Philadelphia Phillies to hire Joe Girardi as new manager


Philadelphia Phillies to hire Joe Girardi as new manager

The Philadelphia Phillies have made a decision on their new manager. Just weeks after dismissing Gabe Kapler following two seasons, the Phillies are hiring former New York Yankees skipper Joe Girardi, signing him to a three-year deal with a club option.

Girardi, 55, comes with a wealth of managerial experience — something Kapler lacked. He spent a decade guiding the Yankees, and before that a season with the then-Florida Marlins. Collectively, he’s won 55.4 percent of his regular-season games, as well as the 2009 American League pennant and, subsequently, the World Series.

When Girardi was fired by the Yankees after the 2017 season, the rumored explanation was that he had trouble relating to today’s ballplayer. The validity of that assertion is unclear. Girardi, who has since worked in a television capacity, was arguably the favorite for the Cincinnati Reds job last winter before he withdrew from the process. The Reds later hired longtime big-league third baseman David Bell instead.

Girardi had been one of three rumored finalists, alongside Buck Showalter and Dusty Baker. Clearly the Phillies were interested in hiring a veteran skipper. That predilection makes sense given the rule of thumb about teams hiring the opposite of their former manager. 

Besides, the Phillies disappointed this season, going 81-81 and finishing fourth after a frantic winter in which they signed Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen, traded for J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura, and added a number of other veterans in the name of pursuing their first playoff berth since 2011.

The Phillies are likely to embark on another frantic winter — with pitching help presumably at the top of their shopping list — over the coming months. 

Girardi’s hiring on Thursday, alongside David Ross’ tabbing and the Padres reportedly hiring Jayce Tingler, leaves four teams looking for a new manager: the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals.




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