Of the seven major pro franchises Newsday covers on a regular basis, four fired their manager / coach - usually under messy circumstances - and one enters '09 with a guy seemingly on shaky ground:Between missing the playoffs last year and the additions of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira, Girardi has even more pressure on him than he did when he was just replacing a guy who made the postseason twelve years in a row.
Yup, Joe Girardi, who has four fewer rings as a manager than Torre and seven fewer than Stengel. (And, come to think of it, seven fewer than Joe McCarthy, whom the Yankees forced out in '46.)
That's what happens when you fail to lead the Most Famous Brand in American Sports to the playoffs and spar with the media just in time to move into a new stadium full of very expensive seats and suites in the middle of an economic meltdown.
If the Yankees get off to a similar start they did last year he will be gone before the All-Star break.
14 Comments:
Couldn't disagree more.
Girardi is Cashman's guy. He's not going to fire him unless they completely fall on their faces and miss the postseason again. They didn't essentially fire Torre just to give Girardi a year and a half of "win now or else" before they fire him.
Torre's teams were known to get off to slow starts as well - especially his final three years in that Yankee dugout.
It seems the NY media is trying to create drama where it doesn't exist yet - but I guess that's what they do best.
Can we trade Girardi and a bag of signed A-Rod balls to the Dodgers for either Torre or Donnie Baseball?
Can we trade Girardi and a bag of signed A-Rod balls to the Dodgers for either Torre or Donnie Baseball?
Girardi was Cashman's pick, but I still think he'll be on a short leash. If Hal/Hank are anything like their father, they have someone waiting in the wings.
I still don't understand why the players mistakes put the manager on the hot seat. Mangini got canned because Favre sucked. Willie got fired because the PLAYERS were not getting the Mets over the .500 mark.
Greg,
Any guesses as to who would take over? Pena is my best guess, as they'd probably look internally first.
Why is that? Girardi was only managing his 2nd year in '08, so don't blame him. Torre had success in '96 and so on because he had been managing since 1977.
But, if Girardi does get fired, you're right MP they'll probably ask Pena to take over. I think he should have gotten the job in the first place after Torre left.
Look up the quotes from last year, the Steins said Joe G is their man for the future, young and smart manager. He isn't goin' anywhere unless the team does not make the playoffs or if he clashes with players. He won 89 games without wang, matsui and posada last year.
I don't think Hank's quotes or it being Cashman's pick means anything. The Yankees want to win, they just spent a boatload of money to do so. If Girardi doesn't succeed he's gone. All that other stuff goes out the window when someone doesn't do what they were hired to do.
MP and Yankeeboy98 are right, Pena would most likely be the Yanks first choice to replace.
Why hasn't the Teixeira deal been finalized? I'm dying to see his press conference!
The Yankees offices have been closed since Christmas. Holiday break for the Yankees FO. I believe they come back to work tomorrow or Monday. So the press conference will probably be sometime next week.
I'd have to say that Girardi has one more year to "prove" himself. It is possible, however, that he might be gone if the Yanks get off to a slow start, but I'm not so sure about that one.
I also feel Pena will be the guy to replace Girardi if indeed Joe is shown the door (whenever that might happen). I for one would like to see Pena given the chance and feel he'd be a good manager.
But all this talk is premature right now.
Mike
I think he will be fired if they start off the same as they did last year. Hank will blow his lid.
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