The Yankees are playing this season with both a lame-duck manager and general manager. And although these decisions will be made following the season, it’s not too early to make a case for bringing the manager back for a job well done.
Yankees fans know because Tom Hanks has told us so, that there is no crying in baseball. And pity the poor player or anyone associated with professional baseball, who believes that his team or organization owes him anything.
A year ago, the Yankees unceremoniously released Alex Rodriguez. Oh yes, they gave him a rain-soaked fifteen minutes on the field, time enough to say goodbye and hop upstairs to his cushy new job and $25 million.
And Phil Rizzuto, the Yankees Hall of Fame Shortstop, found out he was being released on Old Timers Day.
Joe Girardi will never see the same fate. And the Yankees know this will be a complex and challenging decision when they begin the process of considering their managerial future.
And before we get too deep into this, let’s remember this is a two-sided coin and Girardi could easily opt out to go elsewhere or retire. Girardi is a devout family and Christian oriented man. He has been married to his wife for 25 years, they have three children, and they live in Purchase, New York. In short, he is stable and not locked into anything at the age of only 52.
But let’s assume he does want to come back. What does he offer the Yankees they would find hard to replace?