All great runs come to an end in the world of sports, and winning managers are treated like kings in the great city of New York, but they all inevitably find out that they dont have the job security of one.
Joe Girardi took over for King Joe Torre back in 2008 and survived the gauntlet many times because he was a winner. Thats no longer enough as his decade-long run with the Yankees has come to an end.
Lisa Kerney on Twitter
Joe Girardi and the #Yankees mutually agreed to part ways. Girardi just concluded a four-year, $16 million contract. @Yankees
Girardi had the impossible task of following in the footsteps of Torre’s dynasty Yankees. Girardi did about as well as any manager would be expected to do while rebuilding on the fly and slowly losing integral pieces to the immortal run that preceded him.
Girardi led the Yankees to the World Series in 2009, and took them within one game of returning this season before losing to the Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS. The final straw for both sides may have been the ALCS.
After falling behind Cleveland 2-0 in the ALDS with Girardi making some questionable decisions, the former Yankees manager was booed by the Yankees Stadium crowd when he returned home for Game 3. Despite leading the Yankees to a dramatic comeback and into the ALCS, the damage had been done and the seed of doubt about Girardi’s return was planted.
J.D. Durkin on Twitter
WATCH — Joe Girardi gets booed by Yankee Stadium crowd after botched replay call in Game 2 #NYYvsCLE https://t.co/ADG7B2AiEr
Girardi, a former Yankees catcher, finishes a successful run that includes 10-straight winning seasons, six playoff appearances and a 910-710 record. Since Girardi’s first season, the Yankees have won more games than any team in MLB.
He was consistent. He drove Yankees fans crazy with his bullpen moves at times. He was fiery when he needed to be and he handled the New York media about as good as Joe Torres sloppy seconds could.
The expression, You dont know what you have until its gone will apply to Girardi in the future. Managing in the platinum-plated baseball jungle that is New York and being a face of such an ambitious and legendary organization is a task that few managers can handle.
The Yankees next skipper has some huge shoes to fill. Even if Yankees fans don’t fully appreciate that yet.
First Take reacts to Joe Girardi not returning as Yankees manager in 2018 | First Take | ESPN
First Take’s Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman react to Joe Girardi not returning as the New York Yankees manager in 2018.
I would like to thank Brian Cashman and his staff for hiring me and always trying to improve the team. I would like to thank my coaches and support staff for their dedication to always trying to make the players better and get the most out of them, said Girardi, who thanked countless members of the organization in his goodbye address.
The Yankees confirmed the news after days of meetings with Girardi and Cashman.
I want to thank Joe for his 10 years of hard work and service to this organization, Cashman said in a statement. Everything this organization does is done with careful and thorough consideration, and weve decided to pursue alternatives for the managerial position.
As Hal Steinbrenner and I mentioned to Joe directly this week, he has been a tremendous Yankee on the field and away from it, as a player, coach and manager. He has a tireless work ethic, and put his heart into every game he managed over the last decade. He should take great pride in our accomplishments during his tenure, and I wish Joe and his family nothing but success and happiness in the future.
With Girardis four-year contract up at the end of this month and a crop of new talent ready to forge a new dynasty, the Yankees felt it was time for a change. Girardi had done his job. He baby sat the Yankees transition, kept them competitive through the lean years and actually had the team a few years ahead of schedule as far as competing against MLBs top notch squads.
