Yankees overcome their LOBs
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- July
- 19
The Yankees left 21 runners on base, their most in a game since July 20, 1998 when they left 22 on in a 17-inning game.
“We won the game, that’s all that matters,” Joe Girardi said. “We got enough.”
Robinson Cano is 18 of 54 (.333) this month and is up to .256 for the season. He took BP off of his father in the Domincan during the break and watched video every day. “I tried to relax and I couldn’t,” he said. “I know I need to get going.”
The Mariano Rivera weirdness continues. He has entered a tie game seven times this season and given up one run on five occasions.
Today was the first win for David Robertson.
————
Johnny Damon took BP before the game today and looked pretty good. He’s eligible to come off the disabled list tomorrow. So it made sense to inquire about Damon’s status.
Here’s what Joe Girardi said: “Obviously we’ll continue to talk. He’s eligible tomorrow. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. We’ll have to make some decisions. I need to talk to Cash about it tonight.”
Asked for some more info, Girardi again claimed that no decision had been made.
Here’s what Johnny Damon said five minutes later: “I want to play. It’s in their court. There’s nothing I can do or say. It’s not up to me. They mentioned to me that I wasn’t playing tomorrow.”
Damon will start throwing tomorrow and hopes to be activated on Monday or Tuesday. He doesn’t want to go on a rehab assignment.
As to why Girardi said what he said, draw your own conclusions. It makes no sense to me to be misleading about something like that.
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on Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at 6:55 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
Robinson Cano needs to take BP off his father in April and May, too.
yankees only 3 games back in the loss column now to the BoSux….and dang…Girardi lying again to the press….TAR and FEATHER that bastage !
Girardi is tight lipped about things. I like it. In todays minute by minute reporting, leave somethings open to the imagination.
Good poker face.
PreteFunkEra: Tight-lipped is cool. I respect that. Joe Torre pretended he didn’t know. That’s what Belichick, Coughlin and 1,000 coaches do. Girardi is misleading and there’s a problem with that.
The funny thing is he always gets caught because the players usually tell the truth on things that are no big deal. How will whether Damon gets activated or not change anything Oakland does to prepare for that game? They’ve already got scouting reports on everybody. It’s lying for no purpose.
I agree, no sense in lying. Hopefully Girardi will learn this with some more time in NY. He definately didn’t have as much scrutiny and questions thrown his way in FL, but you’d think he would have caught on by now…especially spending time in the broadcast booth.
I honestly believe that Girardi has the potential to be a great manager. In NY, you have no choice but to be great. He needs to start being either direct or play it off like he does not know in these types of situations going foward.
almost as ridiculous as girardi’s lying is his “we won, that’s all that matters” comment. this team has yet to find any consistency whatsoever. at nearly 100 games into the season, that’s a problem that needs addressing by the organization, and i don’t mean another pointless knute rockne closed-door meeting.
i’ve been thoroughly unimpressed with girardi as a manager.
Pete - Good point. I think Girardi was able to get away with it in the small market. But in NY with reporters like yourself he can get caught lying pretty quickly.
Being a catcher I guess it is ingrained in him to not tip anything off. Maybe it will wear off over time.
Hey, Pete…why don’t you do post-game audio any more? Did the team ask you to stop? Your paper? Or were people just not that psyched on it and the extra hassle doesn’t seem worth it?
Did someone inform Girardi he was under oath before you asked?
This game of “Gotcha” has gotten amusing.
Halladay thrown’ ZEROES at The Rays…0-0 Top of 5th
Whozat: I can do it, it just didn’t seem like many people were listening. Plus Girardi is pretty boring, to be honest with you. It’s hard to get clean audio from the players because the clubhouse is usually noisy. If people want it, I’ll be happy to do it.
An update on the Yankees’ draft selections
http://blogs.trb.com/sports/baseball/blog/2008/07/an_update_on_the_yankees_draft.html
Robinson Cano is 18 of 54 (.333) this month and is up to .256 for the season. He took BP off of his father in the Domincan during the break and watched video every day. “I tried to relax and I couldn’t,” he said. “I know I need to get going.”
Yes you do Robbie. Love what you have been doing recently.
Now if only the rest of the team can do the same..
Kasey,
I also find the “we won, that’s all that matters” comment a little out of place. There are so many problems with this offense that to sum the game up with “we won…” is a little ridiculous.
He has an opportunity there to commend the bottom of the order which single-handedly won this game and also comment about the top of the order needing to stay focused on getting on base and driving in runs during their many opportunities.
He could have simply recognized both the good and the numerous problems/things that need to be worked on and did it without throwing anybody in particular under the bus.
I like hearing the post-game audio.
Pete I disagree with you post game audio I think is a great part of this blog especially on games that are broadcast not on YES where they really dont show the p[ostgame and even when they are on YES they dont show the whole thing.
Pete’s silly game of gotcha is absurd. Nothing Girardi says comes close to constituting a lie. If you want to be Rhona Barret, write for page 6. Heck, at least have the guts to call Girardi a liar to his face. I think the Webster’s dictionary has a picture of a NY Tabloid “Journalist” listed under coward.
May be people stop using that “s” word before every series, the team can actually start a winning streak.
“Here’s what Joe Girardi said: “Obviously we’ll continue to talk. He’s eligible tomorrow. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. We’ll have to make some decisions. I need to talk to Cash about it tonight.”
Asked for some more info, Girardi again claimed that no decision had been made.
Here’s what Johnny Damon said five minutes later: “I want to play. It’s in their court. There’s nothing I can do or say. It’s not up to me. They mentioned to me that I wasn’t playing tomorrow.”
Damon will start throwing tomorrow and hopes to be activated on Monday or Tuesday. He doesn’t want to go on a rehab assignment.
What sort of strategic advantage Girardi thinks he’s gaining by being misleading is undertain. It’s sort of silly at this point.”
Pete,
How did Girardi lie to you? He stated no final decision has been made yet which is true and that he needs to talk to his GM. Damon says he’s ready, but the club doesn’t agree and are still discussing it so where is the lie?
crawdaddle…I think Girardi must not say hi as much to Pete as Torre did.
JR Yankees-
He actually did say many of those things I watched his post game on YES. The question was how does it feel when you leave so mny opportunities on base but still come out with a win. His answer was at this point we need the win. he alsol commented on how but all of the 2 hits came from the bottom of the order and how that picked up the top of the order who were getting thier walks.
It wasnt such a cut and dry statement as wewon that all that matters.
JR,
my concern is not only that girardi said what he said, it’s that i believe he honestly things that way. he’s in a results-oriented job and has said on numerous occasions about the offense this season, “it just happens sometimes,” when they fail to produce. i’m beginning to believe that he may actually subscribe to the theory that, for the most part, when his offense fails, it’s blind luck and when they win a game, the bottom line is all that matters.
like i said, i just don’t think he’s a very good manager. he took a bad, young florida team and made them a mediocre, young florida team and now he’s taken a team full of veterans who, at times, looked nearly lifeless under torre and somehow “inspired” them to look COMPLETELY lifeless a third of the time. at the very best, that’s lateral movement, and that’s being incredibly generous, in my opinion. color me unimpressed.
Halladay is a MACHINE…0-0 Top of 6 in Tampa (too bad Garza is thowing “out of his world”, too…so far.)
Pete,
So what happens if he indulges your insaneeeeeee sense of entitlement and tells you “Johnny is not playing tomorrow.” Then he talks to Cash tonight, sleeps on it, talks to Johnny tomorrow and they decide tomorrow that he is healthy enough to play, they are now comfortable with his progress to feel like he wont get re-injured and they want to take him off the DL to play. Then we have to sit here and read about how he lied about Johnny not playing. He did not say no, he did not say yes, all he said was that a final decision was not made. Johnny Damon then said he was told he was not playing tomorrow, sure, but who says is set in stone…Johnny has talked out of his ***, exaggerated things, and backtracked before. (”I’ll never play for the yankees” always seems to come to mind.)
I have posted this before, and I will post it again
YOU, NOR I, NOR ANY OTHER SPORTS FAN IS ENTITLED TO ANYTHING BUT THE 9 INNINGS BETWEEN THE WHITE LINES. You do not pay to go to games, but those of us that do, do not pay for the managers intel…we pay to watch them play. Get off your high horse.
Finally, you pointed out that Belicheat is “tight lipped.” That in itself is the most obvious sign of your bias. To say he is tight lipped and Girardi is a liar is unbelievably ridiculous. Tom Brady was listed as questionable for like 52 straight weeks and every time he was asked if Brady was playing, the same “he is questionable” response was given.
You loved Joe Torre, ok, but not everyone is him (thank god).
What’s not clear? I asked Girardi what Damon’s status was. He said no decision has been made.
I asked Damon the same question and he said they told him he wasn’t playing tomorrow.
Seems pretty obvious. Read the quotes.
Also, I don’t write for a tabloid. Also, we did call Girardi on it to his face earlier this season.
Beyond that, your post was dead on.
I don’t think it’s any big deal. I can get the information from other places, which I did. It’s just silly. Why not say, “We’re going to give Johnny another day or two.” Why not just tell the truth? If you can explain to me what advantage is gained by saying otherwise in this case, I’d love to hear it.
ok. Joe Girardi lies.
lol. whatever, peter.
Matt:
I’m not entitled to anyhing, my readers are. Many people love the Yankees and are curious about the status of one of their most important players. Damon is their leadoff hitter and a pretty significant player.
My job is to find things out. It sounds like you think my job should be to high five them whenever they win. Sorry, dude, this is professional sports, not high school.
The final decision was made, they told Johnny he wasn’t playing tomorrow. If you read my paper tomorrow, you’ll know that. Am I supposed to just write what the manager says and not follow up on that?
If that’s what you want, you came to the wrong place.
I think Belichick is a jackass with the media. But he basically ignores questions or claims not to know.
Pete,
Did Girardi tell Damon he wasn’t playing tomorrow? If not, why accuse him of lieing then because for all we know, it could’ve been the trainer that told Damon he’s not ready.
“I don’t think it’s any big deal. I can get the information from other places, which I did. It’s just silly. Why not say, “We’re going to give Johnny another day or two.” Why not just tell the truth? If you can explain to me what advantage is gained by saying otherwise in this case, I’d love to hear it”
the only person who cares of these details, is you. For the readers/fans, it is trivial.
halladay in a big jam in the 6th, bases lodaed no outs
vinny and assorted cast of clowns,
girardi has lied - not been cryptic or mildly misleading, outright lied - the media on numerous occasions this season, as well as during his tenure in florida. it’s been pretty well documented in pete’s blog and others, as well as in most articles about why he was unceremoniously dismissed in florida. before you champion the guy, maybe take a second to look into his history and reputation.
1-0 tampa still bases loaded no outs
vinny: “For the readers/fans, it is trivial.”
for you, maybe. for me - and i’ll go ahead and count myself among the readers/fans if that’s okay by you - it’s not.
so feel free to speak for yourself, but please don’t speak on behalf of yankees fans or pete’s readers in general. thanks.
Halladay in DEEP TROUBLE…1-0 bases juiced bottom of 6th…Eva AB…one out.
“Girardi lies and there’s a problem with that.”
i would have loved to see you lay that line on billy martin or clete boyer.
Well, Evan hit a GS…Rays tough @ home.
vinny-b: You don’t care whether the leadoff hitter is coming back to play with the team in third place? You’re quite a fan. I’m going on the assumption that most people care about who’s on the roster.
Crawdaddie: I’ve been doing this since I was 17. Of course I asked Johnny who told him. C’mon dude. Do you really think the trainer tells players their status instead of the manager? You don’t really think that, do you? This is a professional team, the manager talks to the players
Did you see where Damon was sitting on the bench during the game?
Don’t shoot the messenger. I think Girardi is a nice guy and I think he knows what he’s doing for the most part. I’d just like him to be straightforward, that’s all.
Cashman is quoted in the NY Times that he thinks Damon might need a rehab game. Girardi said in the pre-game that Damon might not need a rehab game. Damon says he doesn’t want a rehab game. Maybe the “they” that told Damon was Cashman and not Girardi. Maybe that’s what Girardi wants to discuss with Cashman tonight.
I’m hoping holding back Damon an extra day is more about Cash working on a trade and whether that happens will change who they need to send down or DFA to activate Damon.
Thanks for letting me know about the audio; I believe Girardi’s probably not so interesting. I just want to hear Moose postgames, really. I love his sense of humor
“My job is to find things out.”
On this note…do reporters ever press them about the whole pitchers-they-haven’t-seen-before problem? Figure out if it’s some kind of organizational issue or just the nature of the vets they have? Is it a pattern that they’ve even noticed? Or are we just seeing something that’s not there? I mean, the guys who hit today are all the young guys without ten years of hitting routine behind them. Is there anything to this?
“I asked Damon the same question and he said they told him he wasn’t playing tomorrow.”
damon didn’t say girardi told him he wasn’t playing. there could have been any numbers of way miscommunication could take place. but to call it lying is crossing a line?
i personally don’t think girardi owes anyone anything as far as explaining himself. if he doesn’t want to tell you what’s going on, so what.
what i expect him to do is win.
if he does that, i could care less what he tells me or anyone else what he’s planning.
Pat: There is no trade. They’ll send down Christian or Gardner, probably Christian. They could hold Johnny back until he can throw. But it’s not like he could throw in the first place.
What a dumb criticism of Pete we have going on here. Thanks for bringing us the inside baseball, Pete, and for the witty commentary you post during the games.
Randy: Yes he did. It was the manager.
on further thinking , why not just say face to face to girardi, ” joe , why do you lie to us about damon?
if you can on the blog, why can’t you say face to face with him?
Girardi should start denying that he’s the manager. Nay, that the Yankees even exist at all!
“Excuse me? Game? I wasn’t aware of any game, but if you say this team…the Yankees? Yankees? Is that it? Yankees? Ok, these Yankees…I certainly wish them well at whatever it is they’re doing. A ball, you say? And they hit it with sticks? Oh, they TRY to hit it, oh, ok. Interesting. Is it like golf? Where’s the ball that they hit? They THROW it? Wow, that sounds hard. Well, I’ve got to go hang out with my kids now, let me just weave my way out through this crowd of sweaty guys in uniforms. I wonder what they were just doing that they’re all sweaty like that? Huh.”
rather, if you can say it on the blog, why can’t you say it face to face with him?
Didn’t Joe Girardi have issues in Miami with the press ??? Maybe he’s a little gun shy and is concern about saying the wrong thing…..He could slightly tentative and not wanting to cross the FO……I know that the draft recap was on a different thread, but the Yanks & us fans are going to love Kyle….Good power hitting catcher, and in many ways better than Romine…..Pete, not certain that when you cover the club in Anahiem if you ever went to The Catch Restaurant outside the park, but it’s gone……I’m sitting next to the Press Box for the Aug 10th Sunday game, maybe I’ll send you a brew……
I’m more interested in the there is no trade thing than whether Damon gets activated on SUnday or Monday.
Did Cashman say he isn’t working on anything?
“I’m more interested in the there is no trade thing than whether Damon gets activated on SUnday or Monday.”
I think Pete meant that there’s no trade in the works to clear a spot for Damon to come back. Not that Cashman is sitting around drinking PBRs instead of working the phones.
Besides…why on EARTH would Cash leak anything if he was working on a deal of any significance?
Press: Joe you said you wouldn’t use Rivera in the 8th
Torre: I guess I lied about that
Moving right along…
Pete,
Thank you for answering my question. IMO, I think Damon and Girardi are having a difference of opinion regarding his availability which is why Girardi is saying no decision has been made and that he needs to talk to Cashman versus Damon saying he’s ready, but the Yankees won’t let me play. So you can beat up Girardi on your blog all you want because he’s not being straightforward with you about a disagreement between himself and his player, but can you really blame him You know better than anybody such a disagreement would be back page news on some tabloids. Furthermore, Damon hasn’t even thrown yet. Sure, he has a noodle arm and his throws are limited in nature, but if he can’t even do that, it does affect the lineup because he’s restricted to DH.
whozat
“Besides…why on EARTH would Cash leak anything if he was working on a deal of any significance?”
That was sort of my point. Pete seemed so sure in his response. He didnt say I haven’t heard anything about a trade, he said “There is no trade”.
I love when Pete gets defensive. It’s a sure sign that he is in a tizzy. Also, whether you like it or not, you write for a tabloid.
If all that is true, that Girardi told Damon he isn’t playing tomorrow, I still wouldn’t say he outright lied to you. Damon says, according to you, “They mentioned to me that I wasn’t playing tomorrow.” You could interpret this as “they” approaching Damon and saying, “You’re not playing tomorrow,” or it could have been something like “You’re probably not playing tomorrow.” Did you happen to ask Damon if it was a definite that he wasn’t playing? That “mentioned” kind of throws me a bit.
In any case, it sounds like Damon is close, which is good news. I just wouldn’t go about calling the manager a liar. What makes Damon the beacon of truth over Girardi? I doubt he’s starting tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t change their mind at some point and at least activate him to be available to pinch hit. Perhaps “not playing” really meant “not starting.” Did you check into that?
And no one cares how long you’ve been doing this. Jon Heyman’s been in the profession a while too, and he brings zero to the table in my opinion (and I’m not the only one who feels that way). Didn’t want to just single out Heyman, but he popped in my mind first.
Peter, I don’t think that you need to “engage” the people that disagree with you. Let them flap their gums…it probably cools them off, friend !
Yes, you’re right. He should be able to publish that the manager of the Yankees is a liar and not have to defend his position. Good call.
Then again, he states a million of his backward opinions during game blogs and never has to defend those either.
You know, Girardi strikes me as the type who would beat his wife. Let’s call him out on that, and if he says he doesn’t, we know he’s a liar because Pete said he is. /sarcasm
I agree with one of the readers said earlier, you should call Girardi out to his face since you feel he’s being so misleading on everything. And post the audio of it when you do so. That should be classic, perhaps on a Billy Martin level.
bigjf: Damon said it came from the manager. He was mad he’s not being activated. Frankly, I think they probably should give him another day or two. Why Girardi wouldn’t just say that, I have no idea.
As for how long I’ve been doing this, would you want a surgeon with two months of experience of 20 years? Any profession benefits from experience. I’m a much better reporter now than when I was 22. I would think that would be evident.
Stop the lies: How is explaining things to people being in a tizzy? Most of the folks seem to grasp what I’m sayiing. Meanwhile. you might want to brush up on your knowledge of newspapers. A tabloid is a newspaper the size of the Post, News or Newsday. A broadsheet is a paper the size of The Journal, The Times or the Washington Post.
As for how it’s used in the venacular, a tabloid is traditionally a paper that carries a gossip page (mine does not) or prints stories using unnamed sources (which mine expressly does not) or prints such things as UFO stories (which mine does not).
My paper has home delivery in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties in New York and generally covers the news in those cities and towns, which are among the most wealthy areas of the country. In sports, we cover the Yankees, Mets, Giants, etc along with the PGA Tour, etc.
So, um, try again I guess. You couldn’t be more incorrect in your assumptions.
Peter Abraham wrote: “Joe Torre *pretended* he didn’t know… Girardi is *misleading* and there’s a problem with that.”
“Pretending” you don’t know something vs. “misleading”.
Distinction without a difference?
I think so!
It’s six of one, half-a-dozen of the other. “Pretending” you don’t know something is, in essence, lying. A claim not to know something - such as Girardi made - could just as easily be characterized as “pretending” or “misleading”.
The only difference is you liked the old Joe, but don’t like the new one. So the new Joe gets called a liar for (supposedly) “misleading, i.e., “pretending” not to know something, whereas the old Joe could pretend ’till the cows came home and not get called out, cause he was your pal.
Fair enough - to an extent. No doubt, personalities affect reporting - on both sides of the mic. A perceived jerk will be written about in one way, a perceived good guy in another. Likewise an interviewee’s answers will doubtless be shaded depending on whether he likes, or dislikes, the particular person asking the questions.
But holding the new Joe to a different, stricter standard than you held the old Joe - which you obviously are - is not fair, or good journalism. It reflects, rather, a double standard - which is, alas, not a good thing, in any context.
In my humble opinion.
bigjf:
That happened in April, Girardi had a series of meeting with the guys who cover the team because of several incidents, mainly involving the pitchers.
And if I have any personal conversations with the manager (or anybody else) about that subject they would stay that way. Press conferences are to ask questions about the team, not to discuss such matters. Why would anybody care (except you, I guess) what Girardi and I would talk about?
It’s pretty simple: I’m trying to find out information about the Yankees to pass along to you. That is really all I want to do. Personally, I could give a damn whether Johnny plays or not. But I assume Yankee fans are interested. In doing that job, I would like the manager to say what is going on with an injured player. That is really all that is going on.
I’m really not getting why this hard to understand. How do you think any writer who covers any team in any sport gets information?
If you don’t like my blog or that I’m trying to get information about the team, than don’t read I guess. Go to the Stadium and get Yankees Magazine. It’s all happy news in there.
At any rate, I’m taking the rest of the night off. Thanks for reading.
It’s not the victim role that any of us are asking you to play but just like you are so eager to make your opinion known (albeit in vague, subtle ways), we do the same.
I think you misinterpreted what I was saying before…it is not that I don’t want to know whats going on behind the scenes..any real fan does. If I could have one of those cans with string phones from Cash’s office to my apartment, I’d gladly take it but that doesnt mean that I am entitled to it. We all know that you are trying to squeeze info to report to us, and I am happy about that but at the same time, you judge Girardi in a completely different light than you did Torre. Poor Yorick makes an insanely good point.
It really is not fair, and as a writer/blogger with more access AND more influence than any average joe schmo who blogs the yanks, it is not fair for you to use every chance you get to jab at Girardi just becasue you don’t like him or you don’t think he should be the manager.
Theres a very good chance Damon won’t play tommorrow, as he shouldnt…regardless of whether or not he thinks he is ready. We’ve all seen what Johnny Damon is about…we know he is hard as nails but the fact remains, he has not faced live major league (or minor league) pitching since the boston series. he should not be put back in the lineup but rather on a rehab start like every other player coming off the DL. If Girardi says no hes not playing, Damon says yes I can play…well then you have your “tabloids” here in NY going nuts…He has a clubhouse to maintain BEFORE he has a propoganda filled power hungry NY/NJ/CT/MA media to appease. THAT is what he owes the fans, a winning product first a foremost.
Pete, all I’m asking for is that you report things as you heard them. If you want to twist it a bit, that’s your prerogative. Like if you quote Girardi and then say “Damon said this 5 mins later,” that’s fine. I come here to read that info, which you deliver in a timely fashion. And it is exactly that timely fashion why I come here because every other source will carry the same info in due time, just not as quick. I don’t come here to read your opinion on matters, but I guess that sidedish comes with the meal…
Oh, and I had to laugh when you compared your experience to that of a surgeon. You’re not exactly conducting open heart surgery by asking questions and writing stories on them. Don’t get me wrong, it takes a certain level of skill to be a journalist (or a reporter, whichever you prefer to call yourself), but just like there are experienced doctors who people consider not very good, same goes for all other professions. And a surgeon with 2 months experience would have someone holding their hand while performing surgery. Just saying…
Let’s face it, the fundamental difference between a beat writer and a fan is the backstage access. So in that sense, this is an advanced fan blog. If you want to heckle Girardi’s handling of certain matters, go ahead. But I don’t have to agree. I think you’re turning the whole misleading thing into a bigger issue than it is. I mean, he held info from you? What a bad person he must be. Maybe you should just consult Damon every day from now on, since he is apparently the almighty source of truth.
And you’re welcome. I happen to enjoy your blog quite a bit actually, even though I find myself often disagreeing with your opinion.
Hey Pete
You just go and do your thang. Its your blog and I’m sure we can all agree to disagree some times. No need to waste time on comments you think are not worthy of replying.
Pete,
Love your blog, but please don’t pretend you are annoyed about Girardi’s “Lies” (overdramatic word, by the way) because you can’t pass this along to your loyal readers. You do it for yourself, but its your job–so there is nothing wrong with that.
Just don’t be a hypocrite, and call Girardi a liar when you lie pretending the only reason you care is for your loyal readers.
You want a scoop/newstory/newsworthy item, and you should thats your job.
-dan
Some of you guys are idiots. If you don’t like the way Pete states his opinions on HIS blog, don’t bother reading then. The rest of us certainly won’t miss you or your comments.
Based on my reading of the quotes, it seems pretty obvious that Girardi is referring to whether Damon will come off the DL tomorrow as the “undetermined” situation, while Damon is referring to whether or not he will play tomorrow as the “predetermined” situtation.
Those two statements are not in any way mutually exclusive, so I’m not sure why “X is lying” has to be the default conclusion.
what a tempest in a teapot! provocations and thin skins thrown together and, voila, thousands of blog hits later we have achieved what? BTW heath phillips was finally dumped - more pruning expected shortly!
Girardi recently said he thinks people feel disrespected too easily these days. I agree, people are incredibly easy to offend these days. Yesterday, pondering this, I arrived at the theory this is because being nice doesn’t really pay anymore. Would a Bobby Murcer growing up today stay the same person, or would he turn bitter with the lack of reciprocation for his good deeds? If everybody is jumping the turnstile, should Bobby still pay or would he be laughed at for paying?
Weird tangential analogy, I know. But the point is, why is the media taking it personally when Girardi is coy about injury, roster, or lineup information? There are many legitimate reasons he could be doing this from not having final say, to having final say and wanting to reach consensus with team, med staff, and player. Maybe he’s trying to keep Giese or Hawkins focused for one more day. Maybe he’s emotionally weary of releasing Hawkins. Imagine if he managed a factory and the media was interviewing the plant manager about upcoming layoffs, mentioning factory workers by name? Bottom line, it really isn’t his priority to answer to the media but rather to win ballgames, motivate, and take care of his team. Please give him a break. He’s cautious by nature and will open up more next year, as he sees what really has a negative effect and what does not. That is my opinion. I hope it can be respected. Thanks.
You ever manage a team, Pete? At any level? You know how to manage expectations and deal with players?
I’m willing to be almost anything that telling the media that no final decision has been made on Damon was the truth, and that what was said to Damon was merely managing expectations. If Damon wakes up, feels fine, and Cash and Girardi then decide it’s okay to activate him, then Damon gets a nice surprise. If not, then it’s just what he expected.
In other words, why do you think the lie was to you, and not Damon?
All in all, though, I do think the Girardi Lies schtick is beyond old.
Pete’s job is about information and he provides a generous flow of it to his readers. On the other hand, like many control freaks Girardi would like to control access to information about himself, his job, ‘his’ team, etc. Haven’t you noticed that he only looks and sounds relaxed when he’s speaking in controlled surroundings, like the YES studios, preferably on his own show, where he is interviewed as if he were the Pope?
The disagreement here seems to be about whether Girardi is allowed to be criticized like any other sports manager or must always be treated as if he were a sacred icon. Girardi clearly prefers the latter view and some highly emotional fans go along with him.
I don’t hate Girardi. I went on record as supporting his succeeding Torre long before Torre was gone. That doesn’t mean I’m blind. He has not been an above-average manager as far as in-game decision-making, or inculcating the small-ball approach that could have made up for some of the loss of offensive power, or in dealing with a media-rich environment. That he’s scraping along at average in his first year in a major market (and only his second season as a manager) is not surprising or shameful, and is no indication that he may not be a superior manager *someday*.
I will be rooting for that day to come. In the meantime I’ll be looking for plenty of info on him and the team, and expecting respectable reporters like Pete to be out there getting it for me regardless whether Girardi and his claque get steamed.
is a claque bigger than a clique?
Greg Norman tied after the 11th hole.
I wonder if he’s juiced.
yanksince57,
Sorry for the delay in replying, I just got back from my usual Sunday morning occasions —
Nothing to do with size. A claque is a group of admiring or fawning followers. A clique is a snobbish or narrow coterie.
teacher or librarian?
Neither.
i was just funning
Me, too — but it’s true anyway…