Editor’s Note: My apologies for a grievous error contained in the original story which stated Joe Girardi had accepted a position as a studio analyst for the YES network instead of the MLB Network. A redirect to the main page of Reflections On Baseball has been added. My apologies to all readers again for the inconvenience. Steve Contursi, Webmaster & Writer
If there could have been a softer landing spot for the former manager of the Yankees, it is hard to imagine what it would be. We’ll see how it plays out, but Yankees fans who watch their games on the MLB network could be in for a wild ride in 2018.
Joe Girardi got thrashed and trashed at the end of last season, the victim of nothing other than the Yankees wanting to go in a new direction after a decade with Girardi at the helm of the team. The faux-pas with the instant replay miscue in the playoffs didn’t help, but according to reports that surfaced later, Girardi was a lame duck in the organization long before then. Succumbing then to the “business of baseball,” Aaron Boone is in, and Girardi is out. No harm, no foul.
But the intrigue about Girardi remained. Young, energetic, naturally talented at this level, what would he do? Several options are open to him. He can take a position as a coach with the Chicago Cubs and at the age of only 53, sit on the sidelines until Joe Maddon hangs ’em up, affording Girardi and his family to return to its roots in the Midwest.
Or, he could just take a year off to smell the roses after all those years in the Yankees “rinse cycle,” attending soccer and softball games, bringing the kids to school, and decompressing as a family man.
Joe Girardi found the sweet spot in between as a studio (keyword) analyst for MLB TV. As a studio analyst, Girardi will have time to prepare and give thought to his remarks, instead of trying to fly off the cuff in the midst of a game. He can be incisive and dramatic when the occasion calls for it. For once, he can be himself.
The only issue, and it’s the elephant in the room, is how Girardi responds to Boone’s handling of the team and the strategic moves that are made during game situations. Any overreaching by Girardi’s criticism of Boone runs the risk of being seen as vengeance towards the man who took his job. On the other hand, Girardi gets hit hard for being “too soft” on Boone and for overreaching in the other direction.
In any event, this is an excellent hire by the folks over at MLB. Joe Girardi is fresh from the field of battle. He knows most of the Yankee players intimately, and hopefully, he will share some of that insight on a regular basis when called for.
Ironically, he’s moving into a position where analytics often make the argument you are trying to present in your “analysis.” We are led to believe Boone was chosen over Girardi because of Boone’s up-to-date view of analytics. So, we’ll see if suddenly the MLB producers feed Girardi all the stats he needs to present himself as an “analytics guy” in his new role.
This is a feel-good development from all sides, and I’m one of the Yankees fans looking forward to seeing what Joe Girardi does with the new opportunity.
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
