Question #160: Does Girardi’s personality matter?
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- February
- 23
Man, do we need some baseball. Not ‘Roids and HGH and all. We need some actual baseball. Because there’s nothing happening around here. Hockey? Have you tried to watch the Rangers lately? Hoops? Yes, the Knicks are better than they’ve been, but that bar’s so low that “better” is still pretty bad. Football? Uh, sorry, can’t get pumped over the combine. Golf? Well, Tiger’s coming back, so that will be interesting, but it’s match play this week and he could be out before the weekend.
So we need baseball. Actual baseball.
Which brings me to this question, because it has been discussed when people aren’t discussing ‘Roids. Does it really matter to Yankees fans if Joe Girardi is good with the media, bad with the media, gentlemanly, prickly, or what? Does that actually reflect on how he runs his team?
Or is there anything to this idea that his personality actually had an effect on his team not making the playoffs? Was it really no-candy rule in the clubhouse? Or his mis-handling of Robinson Cano? And will that have to change now with the A-Roid circus going on for, oh, the next nine years?
11:21 a.m., Sam says:
First off, I agree – a little baseball talk is absolutely welcomed around here. I love a scandal as much as the next guy, but it’s good to get into something on-field related, too.
In terms of Girardi, I think today is a perfect example: The man just canceled a full workout and took the team to a pool hall to play some billiards and have some lunch. A little unity-building for the Yankees—it’s a smart move.
The manager’s mood is a oft-debated subject in sports and I think it does matter, probably more than people outside the game give it credit for.
Think of it this way: Does your boss’ demeanor affect the way you work and feel while on the job? Can it help (or ruin) your day?
I think Girardi’s handling of the players and public persona with the media absolutely make a difference, if only because it’s reflected on (and reflective in) the team he runs. GM Brian Cashman made a big point this offseason of saying Girardi’s dealings with the media were something he needed to work on big-time this season, and I think you’ll see a little less General Girardi – both with players and reporters – this season. Today is a perfect example.
CARP SAYS:
Dealing with the media is a tricky thing, and in my experience, guys who are good with the media: Joe Torre, Tom Renney, Jim Fassel … they tend to get a wider benefit of the doubt in times of trouble, than, say the old Tom Coughlin, or Jeff Torborg, or Eric Mangenius. Jeff Van Gundy was treated better than Isiah Thomas. But that had to do with ability more than personality. Yet personality counted in the equation. Heck, in the early going, people actually liked Isiah.
But in the long run, bottom line, it’s Ws and Ls. I think Girardi has to hold people accountable, more so than last year (with Cano being the obvious example) and more than, for example, Renney has done with the Rangers this season. Whether he is friendly and playful with the media, or liked by the media, is secondary … by a lot.
11:51 a.m., Sam says:
Cano is definitely the litmus – he’s the kind of player that you have to handle just right. Too hard, you can lose him in a pool of anger or irritation; too soft and he’ll get complacent or arrogant. Larry Bowa obviously found the right mix when he was coaching under Joe Torre and it’ll be interesting to see if anyone on this year’s staff can discover the winning formula.
Girardi knowns he’s under the gun this year. Another season without success (read: ALCS) and he could be on the way out, so he’ll be open to trying anything.
another aspect to think about with Girardi was also his handling of injury reports to the media. you think players liked hearing from reporters that they “are fine, just a little winded” when they have injuries that will keep them out of action for a few days. especially near the end of last season that seemed to be a big issue, and i know if its me, i wouldnt want my boss setting expectations one way when he KNOWS differently.
Girardi’s management of the press is part of his job description even tho it’s probably not in his job description. Comes with the territory and in NY, dealing with the press is a daily if not hourly occurance and some form of relation would be better than the baloney he offered up last year. That actually concerns me less than how he deals with the clubhouse of ego’s. This ain’t your $300k all-rookie team he could verbally abuse back in Florida. These are I-make-100-times-the-amount-you-do-so-I-don’t-need-your-crap veterans, some of whom, played the same time Girardi did. His credibility to them (IMO) is about 1000000 times more important than his credibility to the press. That said, there is some relation between those two because if the media can’t trust him, why should the egomanical multimillionaires? Whether or not his “Friends play date” will pay dividends remains to be seen. (The cast of Friends were sent off to Vegas for a weekend to build chemistry before the show even went on the air). He’s walking a tightrope and that wreak’s of desperation on his part to get this team back where the owner’s expect them to be. Personally, I thought he was the wrong choice last year, and I still think he’s taking longer to adjust than the owner’s or Cashman thought he would. Let’s hope he can pull a Coughlin out of his tuckas and get this team to “buy in” to whatever concoction he’s selling… cause if they don’t, he’s going to get booted faster than Bush on inauguration day.