With spring training comes a ton of pressure to succeed for the Yankees and especially for manager Joe Girardi, and he's well aware of it.
From Ken Davidoff:
Bryan Hoch has more:What interested me most was when Girardi agreed with a reporter's question/assertion that he probably wouldn't be invited back for 2010 if the Yankees failed to qualify for the postseason. That's probably right, unless there's a complete slew of injuries
"I don't necessarily think about those things," Girardi told the reporter who asked the question. "But as you stated the question, you're probably right." Then he laughed.
Between the normal pressures that go with being the Yankees manager, the A-Rod/steroid scandal, and Joe Torre's book, Girardi certainly has his hands full.Girardi is well aware that if the lights aren't on at the new Yankee Stadium come October, someone else could be sitting behind the manager's desk in 2010.
"As a player, I felt it every year," Girardi said. "If you didn't play well, you didn't get a job the next year. I'm comfortable; I understand. Would I rather be sitting with a World Series ring from 2008? Yes, I would, but it's not the reality of it."
On the positive side, he does have a lot to work with; this Yankees team is the best they've had since 2003.
On the negative side, this will not be an easy year no matter how good the team is. Between the pressures of New York and the distractions that they will deal with they will have a lot to overcome. If they can Girardi will get all the credit, if they can't, and they miss the postseason for the second straight year, he will most likely be looking for a new job.
9 Comments:
Joe G is a bright young manager, hopefully he is a Yankee employee for many years. 2009 should not be make or break season for him. Now if the players grow to dislike him, or if he does crazy stuff, its a different story. But let the guy manage and do his thing for years unless he royally screws up.
No he's not, he manages so as not to be fired, not to win. He has a coaching staff, with the exception of Pena, of stooges with no winning experience, so as not to be shown up instead of coaches who develop players. Couples for "Who's your baby's daddy?" on Morry have better communication skills than he has with his own players. He be a good manager someday but managing the Yankees is not the job for him right now.
I think Girardi is very overrated. I hope I'm wrong, but I could see him gone by June.
I think impact of managers in baseball in general are overrated. With the team he's got, he shouldn't have any problems. Girardi's best strength last year was his managment of the pitching staff, so that's a big plus in his favor for 09.
I really think this team's success depends about 90% on health, 9% on luck, and 1% on Girardi.
AnonyMOOSE,
You're right, with this team he shouldn't have any problems. But you have to think that if he does have problems, and the Yankees don't make the postseason, he's probably not coming back in 2010.
Two straight years without making the playoffs? No Steinbrenner is going to stand for that.
Oh no doubt. I won't even try and debate that. My only claim is that in the end, the success hinges on health more than anything else. If everyone stays healthy this year, I just can't see them not finishing first, let alone not making the playoffs, regardless of what Girardi does or doesn't do.
I probably would give managers a little more credit than you do, but I can't disagree with how important health is.
I think this season you are about to see the importance of competent coaching and managing, as you see this team again on autopilot.
Girardi inherited pretty much the same team Torre managed for the previous three years and couldn't even crack 90 wins, while Torre at least made the playoffs with obviously flawed teams. Also Torre had to deal with just as many injuries as Girardi did in 07, starting at least 14 different pitchers for the 07 season. So managing really isn't that over rated.
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