If someone knows a WORSE reason to hire someone to be manager, I’d love to hear it. I loved Mattingly as a player, but there is no category that I know of in which he actually has an advantage over Girardi.

I really hope you look back at your blog posts after Torre left the Yankees with the proper amount of embarrasment for your over the top criticism of the team based on your personal affection for Torre.

Gayle, I think the conditioning guy from earlier in the season you’re thinking about may be Marty Miller, the guy who put the players on his new physical conditioning program and got fired when a bunch of guys got injured.

Pete, if big Stein’s gonna make the call, is anyone gonna first remind him that he can’t fire Donnie Baseball if they don’t go to the WS? at least not in the first year?

Also, the 10am agenda sounds like the kids table to me, vs. the grown-up table at 3pm. Has Cashman been demoted? I wouldn’t have read too much into it if he was at the 10am with the rest of his baseball operation staff, and then carry over to join the 3pm meeting as well. I mean what kind of meaningful conversation is he supposed to have with the candidate at dinner if they can’t talk about the Steins/Levine meeting together?

1). Trading Kennedy and Wang is betting that Mussina and Igawa – - or the bum of the month – - will give you fifteen wins. That’s kind of what they did this past season. Maybe that’s not as crazy as it looks. But trading Kennedy and Wang also seems to suppose there is a good shot at keeping Pettitte as the 2d, 3d or 4th starter. And Andy P won’t say for sure whether he will come back for at least a month. Without Pettitte, and if you trade Wang and Kennedy (with Melky) for Santana, the rotation is Santana, Chamberlain, Hughes without a good 4th or 5th starter (Moose? Igawa?). Risky business.

2). You could hold onto Melky and Wang and Kennedy and wait until Santana is a free agent (2009) and try to sign him then. But if you wait, you are taking a big risk that Johann will still be available. If you don’t make Minny a serious deal now, someone else will and they will sign Santana to an extension and you will miss out. Will you get to the post season with Wang, Hughes Chamberlain and Kennedy (Moose, Igawa)?

Pettitte could be as important as Santana either way it goes.

Did you say that Santana is behind Beckett as far as who the best pitcher in baseball is? Come again. I know Beckett singlhandedly beat us in ’03 and has been lights out this year, but he’s not better than Johan as a whole. I guess in the playoffs he’s been better, but Beckett is not the best pitcher in baseball.

Now im thinking Girardi really is the spark plug we need.

I think his sons will make the call and he will go along.

btw, The mental conditioning coach should be replaced. He hasn’t been able to get the team to overcome the 2004 ALCS meltdown yet. Time for a change.

1. Consistency of minor league numbers.
2. Grace under pressure he showed down the stretch.
3. Number of pitches he throws for strikes.
4. Number of innings he threw last year.
5. Consistency of usage.