TAMPA Hank Steinbrenner says Joe Girardi is smart and the Yankees arent stupid. So, do they have a match to fill the colossal shoes left behind by Joe Torre in the managers office?
That remains to be seen since yesterday Girardi was the first of three scheduled interviews the Yankees held. Don Mattingly is in today and will be followed by Tony Pena tomorrow.
From what I know about him he appears to be very smart, thats the reputation, said Hank Steinbrenner, who with his father George, brother Hal and club president Randy Levine met with Girardi for an hour at Legends Field in between Girardi being grilled by the baseball operations arm of the Yankees organization at the nearby minor-league complex before and after talking to The Boss. He is tough when he has to be and he can be easy when he has to be.
Hank Steinbrenner pointed to Girardi being the NL 2006 Manager of the Year with the Marlins in his rookie season.
How many guys have done that? Hank said.
When asked if Girardi being dismissed by the Marlins after one year due to a riff with owner Jeffrey Loria was something the Yankees were concerned about, Hank showed he is Georges son by saying, I dont want to get too much into that but we arent stupid.
Neither is Girardi, a product of Northwestern. When he played Girardi, the 43-year-old former catcher was known for his intellect, competitiveness and the ability to handle pitchers. And since he spent four years with the Yankees, winning three World Series rings, Girardi understands working for the Steinbrenners is different than any other ownership group in any sport.
I know the task at hand, said Girardi, who turned down the Orioles this past summer in order for him and his family to spend time with his ailing father. I understand the pressure of New York. I wouldnt expect anything else. You want to be the best when you put the uniform on.
The Yankee brass brought up Girardi being fired by the Marlins.
I have been asked many times about it and I have never commented publicly, but it was mentioned, said Girardi, who admitted he learned from the experience. I havent commented on the situation and what happened because I dont think anything good would come of it. But I learned a lot about the importance of relationships and the situations you go through as a manager.
Since Mattingly was moved from hitting coach to Torres bench coach this season, it was generally assumed the shift was made to prepare Mattingly to replace Torre. When Torre turned down a one-year deal worth $5 million plus $3 more million in incentives last Friday, Mattingly was immediately installed as the leading candidate because of Steinbrenners fondness for his former captain.
While that has made for interesting speculation, Girardi isnt paying attention to the tote board.
I choose not to place odds and think about that, Girardi said.
Since Steinbrenner is a big Ohio State supporter and Northwestern plays in the same conference (Big Ten), The Boss and Girardi shared some good-natured ribbing at Legends.
I think I was received very well by Mr. Steinbrenner, Girardi said. We talked about Northwestern football and it was very comfortable.