Prior to the opening stanza of a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi addressed recent speculation surrounding his interest in the Chicago Cubs’ managerial position.
Girardi, a native of East Peoria, Illinois, is in the final year of a three-year, $7.5 million contract with New York and has already become the fourth most successful manager, behind Ralph Houk, Billy Martin and Clark Griffith, among the 17 former Yankees players who have been elevated to the position.
So while Girardi is attempting to lead the Bronx Bombers to a second consecutive World Series Championship, the Chicago Cubs are contemplating how to fill the void left by Lou Piniella, who retired on August 22 to care for his ailing mother.
And under the ownership of the Ricketts family, members of the Forbes 400, it appears that the Cubs would be willing to open the coffers in a concerted effort to lure Girardi away from the Big Apple.
With this stark reality in mind, Girardi, a graduate of Northwestern University, towed the company line in final comments to the media this season regarding his pending free agency; but the former Cubs catcher fell short of going on record with an unequivocal declaration that New York is where he wanted to manage next season.
"I'm going to talk about it for a few minutes today and that's going to be it. As I've said all along, my responsibility is to the Yankees. I was hired by the Yankees to do a job, we're in a division race, a very tight division race, and my job is to prepare this team to play every day. That's what I'm focusing on."
"I'm happy with my contract situation”, Girardi continued. “I feel I'm fortunate to be one of 30 managers with a contract right now managing in the big leagues. There are people in this organization that have done a lot more for this organization than I have that don't have contracts (for next season). We're not worried about it for next year. I'm worried about right now."
The task at hand, guiding the Yankees to World Title #28, may be in the forefront of Girardi’s mind but, championship or not, once New York’s season officially comes to an end there is no doubt that the 2006 National League Manager of the Year will give the Cubs every opportunity to present their case.
Essentially, Chicago is where Girardi was born and raised, where he went to high school and college, and where he spent the majority of his professional baseball career.
In addition, the Cubs' organization not only has an apparent willingness to compete with the Steinbrenner conglomerate for Girardi's services but the wherewithal to outbid them as well.
Finally, the Chicago Cubs haven’t won a World Series Title in 102 years and have been dubbed “The Lovable Losers” due to this distinction. As manager of the Cubs, Girardi would have the chance to make baseball history and achieve iconic status in the Windy City by ending the longest championship drought in North American professional sports today.
Never would one man be appreciated, beloved and celebrated more by one city for winning a single championship than for racking up multiple championships in another.
Basically, unless he wins in excess of four World Series Titles, Girardi will always be considered a spoke in the wheel of a New York franchise on virtual cruise control whereas he would be largely viewed as the main cog in the Cubs’ drive to end a century long dry spell the moment he becomes their skipper.
These are the factors that should weigh heavily on Girardi’s mind when he emerges as the hottest managerial free agent within the next couple of months; and the Chicago Cubs should be able to present an extremely compelling argument for Girardi to take the road less traveled and leave the New York Yankees in the absence of a critical firestorm.
In all likelihood though, Girardi won't leave the secure confines of the Yankees clubhouse for one that will require a few years to rebuild and retool. However, stranger things have happened in the annals of baseball.
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation regarding the Chicago Cubs’ managerial possibilities.
The Case for Joe Girardi to Leave New York Yankees
