Joe Girardi on 'Great Opportunity' with Phillies: 'I'm Selfish. I Want to Win'

The Philadelphia Phillies officially announced Joe Girardi as the team's next manager in a press conference Monday.  

Girardi endeared himself to fans with his early comments.

"I'm well aware of the passion in this city." he said in his first statements, per Steve Keeley of Fox29. "I know the importance of winning here."

"I'm selfish. I want to win," the 55-year-old added, per Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. "I think there's a great opportunity to win here."

General manager Matt Klentak continued theme, noting Girardi's resume gives the team a great chance to succeed going forward.

"No questions asked. It is time to win right now," Klentak said, per Jon Johnson of SportsRadio WIP.

Meanwhile, Girardi noted he is willing to support analytics to get the job done after questions about his style while he was with the Yankees.

"I do embrace it; I really enjoy it," he said Monday, per 97.5 The Fanatic. "I'm an analytical guy who has an engineering degree who really loves the math. Those things all intrigue me."

The Northwestern graduate also noted a relatively laid-back approach to his job with limited rules for the players:

His remarks were enough to impress as he enters his new role:

Philadelphia was in the market for a new manager when Gabe Kapler was fired Oct. 10 following a disappointing 81-81 record in 2019. 

Girardi spent 10 years as manager of the New York Yankees until 2017 and led the franchise to six playoff appearances, including a World Series title in 2009. 

Five days after the Yankees lost in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series to the Houston Astros, the team announced Girardi would not be returning as manager in 2018. 

In a statement about his departure from the Yankees (via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic), Girardi said it was the team's decision not to bring him back: 

"With a heavy heart, I come to you because the Yankees have decided not to bring me back. I'd like to thank the Steinbrenner family for believing in me and giving me this wonderful opportunity. I would like to thank Brian Cashman and his staff for hiring me and always trying to improve the team. I would like to thank my coaches and support staff for their dedication to always trying to make the players better and get the most out of them."

In 10 seasons as a manager with the Yankees and and one with the Florida Marlins, the former catcher compiled a 988-794 record and was named National League Manager of the Year in 2006 with the Marlins. 

During his time with the Yankees, Girardi proved he was capable of succeeding with an expensive-laden veteran team, like the 2009 championship squad, or a group of talented young players such as Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Luis Severino in 2017. 

Going from New York to Philadelphia doesn't bring with any less pressure for Girardi. He will be helped out by inheriting a talented roster that has the ability to compete with anyone in the National League. 

The Phillies owners proved last year they will spend to improve the roster with their signings of Bryce Harper, Andrew McCutchen and David Robertson as free agents and acquiring J.T. Realmuto in a trade with the Miami Marlins. 

The starting rotation needs help behind Aaron Nola, but the pieces are in place for Girardi to be successful for the Phillies in 2020 and beyond.