through what is going to be a pressure filled 2008.
i dont dislike any of these 3… The fact that donnie was not a fiery guy as a player worries me… He also has not had any true managerial experience… that being said he is my ALLTIME FAVORITE YANKEE… IF they get him a really good bench coach – like a bowa – he should be fine…
i love girardi in the booth – and i would have zero fears with him as manager.
Tony Pena was great in ST Louis… i lived out there for 2 years or so… He was a riot to watch – throwing guys out from his knees…
i guess i am most comfortable with Girardi
Donnie Baseball: Deity
Joltin’ Joe Girardio: MANAGER
Info about Japanese FA players (if anyone interested): Kouske Fukudome (Chunichi Dragons, OF), Hiroki Kuroda (Hiroshima Carp, SP/Closer), Hitoki Iwase (Chunichi Dragons, Closer), Masahide Kobayashi (Chiba Lotte Marines, Closer), Kenshin Kawakami (Chunichi Dragons, SP).
Among them, Dragons’ lefty closer, Iwase (33 years old)is a must to get for the Yankees: he’s probably the best closer in the league. Carp’s Kuroda (32 years old) can also be a huge asset. Kuroda has been a starter but was a closer for the Japan team. A dark horse may be Dragons’ Kawakami.
I don’t know if Yankees need another starting pitcher, considering they may acquire a big name MLB starter through trade and that they have a wave of young arms coming from their farm system, but they do need a very good setup man, and I believe Chunichi Dragons’ Iwase could be the answer.
Donnie wasn’t a fiery player??? If by that you mean he didn’t have a big mouth, then ok.
But the Mattingly I watched sure played with fire. Gritty, always getting his uniform dirty, scrapping, intense.
Will,
I see you and I are on the same page.
Go Rockies.
Sorry about the double post.
boras has begun his petty transparent posturing by playing up the uncertainty of the future as a way for a rod to opt out and save face. guy is a goner.
Joe Girardi may be an inexperienced manager, but there’s NO WAY a recent Manager of the Year would accept a position as a third base coach. If not hired by the Yanks, he’ll be in the mix for any managerial vacancies in baseball, both in the off-season and when managers are fired in season. And he’ll those up to become a third base coach?
No fears w/Girardi as manager? Did you pay any attention to his tenure in Florida? First, he couldn’t get along with anybody there. If he couldn’t do that in Florida, how will he do that in New York? Second, look at all the serious injuries suffered by young Marlin pitchers (like Josh Johnson) who were abused by Girardi. Do you really want to put him in charge of Hughes, Chamberlain, Kennedy, Ohlendorf and the rest of the young guys? I don’t.
In case you all didn’t see it, Suzyn wrote an Op-Ed for today’s Newsday about the reaction to her crying in Game 4’s postgame:
http://www.newsday.com/news/op.....4179.story
Does anyone have any faith that the Rockies will beat Boston?
I don’t.
What a depressing season this was.
I think you have to get mlb’s permission to make sure you interviewed minority candidates. The Tigers got fined several years ago for hiring Jim Leyland without talking to anyone else. I also thought baseball discourages announcements such as trades, hirings during the world series so it won’t distract from it.
I saw someone wrote Bobby Valentine made $4 million a year. I assume it was dollars, not yen. Joe Beningo on WFAN had a good line about him the other day “Billy Martin without the alcohol”.
Here’s my 2 cents on this.
I think the best manager to move this team forward is the manager with the most distance from the very recent Torre era. If Mattingly or Pena get the job, I tend to think that to guys like Jeter and Posada and Giambi, etc., it’s business as usual. No big changes. It’s just like Torre is on vacation or something.
While this seems appealing to a lot of us, I think it’s a trap the Yankees need to avoid. Keeping things “status quo” is dangerous, since the man who made it all work and tied it all together in the clubhouse (Torre) won’t be there.
I think Giradi has to be the guy. Giradi has some distance from the clubhouse for the past few years. Yes, there’s a familiarity with him, but he’s not going to go in there and pretend to be Joe Torre and keep Jeter and the rest of the vets complacent and happy.
There’s a lot of big things to consider with this lineup. We need a manager that is not going to cow tow to ego’s in the locker room and be afraid to make tough decisions.
I think Jeter’s on his last legs as the Yankee SS. He hurts us in the field and our pitching staff is giving up outs that a younger or more agile SS could get to. In the Cleveland series alone, Jeter barely would take a full step in the direction of a hard hit ground ball. I know he had a knee problem and he was playing through it, but does that mean he’s going to come back next year and be 100% and make all the plays?
Pena and Mattingly are going to make sure to treat Jeter with the kid gloves that Torre used. I think now that Torre is gone, that treatment needs to stop and we need a man to go in and manage the team and not be afraid to make the tough moves. I’m not saying I want a guy who is a jerk and who is arrogant, but a smart baseball manager who wants to win and isn’t afraid of the legends that may be in his locker room.
I think Giradi is far enough removed that he will make the tough moves. I think Mattingly/Pena would be the player choices because it would mean the least change in their eyes and things would be just like they always were.
_No fears w/Girardi as manager? Did you pay any attention to his tenure in Florida? First, he couldn’t get along with anybody there. If he couldn’t do that in Florida, how will he do that in New York? Second, look at all the serious injuries suffered by young Marlin pitchers (like Josh Johnson) who were abused by Girardi. Do you really want to put him in charge of Hughes, Chamberlain, Kennedy, Ohlendorf and the rest of the young guys? I don’t._
Exactly, Ed.
This is why I think the Yanks are a bit wary of him and Mattingly will be the next manager.
It won’t matter who manages this team as long as they stack the rotation with arms that will eat innings reminiscent of the days when they had Cone, Pettitte, Wells, and El Duque pitching in the postseason.
WHy in the world would we get another pitcher from Japan. Yeah that has worked out really well for us.
I see ugly days ahead.
Girardi and Mattingly are two opposite types. Mattingly is more in the Torre, Bob Lemon, Ralph Houk mold (manage the clubhouse, let the players play) and Girardi more like Valentine, Billy Martin, LaRussa mold with strength in game tactical decisions, probably stat-friendly. It’s rare that you can find both traits in one man.
Anyway, I cant find any data that says one style of manager is better than the other but if someone can, I’d be interested.
I think Tony Pena is probably a mix of the two.
I think all 3 can do the job. The question is who can handle it best when things arent going well and the Steinbrenners and front office start making threats putting more pressure on the team. I sure dont know which of them would handle that well but my gut tells me it isnt Girardi.
From a PR point of view, I think it favors Mattingly.
I can live with any of them but I favor Girardi least. I think he might be too controlling.
G. Love- Girardi has one year as a manager under his belt, and it was with a bunch of young guys. That doesn’t exactly translate easily into him managing “legends” like Jeter the way you’re talking about.
Anyway, Jeter is going to be the SS for a couple more years. That’s just the way it is.
Girardi’s abuse of his young arms is scary. Torre took a lot of heat for burning out bullpen arms, but burning out your starting rotation? That’s a lot worse.
All in all, I don’t think any of these three candidates is all that much better than any other. They all have enough pros and cons that it’s about as even a race as there could be. None of them are perfect.
Stephen –
Thanks to the link to the Suzyn Waldman piece. I must live in a cave, but I hadn’t heard all the backlash. I listened to her post-game commentary that day, and, yes, she was choked up, but she overcame it and went on. She did not self-destruct. And frankly, weren’t we all a bit choked up listening to Joe on television. She was there, and she was watching grown men, grown baseball men, cry.
I’m just glad that LaRussa is going back to STL. Really, I won’t be upset if its one of the big 3..Pena, Girardi or Mattingly, but I’d prefer Girardi.
Brian Cashman may be giving the interviews, but don’t think that strong guidance isn’t coming from General Levine. And if that’s so, Girardi is who they’ll go with.
“Dark and dangerous times lie ahead…”
At least we won’t be bored this offseason…
It will not sit well with Arod if Girardi is the manager.
Miller
What do you base that on?
“It will not sit well with Arod if Girardi is the manager.”
“There is NO WAY a recent Manager of the Year would accept a job as a third-base coach.”
You have no idea of knowing whether these are true or not.
Pena, a recent Manager of the Year accepted a job as a first-base coach.
No one knows what is in Arod’s mind except for Alex himself…and maybe that stripper in Toronto.
One reason I was hoping the Yanks won the World Series…to see if Pavano would show up at the ring ceremony.
Arod might have withstood Pinella’s firy brand of managing when he was growing up on the Mariners, but can you see Megastar Arod taking any heat or getting criticized by someone like Girardi?
Who knows maybe Im wrong, This is just my opinion.
If I see one more post about Girardi burning out his pitchers arms I’m going to scream.
Please read the article below about possible Torre replacements and scroll down to Girardi’s candidacy. Once you read it you will realize that he DID NOT abuse his pitchers. That is a common misconception and I’m tired of seeing it. I say all that to say it really doesn’t matter to me who the next manager is. As Rob Neyer said during his chat yesterday “The Yankees won 58 percent of their games 2 years prior to Torre becoming coach and they won 58 percent of their games his first 2 years. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
http://bronxbanter.baseballtoa.....46091.html
If either Mattingly or Girardi gets the job, I hope they are surrounded by experienced coaches. Not experienced coaches who are angling for the manager’s job…but experienced, solid, knowledgable baseball men.
“Brian Cashman may be giving the interviews, but don’t think that strong guidance isn’t coming from General Levine. And if that’s so, Girardi is who they’ll go with.”
If Levine pushes the scales towards Girardi, that is a good thing.
AND
“It will not sit well with Arod if Girardi is the manager.”
Why not? I don’t think the manager choice has much effect on ARod (he will probably outlast the next manager too), but why would Girardi in particular not sit well?”
I’m pretty sure, also, that Girardi would not accept a third base job. He has had other offers to manage. He’s waited this long, my guess is that if not this job, he’ll continue broadcasting until something else opens up.
Aside from already having managed to a Manager of the Year title, he has exhibited a great baseball mind, even during interviews when he was still playing.
One thing I am CERTAIN of! Girardi pulls his team off the field when the “midges” appear! That’s the kind of fire I’m looking for.
Kurticus maximus Giradi get blamed for blowimg out the arms of those pitchers.If you look up innings pitched ,Willis is the only pitcher that pitched 200 innings .Th others were less than 80 Ip. I’m not being smart,please share anything you know,I love the knowledge.
The two concerns I have are ,He played with our core players,will they see and respect him as mgr.
He’s a micro managers hands on every aspect of the game.How will that effect the team.Since the Steinbrenners are making a change in mgmt style ,He would be that change for sure.The club house will change
in this new era when statistical analysis is a major part of a successful organization the relationship between the gm and manager is different than it used to be in old school baseball. in the old days the manager picked the lineup and made decisions on the field.
teams like boston,cleveland,and oakland don’t run that way. francona, for example, will not decide by himself what the rotation is going to be for the up coming world series. it’ll be a decision he has input into ,but theo and upper management will make the final decision. an old school manager like torre or pinella wouldn’t put up with a gm telling them who was going to play. francona does.
so what kind of manager are the yankees looking for? one who is told what to do or one who has total on the field control? i would think cashman would be looking for someone who would buy into the gm being in charge like in boston and oakland. this may not be mattingly or girardi because they probably won’t buy into the idea of the gm being in charge of on field decisions. the manager has to really want the job badly to give up the control to the gm. so it won’t surprise me to see pena or someone else sneak in there.
Love Donnie, but I vote for Tony.
I live in SoFla and am not a Girardi fan. He will not be able to deal with Levine and the SteinBros, which is about a third to a half of the job…
Then there’s the media. THEN the pitchers.
Uh uh.
This may sound strange in that I’ve been a Yankee fan for 50 years & watched Mattingly play & I have no idea whatsoever what he is really like. Obviously was a wonderful
player, but seemed never to be in the public eye nor offer any insight into who he really is,other than he played the game well & hard.
Have absolutely no clue about Pena either.
I must say that in watching Girardi on Yankee telecasts this season I kept thinking he was knowlegeable, insightful, & willing to express his opinion in a confident manner & that I feel he would make a great manager.Perhaps a little more fire would be a welcome change in the dugout, & perhaps ruffeling a few feathers on occasion may prove to be a good thing. Decisions that turn out to be correct & that result in winning games will ultimately gain the respect of the players, regardless of any perceived shortcomings in the “tact” department. Having a mellower bench coach as a buffer could help smooth over any rough edges as well. Personally, I believe many catchers have a great feel for the game & are not timid about wanting to be in a position to control a game & make great managers, so Joe has my vote.
Girardi gets all that heat about blowing out arms because the year after he left, half the Florida starting rotation went on the DL.
I’m not a Marlins fan, so I don’t know how Girardi managed those arms in games. But when that many pitchers get hurt, it’s not outrageous to look to the manager for an explanation.
Maybe it was just a series of coincidences, but the fact remains that Girardi managed a bunch of young arms for one season, and the next year a whole lot of them got hurt. And since NY is going to be relying on a lot of young pitchers for the next few years, it’s not unreasonable to put a question mark on Girardi because of those injured arms.
Tony Pena or Joe Girardi should be the finalists. I would’ve liked Bobby Valentine, but it looks like that won’t happen.
It would be s big plus having a mgr that is coming in with mgmt experience under his belt.manager of the year.Managed a small mkt team to postseason.Most importantly He’s a True Yankee.If Girardi did this with a team that Arod could pay with his salary.What would he do with 200 mil payroll?
Joe T was very laid back.Yankees need a spark plug to get them going.Joe G could be the answer.I like all the ones on the list,but hope the best one (who ever it is)gets the job.
wow I’m in conflict w/ this one
I like Joe Girardi but I love Tony Pena’s work ethic eversince he arrived here. I would go Tony Pena but are the Yankees gutsy enough to make him the 1st latino manager in a Yankees uniform ?
I know Pena is as gutsy as Soscia and is good w/ x’s and o’s, can control a locker room, has the players faith, just look at when he was in KC w/ a crappy team Mike Sweeney said that KC locker room would follow him anywhere.
On Girardi, all of the above but do we want a drill sgt. ?
my last choice would be between Pena & Girarfi, I’d go Pena more experience and would be a big reason why Mo and Posada & Alex return.
P.S. Joe Girardi forgive me for misspelling your name it was a slip on my laptop
Kurticus, young pitchers get hurt all the time. If you look at the total numbers of innings the pitchers who got hurt pitched you will see that they pitched very few innings. The two pitchers who pitched the most innings were Scott Olsen and Dontrelle Willis both of whom were not hurt at all this year after pitching 180 and over 200 innings respectively. I have to think it’s some other reason why the other pitchers got hurt. I know for a fact Anibel Sanchez was hurt in Boston’s minor leagues before ever setting foot in a Marlins uniform. I don’t know about the rest but more than likely a couple of them suffered arm injuries in the past.
Tony LaRussa just signed a two year extension. Guess two years is the going rate for an expirenced manager with world series titles.
raymagnetic,
Thanks for the link. I am also really tired of all the baseless rants about the pitching staff. I also had forgotten how bad Jorge was at blocking the plate before!
Catya,
I personally think that a change in that clubhouse would be a good thing. I liked the enthusiasm of the kids this year, but it seemed to be dampened a little during the playoffs. This junk about the season meaning nothing if we don’t win it all probably has something to do with that, too.
Also, with Girardi knowing the score here, that if you don’t win you’re out, I like the confidence that he has that he CAN do the job. After all, he doesn’t have the same fan support that Donnie has where you KNOW that whatever happens, he will always have a job here in some capacity! That’s gritty and I like it!
One more thing- pointing out that only one Marlins pitcher got more than 200 innings isn’t really saying much, considering that one pitcher was the only guy in the rotation who wasn’t a rookie. And two of those rookies weren’t starters on opening day. Anibal Sanchez didn’t make his first start until June, and he still got 114 innings in. And oh, by the way, he spent 2007 in the minors struggling with shoulder problems. Josh Johnson spent April in the bullpen, then went for 150+ innings- and after missing the 2007 season, he’s now getting Tommy John Surgery and will miss 2008, too.
Like I said, it is entirely possible that Florida got the brunt end of some bad coincidences. Or maybe Girardi did overuse a couple arms, but only because he didn’t have much of a choice (kind of like how Torre “abuses” bullpen arms, but only because he only has one or two quality relievers at a time). But you can’t pick a couple of statistics and then claim it’s outrageous for people to point to Girardi when all those arms get hurt.
And considering NY will have Joba, Hughes, and Kennedy starting in 2008, if you think Girardi won’t have to defend the “young arm abuse” accusation in his interview in Tampa, you’re crazy.
if you actually would go back and look at the IP for the marlins pitchers compared to what they’ve done in previous season you can see that girardi didn’t really abuse anyone. he DID bring johnson back after an 82 min rain delay, which is probably not good. although, the mets brought perez back in the same game. oh well
“It will not sit well with Arod if Girardi is the manager.”
On what basis are you saying this?
If that is the case, I rather prefer A-Rod take a walk.
Kurticus Maximus Look what happened to our starting rotation.Was that Torre’s fault or the conditioning coach’s fault? Cashman fired the guy remember?
I think it is something in the water in Fla. Burnett, Pavano amoung others have been hurt.
BBFan
Read my post above explaining my opinion on this. Primary word being OPINION.
I still don’t know why newspapers won’t acknowledge Tony Pena
2003 for the Royals turnaround, as the Royals won 21 more games than they had done the previous year. Pena managing style could be described as “small ball,” as the Royals overcame their offensive weaknesses (Only the Tigers has a lower OPS+) with stolen bases (3rd in the American League) and solid hitting (their .274 batting average was 4th in the American League, while they only struck out 926 times, 5th fewest in the AL). The Royals were able to combine these assets to score 836 runs, 4th in the American League.
closer Mike McDougal hurt, Damon traded for Angel Berroa and Berroa under his work w/ Tony had a career year
Beltran on nearing his walk yr., Mike Sweeney out 1/3 of that season, his best SP was Jose Lima and Runelvys Hernandez
WHY IS TONY PENA NAMED THE OTHER GUY ? If anything he should be the # 1 choice.
http://www.baseball-reference......003_Royals
In Girardi’s defense, isn’t it pretty much a sure thing that there will be a new pitching coach in 2008? Maybe new guy will have some more say and help Joe (or whoever the manager is) not burn out the young arms, bullpen or starter.
jennifer can you really blame Florida for Pavano? He’s just bad news.
The Count of Montefusco – i never saw donny as a fiery guy… More of the silent leader type. It seemed as if every time i went to the stadium as a kiddie poo he hit a homer or two…
The point being is that i think he is alot like Torre – IF the thinking is that they yankees need a real change then perhaps we need some more fire…
I know that Girardi messed up when he brought back Josh Johnson after the rain delay and that Sanchez has also had arm trouble, but there is no way that Joe can be blamed for all of it. There are other factors to look at, you’ve got their medical histories, and most importantly, nobody really knows how well they took care of themselves away from the mound. A big key of staying injury free is taking care of yourself when you aren’t on the field. It’s really going out on a limb to say that Girardi is 100 percent to blame for the injuries to those guys. He shoulders some of the blame, but definitely not all of it. Plus Josh Johnson knows his arm better than anybody. It was also up to him to tell Girardi that he couldn’t pitch after the rain delay. If that caused his arm trouble, then Johnson would definitely get some blame for that. I never have heard any story about Johnson saying that he wanted to stay out of the game. Keep that in mind. It’s not all Joe’s fault.
Andrea, I don’t know maybe. But it is a little odd that so many pitchers who pitched for the Marlins get hurt. Maybe it is the extreme heat? I don’t know.
If, Girardi gets the job,he comes in behind someone that had
Joba rules enforced by Cashman,and the whisper that Torre blew out arms.I’m sure Girardi will be warned
if that’s a concern.
Maybe the Marlins just don’t do very good physicals?
Than the Yankees and Jays don’t either. LOL
That is part of the reason I would be so against trading for Donrelle. First he has that funky leg kick, and second I think he is an injury waiting to happen.
J-Dawg,
The problem with that is the kids are much more likely to take risks and keep pitching because they are young and think their arms can handle it.
You think Joba liked the “Joba Rules?” No, he didn’t. If it was up to him, there wouldn’t have been any Joba rules.
Young pitchers are much more likely to take more risks than veterans who have been around and know what their arms/bodies can handle.
IMO, Girardi would be a good Yanks manager, Mattingly could remain bench coach (to become manager eventually) and Pena should remain 1B coach.
If it’s not too late to change Bowa’s mind that would be great but other than him I don’t know who’d be a good 3B coach.
For some reason I doubt Girardi would accept being bench coach since he’s been manager elsewhere and I assume he wants to establish himself as a manager. But if it worked out that he became Manager Mattingly’s bench coach I think it could be a good combination too.
I also think that the next manager will have to be under the gun. If Hank & Hal & Randy were ’stunned’ by Torre rejecting an incentive-driven offer that included a team option if the team made the world series, the next manager should expect the same kind of offer. Otherwise Hal, Hank & Randy would only be confirmed as not sincerely wanting Torre back despite their PR spins. I can’t imagine them offering an icon like Mattingly the kind of deal where they may have to ‘fire’ him in October. Only after following through on that can they then give the PR spin that they’ve learned from their mistakes’ and change their approach back to making a committment.
So, if Girardi’s manager and the team wins, which I really hope happens, it’s great for the team and the big three look (sort of) good. If the team doesn’t win, they wouldn’t have to fire a Yankee legend (which was their dad’s big PR mistake when handling Yogi) and they’ll have him better prepared to manage when he eventually does take the job.
If Girardi (or whomever) manages and the team wins in ‘08, maybe the three-headed hydra named Hank Hal & Randy will wise up and offer him/them a contract that’s an actual commitment rather than another year with a world series-triggered team option. Committment can come with $$ incentives too, just not the WS team option.
Whoever gets hired as manager will get a three year deal at probably $1.5 to $2 mil a year. The deal won’t be simmilar in structure to what was offered to Torre.
(coughs….) like I said !!!
I still don’t know why newspapers won’t acknowledge Tony Pena
2003 for the Royals turnaround, as the Royals won 21 more games than they had done the previous year. Pena managing style could be described as “small ball,� as the Royals overcame their offensive weaknesses (Only the Tigers has a lower OPS+) with stolen bases (3rd in the American League) and solid hitting (their .274 batting average was 4th in the American League, while they only struck out 926 times, 5th fewest in the AL). The Royals were able to combine these assets to score 836 runs, 4th in the American League.
closer Mike McDougal hurt, Damon traded for Angel Berroa and Berroa under his work w/ Tony had a career year
Beltran on nearing his walk yr., Mike Sweeney out 1/3 of that season, his best SP was Jose Lima and Runelvys Hernandez
WHY IS TONY PENA NAMED THE OTHER GUY ? If anything he should be the # 1 choice.
http://www.baseball-reference......003_Royals
Giuseppe, that’s definitely true about vets knowing their bodies better than youngsters. Last year Mike Mussina was throwing four hitless innings against the Mets until the rains came. He correctly decided not to come back out. Josh Johnson was a youngster in the heat of competition but he needed to use his head and show a little maturity as well.
I have said as soon as we knew Joe wasn’t coming back that Boras would use this as an excuse to opt out Arod. Doesn’t mean I believe that’s their real reason, but it sure give them the perfect PR excuse to preempt the money hungry talk.
And in a way this “uncertainty” could also give Yankees an excuse down the road to back-paddle and negotiate with Arod after he opts out. They can say, we didn’t have a manager in place then, but we do now, so we will now talk to Arod.
When Girardi was in Fla, he skippered a young, cheap, not very deep team, with about the lowest payroll in baseball. You manage kids with minimal or developing talent differently than you manage veterans with proven and/or declining skills. That being true, why do so many of you think Girardi is a one-trick pony, that he can only manage like a drill sergeant? He had no choice in Florida. He had to be strict and extremely disciplined to get that team as far as he did. And who knows what the real story was with the starting pitching? Nobody here, that’s for sure. So stop blaming Girardi for hurting pitchers and don’t think he couldn’t be successful with the yanks.
Joe Torre managed a mostly veteran, All-Star Yankee club with big egos the best way you can, trusting them to do their jobs and insisting that they give 100%. He didn’t wetnurse them or hover over them or conduct bedchecks. When they screwed up, they heard about it in person and discretely. If that didn’t work, adios, a la Ruben Sierra version 1.0., Kenny Lofton, Womack, etc. That said, Girardi, if chosen, would manage his Yankee veterans differently than he did the kids in Florida, looking to the vets to provide leadership and clutch performance without constant cheerleading, screaming exhortations or feeling the need to conduct instructional league sessions.
Speaking of ignorant perceptions:
1. Torre always caught hell for the “fact” that he was a bad manager for young players. That kind of cracks me up because Jeter, Bernie, Mo and Po were all pretty young players when Torre came to the Yankees. They seemed to have turned out alright. (You might want to throw in Cano, Wang and Cabrera too, just for completeness).
2. Someone posted above that Jeter would be treated with kid gloves by Mattingly if he became the manager, as though that actually happened under Torre. Are we talking about the same Jeter who plays everyday unless he has a bone sticking through his skin or was run over by a car? The Captain? Kid Gloves? Just exactly what should Mattingly do with Jeter? Break him on the Wheel? Draw and Quarter him? Use electroshock therapy? And what exactly justifies more aggressive management for Jeter anyway?
Everybody just relax, take deep cleansing breaths and let them choose their manager. We’ll go on from there.
I think all this talk of Mo, Jorge and Arod waiting to know the manager before resigning are just negotiation leverage. And I say this as a huge fan of Mo and Jorge. Think about it, of the three names being considered now, is any one really gonna be a huge problem for Mo and Jorge? They played and have good relationship with Girardi, Donnie and Pena are current coaches. Will they really prefer to go to another team and work for managers they don’t know than for any of these three? I doubt it.
But I don’t blame them at all, if I was an agent I’d do the exact same thing.
Something, I really like about next year,is the young guys in the farm system. They have to be stoked that the Yankees
have gone gone back to promoting from within. Now, when the Yankees aquire a new prospect it’s not just for trade bait,they could actually make the team,if they perfom.
This season was refreshing watching these hungry,motivated guys,mix with the vets.We do have great things to look forward to next year.
A family member just called with their disgust, that The Drunken Lawyer is back.(Larussa) I tried not to laugh.
I was thinking better you than us.
This has to be the most coveted job in all of baseball, for managers.everybody’s wondering what the yankees will do.I have friends in a lot of different markets,that always ask,who is getting the job.
Beantown may be headed to the world series ,but yankees beat them in division play,and with all our player problems, yankees still finished just 2 behind.They didn’t beat us. Next year should be fun,beantown relied on other teams to eliminate us,that’s still something they need to do.
Murphydog,
Girardi might not be a one-trick pony. IMO, he would make a good Yankee manager.At the same time, they should keep an eye iin the way he handles young pitchers.True he had to be a disciplinarian with a young club but he might have ruined the arm of a young pitcher.
On sept.2nd. against the Mets, Josh Johnson was pitching, leading 4-0. At the end of the 5th inning, Josh complained of tighness on his arm. Then there was an 82-85 minute rain delay. Girardi sent Josh back out after the delay. Johnson never pitched again in 2006. He was leading the NL ERA, was 12-7. He has started 4 games from that moment on. Maybe the injury to the pitcher would habe occurred anyway. We’ll never know.I hope Girardi has learned from his mistake. I dont blame the Marlins’ pitching coach. The buck stops with the manager.
I understand that Girardi used the iron hand managing in FLA…however, do you think he is that dumb to manage in that style in NY? I mean really, give the guy some credit here. He knows exactly what he’d be walking into and to presume that his style would be the same is ridiculous. He only managed one year so it’s not like that style is imbedded in him.
On the other hand could Torre have had the same success Girardi did with the team he had in Florida. Girardi played the hand he was dealt, and won manager of the year.