Report: Phillies to hire Joe Girardi as next manager
The Philadelphia Phillies have found their next manager. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported on Thursday that the team will hire Joe Girardi as its next manager.
BREAKING: A source says the #Phillies have hired Joe Girardi as manager. An announcement could come today.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) October 24, 2019
Girardi, 55, is a former MLB catcher who spent 10 seasons managing the New York Yankees — in fact, his squad beat the Phillies in 2009 to win the World Series. During his time with the Yankees, he accumulated a 910-710 record that included one trip to the wild-card game, five trips to the American League Division Series, four trips to the American League Championship Series, and the aforementioned World Series win. After the Yankees lost in the ALCS in 2017, Girardi was fired and replaced by Aaron Boone.
Girardi is replacing Gabe Kapler, who was fired on Oct. 10 following two underwhelming seasons in Philly. Girardi beat out Dusty Baker and Buck Showalter, the other two candidates the Phillies are known to have interviewed.
The differences between Kapler, who was known as an analytics-friendly, new-age manager, and the three men the Phillies interviewed to replace him are pretty glaring. All three are known as more old-school managers who don’t rely solely on analytics to make their decisions. The Phillies were signaling that they were looking for a change in the clubhouse, and a change in how the players are managed on the ground.
With Girardi, the Phillies have perhaps found a blend of old school and new school. He’ll take charge in the clubhouse, which is something that Kapler was reportedly reluctant to do. He’ll listen to the front office and analytics staff on strategy, but also use his gut and his eyes to make in-game decisions, something he did time and again with the Yankees.
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