Comments on: PeteAbe profiles Girardi’s evolving approach

By: Schteeve

Schteeve — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:26:43 +0000

I thought Girardi was horribly mistaken when he kept giving Sexson PAs.

By: LiveFromNewYork

LiveFromNewYork — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:09:36 +0000

Oh please. You were on Girardi’s case for the smallest things. It got to be ridiculous. I used to be a big fan Pete but your coverage of Girardi really turned me off last year. Before 2008 I never missed a column of yours but I could not stand the Girardi bashing.

He was not forthcoming about injuries but it was more than that. It seemed to be a continual assault on him for not being Torre. Before the Girardi coverage I read you all the time. Now I never do. And from some of the comments I’ve read about your coverage of the Arod stuff, I’m glad I don’t read it anymore.

By: Rich

Rich — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 21:15:42 +0000

I don’t recall a lot of criticism of Torre from you or your colleagues for often playing Cairo (career OPS+ = 75) at 1B, or sticking with Zeile when he was clearly done, or playing Enrique Wilson in RF against the Mets (on 6/29/02) in a transparent attempt to get the team to trade for an OFer (which yielded the infamous Raul Mondesi), let along his serial bullpen mismanagement (which was the major cause of the team blowing the 2004 ALCS).

Although I think he’s a terrible broadcaster, Michael Kay is one of the few media people who has regularly criticized Torre for sometimes being less than truthful with the media (apart from the way he has deliberately mischaracterized how he described Cashman in his book).

By: Matt

Matt — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:38:59 +0000

http://thinkersroom.com/blog/images/moonwalk.gif

By: Pete Abraham

Pete Abraham — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:34:51 +0000

I love the guy who writes “Screw Pete Abe” because I had the nerve not to be covering the team when Girardi was a player. Trust me, had I been able to leave my previously lower-paying job to cover the Yankees in 1996, I would have gladly done so

As for the different standard applied to Girardi, in fact I believe the writers held him to a lower standard because we know that nobody they hired would be in a tough spot in that regard. In fact, some were relieved that Girardi was hired instead of Mattingly, who appeared terrified of the media when he filled in as manager.

The only “standard” we really have is not to lie to us. The manager is under no obligation to be colorful or funny or even interesting. They just can’t put us in a position of putting the wrong information in the newspaper then having to correct it the next day.

Brian Cashman appears to share that belief, as he told Girardi to stop doing that. It’s not a question of whether we like him or not, it’s simply a question of being able to believe what he says.

By: Rich

Rich — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:24:40 +0000

Girardi made mistakes, including with the media, but some members of the media held him to a different standard than the one to which they held Torre.

Ham is one of those people.

By: Jamal G.

Jamal G. — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:19:18 +0000

Any time you advocate managing a game like Mike Scioscia would, just backtrack as quickly as humanly capable.

By: Matt

Matt — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:52:08 +0000

Scioscia does it because he has an entirely different make up on his team. If he had more than one big on base/power guy (Vlad), I think he’d change his approach. Gardner’s speed is definitely going to be a plus on the base-paths and in center this year, but when it comes to the former, I’d rather have him pick his spots and try to get as close to 80% on his steals as he can get. That’s a lofty number, I know, but he’s projected to be 33/42 (78.5%) so it’s definitely reachable. And unless his on base skills totally tank, which I doubt, I don’t want Gardner trying to bunt his way on. I’d rather have him up there working the count rather than laying down a bunt-single attempt on the first pitch.

As for your previous point about Pena–I like him a lot, too. I’d be sad to see him go but I feel he deserves a managerial job somewhere. Maybe he’ll take over after Girardi wins 5 WS titles in a row and calls it quits on a high note.

By: LiveFromNewYork

LiveFromNewYork — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:49:16 +0000

I’m happy with Girardi. The way key players (Posada/Wang) were going down last year and scrubs were coming up (Rasner/Ponson) and old dependables went cold (Andy), did anyone think we even had a shot? And we did make a good run of it and other guys stepped up and did well (Dan Giese). It wasn’t decided til the very end and we chipped away at the TB/Sox lead right up until we were eliminated. It would have been a miracle to get into the playoffs but with the roster we would have gone in with, we would have been blown out first thing.

I think it was not anything to do with managing that we didn’t make the playoffs and everyone knows that. I like Girardi and always have. He was a great field manager as a catcher and I think he can be a great manager. Pete Abe wasn’t here during the Girardi years when he was behind the plate so he does not have the respect for the guy that he deserves. Screw Pete Abe.

By: Double-J

Double-J — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:41:43 +0000

I’m just saying that in some situations, I’d like to see them utilize guys like Gardner who have speed in order to test the defenses and force them to make good defensive plays and put the pressure on them. Seems like this is what guys like Mike Scioscia do whenever they play us, and I really like his managerial style (minus the Angels’ inability to get past Boston in the postseason).

Of course, if we can crank it over the fence every time too, then that’s fine.