Audio: Girardi on Steinbrenner
Posted by: Josh Thomson - Posted in Misc on Jul 16, 2010 
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Joe Girardi talked for a little over 20 minutes today — more than twice the typical duration of his pregame presser. The topic, of course, was almost exclusively George Steinbrenner.
Of course, this will be the first Yankee game since The Boss passed on Tuesday. Girardi took everyone through his steps Tuesday morning when he learned about Steinbrenner’s death. He received a message from COO Lonn Trost at 6:15 a.m. and watched TV until about 10, pacific time. As you can hear in the audio, Girardi said it was a very emotional morning for him and his family, for whom he said Steinbrenner had done so much.
There’s too much from Girardi to break it down in detail, but he touched on a few key topics I think you’ll enjoy. Among them:
• He had few “Boss” stories, saying that he wasn’t sure if Steinbrenner just liked him or (in a lighthearted way) if the owner didn’t think Girardi was worth it.
• He talked about the urgency to win. “You could feel it,” Girardi said. “You could not only feel coming from up above, but you could feel it in the crowd. … He set up an expectation here that getting to the playoffs wasn’t good enough.”
• Girardi addressed the question about whether or not his players will be able to focus after an emotional pregame ceremony in time for what is the opener of a huge series vs. the second-place Rays. “They know exactly what he’d want us to do,” he said of Steinbrenner.
• What did it mean to beat Tampa? A lot, no matter if it was the regular season or February in Florida. “George wanted to keep that a Yankee town,” Girardi said.
• Girardi shares several memories: the time George offered to lend his private jet to fly Girardi’s father-in-law; Steinbrenner’s urgency before Game 3 of the 1996 World Series; and his favorite, delivering the ring this spring.
• There’s a few notes in there as well. I have more on them closer to first pitch.
Here’s Girardi:
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” Girardi addressed the question about whether or not his players will be able to focus after an emotional pregame ceremony in time for what is the opener of a huge series vs. the second-place Rays. “They know exactly what he’d want us to do,” he said of Steinbrenner.”
For those that can’t get YES on your TV, tonight’s ceremonies will be on MLB-TV starting at 6:45 PM. I’d tune in at 6:30 PM, though.
The Yanks have generally started off hot after the ASB. It would be great to take 2/3 here and keep the momentum going and open up a little breathing room. Maybe Burnett can keep being good AJ (even though I hate him facing a running team like the Rays) and maybe a sweep would even be possible. That would be huge to set the tone to what should be an exciting second half.
Greatest tribute to GMS.
Win # 28.
Repost:
I’d think really hard and probably reluctantly trade away Romine as the centerpiece of a deal for Soria if I were Cashman.
However, and this cannot be overlooked, what makes people think Soria would even want to be traded to the Yankees and demoted to the 8th inning?
He’s an elite closer. I wouldn’t want to be demoted in the prime of my career to fill that role with the Yankees and hope Mo retires soon so I could replace the guy who is irreplaceable.
I’ve always found it to be a dumb idea to find Mo’s replacement when Mo has shown no signs of slowing down and may continue to pitch for another few years.
I don’t imagine Soria would be a happy camper and I can’t say I would blame him. No elite closer is going to like the idea of being demoted in the prime of his career along with the uncertainty of Mo’s retirement.
It’s all fun and games to say that the Yanks would love to have Soria. Sure, they would. But the reality of such a move is pure fantasy.
GF-
That’s just Rosenthal stirring the pot.
Selling print.
But hey, It’s still a great fantasy.
Giuseppe-
I agree. That all goes back to the wiring of the closer that I had discussed with irreverent.
You have to pity the players that replace Jeter and Rivera. Much the same way that Mantle was dogged and trashed for daring to replace DiMaggio and the way Murcer was for replacing Mantle. No matter how good the replacements are, “They will never be as good as…….”.
GB-
So true.
To say that they would be standing in the shadows of a Total Eclipse of the Sun would be to be putting it mildly.
Someone will have to carry those burdens.
Here is one of my favorite Bob Sheppard tribute news stories. I think you will like it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDFe84XUcaI
Players with enough service time in the middle of multi-year deals who are traded can request a trade from his new team after the season.
If hrs not traded, he can be a FA.
Soria is in the middle of a multi-year contract. I don’t know if he has enough service time to fall under this catagory.
If he does, rest assured he isn’t staying anywhere to be anybody’s setup guy.
That would make him a very expensive rental player.
Unless of course, Mo has told the Yankees privately hrs retiring at the end of the year.
MTU, those guys most likely won’t be as good. Gee….what a surprise huh? Not being as good as HOFers.
They don’t need to be as good. They only need to be good.
What will happen to the game thread if Joba blows a 2-3 run lead tonight?
It was a total eclipse of the sun when Chad, Sam, and Josh replaced P.Abe.
LoHudYankees Jeter said he wasn’t aware that Sheppard’s funeral was yesterday. “I don’t know how many players were aware of it.” #Yankees
GB-
It’s accurate to point out the burden though. Of being compared with Giants of the game.
And again I agree they can’t be as good just maybe good enough.
Is it hot out your way ?
Because it’s stinking hot out here- 110 today.
Good thing I’m headed for higher ground the next 2 days.
Cash was just on with Michael Kay – good stuff. I thought it was very interesting that he chose not to have a personal relationship with George…….I kind of think it’s too bad, but I can understand his reasoning.
It sounds like he wants to upgrade the bench, but that he’s going to have a hard time doing so because the price is exhorbitant; that’s too bad – and that makes me nervous because this bench is extremely weak. I couldn’t really hear what he said about the pen due to the on-air static, but I hope he intends to upgrade it. I did hear that he thinks we have the pieces to have a good pen, but for me, I’m skeptical. I do not want to depend on these arms all of a sudden finding it; I have no faith in Joba and little faith in Robertson.
Was it me or did Kay and La Greca actually suggest that the Yankees go after another SP? I was under the impression that they pursued Lee as a special case and that Cash is satisfied with the rotation. CC is great, Andy should continue to be solid, AJ is up and down, Javy is probably solid at this point and Phil (IMO) is an unknown (for various reasons). So, I think the SP should be fine, but I admit I think there are some questions.
The Yankees have 15 games left with the Rays and a bunch with the Sox -that’s scary when you think about our 8th inning situation. How many more games are we going to blow?
Trading any top minor league talent for help in the bullpen would be foolish.
We have Mo; any other reliever the Yanks get just isn’t going to pitch enough innings to be worth trading away a Romine for, much less a Montero.
There’s no crisis anyway. The first step should be to call up Alby and see how he pitches, the next step would be governed by how that turns out.
Betsy – Hughes rules (pleading the Fifth) July 16th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
The Yankees have 15 games left with the Rays and a bunch with the Sox -that’s scary when you think about our 8th inning situation. How many more games are we going to blow?
———————————
Your panic is annoying and a detriment to society.
MTU, it was in the mid-90s here today. It was a cold snap. Gotta break out the blankets and snow suits. A real 3 dog night.
Betsy,
Thats my main concern with this team the bullpen, because the bullpen is so pathetic outside of MO it just puts that much pressure on the starters and offense. I’ve been praying to MO that Joba figures it out.
GB-
Stay warm. Don’t catch a chill.
I don’t like humid.
“The Yankees have 15 games left with the Rays ”
They’ve already played a home and an away so 15 sounds like 2 or 3 games too many.
MTU (aka GBURL) July 16th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Greatest tribute to GMS.
Win # 28.
————————-
Amen to that!
Can’t you picture the call:
Hal: “Cash, it’s Hal, whatever it takes.”
Brian: “Budget?”
Hal: “Screw it. Whatever it takes. George’s Rules.”
I think its 13 against Tampa, with 7 coming after Sept. 13th. Hopefully it will be over by then.
Chip-
Make it so. Eff ‘em all. Dunn, Soria and Lee.
Tyler, AJ has generally pitched very well against the Rays in his career.
Chip-
They’re gonna hate us anyway so why not give them reason.
Mark, this pen is going to cost us precious games – there’s just no avoiding it. It’s just downright hideous. I have zero, zilch, nada, zippo confidence in anyone holding a lead late in the game …except for Mo. You’re right, it puts inordinate pressure on the starters…but even if they go as deep as can be expected (7 innnings), we can’t even count on getting past 1 inning, to Mo.
Rosenthal’s a twit – I don’t believe that tweet for one moment
MTU (aka GBURL) July 16th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Chip-
Make it so. Eff ?em all. Dunn, Soria and Lee.
——————–
Well with Lee off the table I would go with Zach Greinke.
Like I said yesterday; maybe…maybe, Dayton Moore calls up Cashman and says, “um, so I heard what you were offering for Lee, how would you like Zach and Soria instead?”
Yankees get Soria and Grienke
Royals get Montero, McAllister, Warren, Nunez
Make a second deal for Adam Dunn, surrendering Melancon, Adams, Miranda and Nova.
Chip-
I will make the Yankees the following offer.
As a king of the wilderness, if they will bring me the head of Joe Maddon and his band of rabble-rousers the Rays.
I will give them a personally guided tour of all of the highlights of the GZ and all the beer they can drink.
I’ll even throw a free tour of polygamy town.
Largo is correct. 13 games vs. the Rays including this series.
MTU –
Whatever you’re drinking put down and slowly step away
Chip-
I thought that was pretty generous offer.
MTU – how about this
Make the Grienke deal and then spin Javy to the Phillies for Jayson Werth or to the Brewers for Corey Hart and LHP Zach Braddock.
Tyler July 16th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
I just don’t think Soria is worth a top prospect.
************
Do you really, I mean REALLY think 20+ GM’s at the trade deadline backed by the most professional talent evaluating baseball experts in the world will agree with you and not a single one will offer a top prospect?
And if you think Soria is not a top 5 closer, who are the 5 above him?
The bottom line is, 20+ GM’s will be weighing in at the deadline, each offering a top prospect for Joakim Soria.
The bottom line is, Soria isn’t some year-to-year middling reliever.
Soria is an elite closer.
His mechanics are flawless.
He’s going to have a long and enduring career as an elite closer.
Watch the offers come in and prepare to be shocked my friend.
Nick,
No revenge posts from me if we get Soria.
What’s the point?
Why would I want people feeling bitter about such a landmark acquisition.
I truly feel Soria would be the closest thing to the next Mo as anything in the minors or currently in the majors.
The guy is lights-out and he puts us over the top, turning the playoff games into 6 inning affairs (with Hughes in the pen). With our rotation as professional and efficient as it is, we’ll see many many instances where the opposing team makes mistakes and presses to hard because they feel the 7-8-9 innings coming with Hughes-Soria-Mo.
I’d offer Eduardo Nunez + Joba Chamberlain + David Adams
I really feel Soria is key to advancing deep.
Chip-
for people to hate the Yankees is normal.
However, if we do it your way they will want to destroy the Planet just to get to us.
proceed at your own risk.
I’d offer Eduardo Nunez + Joba Chamberlain + David Adams
_______
I’ll make that trade in a second if I was the Yankees.
Bret-
I have been patiently waiting for you to chime in on Soria.
The moment has arrived.
I thought you might miss it since you weren’t here earlier.
Go get ‘em tiger.
MTU –
My plan:
Rotation – CC, Grienke, Andy, Hughes, AJ
Pen -
LHP: Marte,
RHP: Robertson, Gaudin, Mitre, Joba, Soria, Mo
Lineup:
Jeter
Swisher – DH
Tex
Alex
Cano
Werth
Posada
Granderson
Gardner
( Eduardo Nunez + Joba Chamberlain + David Adams ) << ( sin(0.1) * Soria )
Chip-
If that ever became the Yankees it would be the end of the world as the rest of baseball knows it.
Fun to dream young man. Fun to dream.
My dream rotation for next year. CC, Lee, J. Johnson, A.J, Hughes (If Andy retired)
I had a dream about that rotation 2 night ago.
Put another way…
If the bullpen is Robertson (6th), Hughes/Marte (7th), Soria (8th), Mo (9th)…
Is that bullpen every bit as good as the Yankees bullpens of the 90′s dynasty?
Does anyone remember how intimidated opposing teams were who had to face the likes of Mendoza, Stanton, Nelson, Wetteland, Rivera?
Can we accurately measure how such tension directly or indirectly led to game-changing mistakes in the middle innings when the pressure was so intense you could see it?
So, let me get this straight. Soria would rather toil in futility in KC than possibly win a championship? According to the good people here?
Not that I’m saying he is or should be traded for. Just wondering how you guys got to be so smart!
There won’t be a whole lot of dry eyes at the Stadium tonite.
I hope those tears of sadness at the loss of two Icons of Yankee baseball will be turned into tears of joy before the night is over.
Yeah, I’m sure once Soria experiences the difference in bottom basement dweller to World Champion he’ll immediately bolt to the door so he can go back to closing for a loser. It’s really an honorable vision that he has for himself.
Mo/Wetteland was ONE season. That’s it. One. They won 3 more rings and 5 more pennants without that duo.
And the Yanks really had no idea what they had in Mo when the season started. That dominant duo was by accident.
Stanton, Nelson, and Mendoza were all good relievers, but they weren’t elite. Stanton and Nelson were match up guys and interchangeable in the late innings. And both had their ups and downs. Nelson was in Torre’s doghouse more than once if you recall because he was erratic at times and lost his command.
I don’t get why people continue to harp on such unrealistic trades.
Wow, downplaying the dynasty bullpens…
That’s a good argument.