A.J. Has A Pie Waiting For Girardi?
Posted by Steve L. on September 24th, 2009 · Comments (8)
Tyler Kepner reports that Joe Girardi, the Yankees’ Taskmaster, Loosens Up. It’s a recommended read.
If the Yankees do win it all this year, will General Joe get his share of the credit for making it happen? Does he deserve some credit? What do you think?
I think if the Yanks win, I’m all for Girardi getting the target off his back and enjoying a little adulation. I happen to like Girardi, even if he’s not an oracle-like Bill Belichick as we were led to believe.
Over at RAB, the boys mentioned that if Girardi doesn’t at least make it to the World Series, he’ll enter next year as a lame duck. To be honest, I can’t understand why Girardi’s rope would be so much shorter than so many other managers. I understand the Yanks have invested heavily in winning but I really don’t see how the franchise would be best-served by making a change if the Yanks don’t win this year. Constantly changing managers is a sign of organizational dysfunction and it would be best if the Yanks took a more measured approach in how they played the blame-game for not winning the World Series this year.
In general, everyone should remember that managers get too much credit for winning and too much blame for losing.
I have not heard anyone suggest Girardi’s job is on the line — after all, the team has the best record in baseball and is likely to win more than 100 games. Worst case scenario: they lose again in the ALDS. Even then, Girardi certainly stays (and deservedly so!), but he likely enters next season in the final year of his contract. And that isn’t a big deal in baseball.
Scout wrote:
lol where were you all year?
Dont forget the punch AJ. Gotta have punch and pie!
I hate to say that things are media-generated stories, as it’s kind of a crutch, but this Joe Girardi contract status story is media-generated.
If he doesn’t get a ring in the next year, then he’s gonna lose his job, contract or not. As well he should. All this “lame duck” talk is just silly.
As for how good or bad Girardi is with the media, and whether he’s better than St. Joe at that, who cares? I think he’s done a great job with managing the team, which is actually more important than managing the media.
lisaswan wrote:
Why should he lose his job if he doesn’t win a World Series this year or next? That’s the Steinbrenner Doctrine at it’s worst.
lisaswan wrote:
As to this point, I agree completely. A manager should certainly strive for cordial and open relations with the media, if only because it’s always easier to do your job when you don’t have to dodge Lupica’s daggers (for example). But that being said, as long as the manager is doing a good job in the eyes of those he reports to, that’s really all that matters.
One thing about the pie business I’ve been thinking about: If Jeter gets the walk-off hit then does he get the pie treatment? Something about that just doesn’t seem right.
ken wrote:
Agreed. I wonder if he’d get pissed or if he’d at least force one of his fake smiles and pretend to be amused.