Joe Girardi and Andruw Jones vs. Gil Hodges and Cleon Jones, or How to Manage

New York Yankees fans, at least those that were at the ball park for Wednesday's loss to the Minnesota Twins, know what Joe Girardi can do with his notebook. The fans booed left fielder Andruw Jones when he jogged after a ball that became an Alexi Casilla double.

According to Dan Martin in the New York Post, Casilla stumbled getting out of the batter's box. Instead of hustling after the ball, Jones lazily trotted, picked it up and lobbed it to third base...

After the game, Jones explained, “I didn’t see him fall down, so I just thought it was an automatic double. It was no big deal. The guy didn’t score, right?”

"They didn't score, right?" That is the statement of a loser. That is the attitude of a player that has never played on a World Series winner. That is the statement of a player that must be told how the game is played over and over, despite the fact that he is Derek Jeter's teammate and was on the same team as Chipper Jones and John Smoltz.

New York Yankees' manager Joe Girardi should have yanked (pun intended) Jones immediately after his jog. It is intolerable that so many players watch the ball after they hit a deep drive that might be a home run. Many times, they, like John Sterling, discover that the ball bounces off the wall.

What Girardi did not do is inexcusable. He, the manager, must be disciplined because he failed to perform one of his most critical duties. Of course, Brian Cashman has more pressing personal matters to worry about.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was another New York left fielder named Jones. It was Cleon Jones. He played for the 1969 New York Mets and his manager was Gil Hodges.

The Mets had lost the first game of a doubleheader to the Houston Astros by the ridiculous score of 16-3 and were trailing in the second game when Johnny Edwards hit a double to left field to put the Astros ahead, 8-0.

Hodges firmly believed that outfielder Cleon Jones, who was leading the league in hitting, hadn't hustled after the hit. Hodges left the dugout.

Jones thought that Hodges was going to take out the pitcher, but Hodges walked past the mound toward left field. He removed the team's leading hitter for not hustling, and he did it front of the Shea Stadium fans.

The Mets went on to pull off the greatest miracle in sports history.

The media jump on any chance to exploit the Yankees-Boston Red Sox rivalry.

If Girardi continues to allow players to give less than 100 percent, it may the Yankees that enjoy chicken and beer between innings.