They say the hardest thing to do in sports is replace a legend. It takes a special kind of personality to take over for a manager who won 4 titles in 11 years. Add in a fan base with a “championship or bust” mindset, and things become a pressure cooker. Joe Girardi has been the man running the show for 9 years now, with a World Series ring and pennant to his name. But with the roller coaster of a season the Yankees are having, rumblings have started about Girardi’s future in pinstripes.
Managing the Yankees is unlike managing any other franchise in baseball. We all know it’s not for everyone; we’ve seen people chewed up and spit out after a season or two. Personally, I love Girardi. As a manager, he is a straight shooter. Yes, he sometimes struggles with the NY media, but a man can only take so much. The saga which was Alex Rodriguez would have put a lesser manager in a deep hole. Not Girardi though, he handled it like a pro and that may have played a part in A-Rod having a great season at age 39. Instead of using last season’s numerous injuries as an excuse, he led the team to a Wild Card spot.
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There’s no question the team is in a retooling phase, and Yankees fans have started asking the question, “should we switch managers too?” Girardi has a reputation as a no-nonsense type of player which has followed him from Chicago to New York. But at the end of the day, players love playing for him because Girardi is a player’s manager; if you play for him, he will fight for you.
There is a generation of Yankees fans that came on board during the 2000’s who are used to a certain level of success. Not being the “top dog” is frustrating and can test the limits of any fandom. But I think the current scenario is a case of fans, and some in the media, not realizing how good they have it. Joe Girardi is one of the best managers in Major League Baseball. Fans of the sport need to recognize the man wearing the number 28 jersey. In my opinion, he should be managing the team for a long time to come.
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