More big league changes as the Yankees announced today that longtime manager Joe Girardi won’t be back with the club for 2018.
Girardi joins the Red Sox’ John Farrell and the Nationals’ Dusty Baker as the third Major League manager to be dismissed despite leading his club to a postseason appearance this season.
The former catcher made his MLB debut in 1989 with the Cubs becoming the first rookie catcher to start a season opener for Chicago since Randy Hundley in 1966. Girardi went on to play parts of 15 seasons as a catcher with the Chicago Cubs (1989-92 and 2000-02), Colorado Rockies (1993-95), New York Yankees (1996-99) and St. Louis Cardinals (2003).
Girardi, 53, made his coaching debut with the Yankees in 2005 as bench coach and catching instructor under Joe Torre, replacing his former boss at the helm in 2008.
Under Girardi since 2008 the Yankees were 910-710 for a .562 winning percentage, the best such mark in the majors in that time. His 10 seasons with New York and his 910 wins are both the sixth most in club history. He’s one of four Yankees managers with 95 or more wins in four-or-more straight seasons (2009-12), along with Hall of Famers Joe McCarthy (1936-39), Casey Stengel (1949-57) and Torre (2001-06).
Girardi (in 2009) and Farrell (in 2013) were two of the four active MLB managers this season to have won the World Series in their first seasons as manager (also Terry Francona in 2004 and Mike Scioscia in 2002).
In a statement to the press Girardi thanked the fans for “their great support as a Player, Coach and Manager and the lasting memories of their passion and excitement during the Playoff Games, especially the final six games which will remain in my heart forever.”