A Blind Monkey Could Have Managed This New York Yankees Team

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Please tell me Cub fans and the media aren't going to talk about how Joe Girardi is about to win the World Series and how the Cubs passed on him for Lou Piniella...oh wait, they already did.

They are forgetting the whole team factor and how as long as you have a finger to point, you could manage this New York Yankees team. 

Is it hard to put together a lineup featuring Jorge Posada, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, and Nick Swisher? 

Can you close your eyes and point?  You could literally be blind and make a good lineup out of that cast.

The Yankees went out and got Girardi not just the best talent in free agency, but in the game in the forms of Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett, while trading for Nick Swisher.  The Cubs went out and got Piniella, Milton Bradley for $5 million more than Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu combined, and re-signed one-year wonder starting pitcher Ryan Dempster to a big fat contract.

Yes, I'm sure it was hard putting up with the Alex Rodriguez mess, so Girardi put his thinking cap on and played Cody Ransom and Ramiro Pena?  Really?  The Yankees went 13-15 during that stint. 

I guess the Yankees forgot to buy Girardi a backup third baseman.

With all the problems that usually come with Alex Rodriguez, Girardi received a gift in the fact this season Rodriguez stayed out of the spotlight and just played baseball.  Piniella got Milton Bradley and Carlos Zambrano who re-discovered their crazy ways this season.

Is it really that hard to hand the ball to a healthy Sabathia, Burnett, and Andy Pettitte over and over again?  The only real decision Girardi had during the season is he made a mess of the fourth and fifth starter for the Yankees.

Girardi threw around Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang, Phillip Hughes, Sergio Mitre, and Chad Gaudin when in reality, for the future of the Yankees and for the best pitching staff, it clearly should have been Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. 

You do not give up on a 23-year-old like Phillip Hughes and stick him in the bullpen.  Yes, he's done a fantastic job in the bullpen, but after starting 13 games two years ago in his rookie season, you give up on him after eight starts?

Hughes pitched 86 innings this year, so why not let him be the fifth starter?  All you really need out of your fifth starter is an ERA below 5.00, so there really isn't much pressure.

Although, this was probably the best for Hughes with Girardi's history of ruining pitcher's arms as he did in 2006 with the  Florida Marlins, he still won Manager of The Year for finishing fourth in the division with 78-84 overall record.  

Scott Olson (italics is the Girardi year)

2006 (22-year-old rookie a year after having an elbow injury) -180.2 IP, 4.04 era, 1.30 WHIP

2007 - 176.2 IP, 5.81 ERA, 1.76 WHIP
2008 - 201.2 IP, 4.20 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
2009 (Left shoulder surgery to end the season) - 62.2 IP, 6.03 ERA, 1.72 WHIP

Josh Johnson (italics is the Girardi year)

2006 (22-year-old rookie) - 157 IP, 3.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP

2007 (Tommy John Surgery) - 15.2 IP, 7.47 ERA, 2.43 WHIP
2008 (returns from Tommy John midseason) - 87.1 IP, 3.61 ERA, 1.35 WHIP
2009 - 209 IP, 3.23 ERA, 1.16 WHIP

Ricky Nolasco (italics is the Girardi year)

2006 (23-year-old rookie) - 140 IP, 4.82 ERA, 1.41 WHIP

2007 (out 75 days with right elbow inflammation) - 21.1 IP, 5.48 ERA, 1.64 WHIP
2008 - 212.1 IP, 3.52 ERA, 1.10 WHIP
2009 - 185 IP, 5.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP

Anibal Sanchez (italics is the Girardi year)

2006 (22-year-old rookie) - 114.1 IP, 2.83 ERA, 1.19 WHIP

2007 (shoulder problems during spring training, demoted to AAA on May 4, surgery to repair tear in his labrum June 21) - 30 IP, 4.80 ERA, 2.07 WHIP
2008 - (returns midseason) - 51. 2 IP, 5.57 ERA, 1.57 WHIP
2009 - 86 IP, 3.87 ERA, 1.51 WHIP

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?