Bomber Bites With Jumping Joe–Time For A New Manager

The time has come for the Yankees to move on from manager Joe Girardi.  Girardi, who has been the Yankee manager since 2008, has missed the playoffs three times in his tenure.  He signed a contract extension after last season, but the Yankees need to bite the bullet and either reassign him within the organization or just completely fire him.  He is simply no longer able to get the job done as the manager. 

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Girardi’s tenure has been known for lacking passion and playing the game by the book.  Of course, that book is really a binder.  Girardi makes decisions based on numbers and never with his gut.  He doesn’t account for the flow of the game.  He pinch hits for a guy with three hits that day because of lefty-righty matchups.  He refuses to alter his lineup when veterans don’t hit. Girardi gives his players too many days off and at random times.

Mandatory Credit: Chad R. MacDonald.

Girardi isn’t a terrible manager though.  He is great at managing a bullpen.  He understands how to get the most out of a pitching staff and how to get the most from young arms.  He is a key component of how well the Yankees bullpen has been the last few years.

The final straw, however, that led to my advocating a change at manager was Girardi’s poorly timed, poorly handled, misguided, too little, too late, tirade before the last game of the season at Yankee Stadium.  The leaks to the media regarding the “team meeting,” which also happened earlier this season, illustrate to me that Girardi has lost the clubhouse.  The leaks by several players show a lack of faith in Girardi by the very people he is supposed to lead.

But the fact that he felt that such an act as his team meeting was appropriate at that time tells you all you need to know.  The team meeting to rouse the troops needed to happen weeks earlier when the Yankees were still alive in the playoff race.  The passion that has been lacking from “Joey Looseleafs” leadership for years was needed when it could do some good.  The only thing that Girardi’s outburst did was interrupt a player ceremony and gift exchange honoring Derek Jeter.  And it should be Girardi’s last act as Yankee manager.