The New York Yankees have Joe Girardi managing until the end of the 2017 season and the end couldn’t possibly come any sooner.
Don’t get me wrong, manager Joe Girardi has been a huge part of the New York Yankees.From his time playing with the dynasty to eventually managing a Yankees team himself, Girardi has done it all for the Yankees organization.
However, it’s time for that chapter to come to a close in the Bronx.
Since 2008, he has manned the dugout for the Yankees with big shoes to fill after Hall of Famer Joe Torre retired. His contract will expire after the 2017 season and that just shows that it is time to let him walk.
Girardi was extremely valuable as a catcher during the late 1990’s in the Bronx but his run as a manager hasn’t garnered much success. In his nine seasons at the helm, he has brought home just one World Series championship.
In those nine seasons, the Yankees found themselves in the playoffs five times, if you count the 2015 AL Wild Card one-game playoff loss. Even when they did make the playoffs, they only made it past the AL Division Series three times.
It’s unfair to compare Girardi to the dominant career of Torre. They are two completely different managers with completely different teams to work with.
Girardi is an expert at a managing the bullpen, while Torre had a great rapport with his players. They have different management styles and that’s okay, but his style doesn’t seem to be working with this Yankees squad.
This year could be different. Girardi has had some success with young teams in the past, most prominently when he secured the National League Manager of the Year award with the 2006 Miami Marlins. It could be different, but it probably won’t.
Girardi has been able to survive a lot of criticism, but the Yankees need someone who will help them thrive, not just survive. That doesn’t necessarily mean they need to win a World Series every year, but they should be performing better with the lineup they produce each year.
That might not be Girardi’s fault if his players don’t perform up to par. However, the blame will be placed on him anyway for not providing them with the proper motivation.
Girardi has some great features that make him a nice choice for the Yankees. Last season, he challenged 28 calls on the base paths. 18 of those calls were overturned upon his challenge while he also gave struggling players an opportunity to improve, which was both positive and negative.
Basically, Girardi has served his purpose in the Bronx. He didn’t have the massive success that Torre was lucky enough to have with the Yankees, but he kept his team in the race during some difficult years.
We’ve had nine seasons with Girardi and people have been calling for his head because he is not Joe Torre. While Yankees fans are used to success, they have to realize that Girardi did bring home a trophy and several winning seasons for the Yankees.
His time has run out in New York. As well as he’s done in his position, it’s time for a change. Girardi has given years to the Yankees organization but they would benefit from a new face who will develop better business relationships with their players.
Thank you for all you’ve done, Joe. Unfortunately, this has to be the end of our relationship.
