Yankees Universe and Props to Jon Lester

Now that the Yankees managerial search and the A-Rod "will he or won't he" situation has been settled, it's time for some reflection. Starting with Brian Cashman's decision to offer former Yankees catcher Joe Girardi the job to be the next manager, I couldn't be more in favor of this decision. A week or so ago I wrote right here that the Yankees shouldn't hire Don Mattingly because they didn't need to replace Joe Torre with someone who poses as Torre because that would completely defeat the purpose of getting rid of him. They needed a guy with experience, and while it isn't much, Girardi has some. In his opening act as a Major League manager, Girardi took a Florida Marlins team who most predicted to lose 120 games in 2006 to the brink of a playoff birth, which earned him the NL Manager of the Year Award. A pretty good debut, I'd say. He's made in-game decisions, and has been dealing with pitchers his whole career; he called two perfect games in his career. Mattingly has never worked with pitchers, has made no in-game decisions, and most importantly, has managed the same number of games as you and I. Girardi is a hard-line manager who will get in your face and tell it like it is. This is a big change from the calm demeanor Joe Torre used so well, and it was a change the Yankees needed, which is why Cashman made the right decision.

As for the A-Rod situation, I have to think about 80% of the Yankees organization breathed a sigh of relief last night when his agent Scott Boras so classlessly text messaged to Yankees GM Brian Cashman that A-Rod had decided to opt out. Classless is a word that summarizes Rodriguez rather well. Not even a phone call from Alex to tell the team that paid him some $100M the past four years that he would be testing the free agent waters. Classless. Couldn't find a day to fly down to Tampa to at least hear the parameters of the record extension the Yankees were going to offer him. Classless. Quite frankly, the Yankees owe Rodriguez nothing. They won much more in the pre-Rod era then in his four years there. He was 8 for his last 59 in the postseason and hitless in his last 18 postseason at-bats with runners in scoring position. I think it's some coincidence that the Curse of the Bambino ended in Alex's first season as a Yankee, and a new curse has been placed on the Yankees because they have yet to advance past the 1st round since. Call it the Curse of A-Rod.

Boras stated that Rodriguez opted out because he was unsure of the status of Rivera, Posada and Pettitte. That is a baldfaced lie. Everyone knows that all three of those players will be back. They, unlike Rodriguez, will not turn down record money and a chance to win a title every year for the remainder of their careers. He opted out because he never fit in to New York, because he could never be #1 in the hearts of New York fans and escape the shadow of the better, more clutch player, Derek Jeter. A-Rod could never handle New York and the postseason expectations that came with being a Yankee. The daily drama he brought to the clubhouse, warranted or not, was a drain on everyone in the organization, and that is why I believe a large majority of Yankees Universe breathe a heavy sigh of relief when the news spread that he was gone. Hopefully he knows that, no matter what he accomplishes from here on out in his career, Alex's Hall of Fame legacy will be somewhat tarnished because he failed in pinstripes, and that is something people will always remember.

A quick word on Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester. Lester won the clinching game in the World Series last night, just a few short months after overcoming lymphoma cancer, which has taken the lives of more then 18,000 people in 2007 alone. I hate the Red Sox, but I know a great story when I see one, and this is one that deserved mention. Congratulations Lester, all things considered, it was a performance for the ages.

Until next time,
DTM