Joe Girardi has lead the New York Yankees for eight seasons and now he finally has an opportunity to manage the perfect team for him.
Joe Girardi has been in the New York Yankees franchise for an extremely long time. From his days as a championship catcher up to his current management gig, Girardi has certainly been a fixture in the Bronx.
He brought a lone championship to New York in 2009 but the past seven years have been lackluster for an otherwise successful franchise. With the emergence of the youth movement at the end of last season, the Yankees are in the perfect position to start fresh. And Joe Girardi is the perfect person to manage that team.
Girardi’s managerial career began in 2006 with the Florida Marlins. He took the Marlins, who boasted a modest $15 million payroll, towards playoff contention and earned himself the NL Manager of the Year award.
This recognition came from Girardi’s impressive management of up-and-coming prospects mixed with seasoned veterans. Leading the Marlins to a 78-84 record in 2006, the team finished in fourth place in the NL East but exceeded all expectations the team had coming into the season.
Girardi’s squad in 2006 included the likes of rookies Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez. All unproven rookies, Girardi gave them a shot in the Major Leagues and it paid off in dividends. Ramirez’s season in Florida even earned him the 2006 Rookie of the Year.
Girardi knows how to successfully manage up-and-coming players, which is exactly what the 2017 Yankees squad will be. His expertise clearly comes at developing young players and he now has the resources in the Bronx to do what he has done best in the past.
With Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin leading the charge, the Yankees have no shortage of rising stars in the minor leagues. This is exactly what Girardi knows how to do.
The even mix of veterans and youthful prospects is the perfect team for Girardi to manage. His belief in his players and young talent is exactly what won him Manager of the Year in 2006 and now that he has the resources once again, he can certainly be a contender once again. Even better, he can even take these rookies and veterans to the playoffs or the World Series.
The possibilities are endless with Girardi and the Yankees potential 2017 lineup but if there is anyone at the helm for this group of players, it should be Girardi.
History doesn’t lie. Although it was only one season, Girardi proved his worth when it came to managing a young team and you can’t help but be impressed by his work with this specific squad.
While Joe Torre was the top fixture in the dugout for several years, the “second Joe” finally has his own chance to rise to Torre-level greatness. He has his work cut out for him, with several young prospects making their way to the spotlight, but if history tells u anything, it says that he will not disappoint.
The 2017 Yankees may be young and inexperienced, but its Girardi’s perfect team and he’ll make good use of it all season long.
