Joe Girardi

Joseph Elliott Girardi (born October 14, 1964) is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the New York Yankees. From 1989–2003, Girardi played for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals. In 2006, he was the manager of the Florida Marlins and named National League Manager of the Year.

Early life
Girardi, the son of Jerry, a former blue collar worker and United States Air Force veteran, and Angela Girardi, was born in Peoria, Illinois and grew up in East Peoria, Illinois. He attended East Peoria's Neil Armstrong grade school, the same school that pitcher Patrick McGee attended; and Peoria's Sacred Heart/Father Sweeney, where he was coached in basketball by his father. He then attended Academy of Our Lady/Spalding Institute in Peoria, Illinois, where he played quarterback for the football team and catcher for the baseball team. He went on to play baseball at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering. He was the first freshman to be elected president of a fraternity (Alpha Tau Omega) at Northwestern.

Playing career
In 1989, while a prospect for the Chicago Cubs, Girardi played for the Águilas del Zulia in the Venezuelan winter league. He began his major league career in 1989 with the Cubs, staying with them through 1992. He was taken by the Colorado Rockies in the expansion draft and played for them through the 1995 season. He was traded in 1995 to the New York Yankees for pitcher Mike DeJean.

Girardi was the Yankees' regular catcher from 1996 through 1999, earning World Series rings in 1996, 1998 and 1999. In 1996, Girardi caught Dwight Gooden's no-hitter and in 1999 caught David Cone's perfect game. When the Yankees made 25-year-old prospect Jorge Posada his backup, Girardi became his mentor. The two catchers split time for the Yankees through 1999.

In 2000, Girardi left the Yankees and returned to the Cubs, where he was named to that year's All-Star team, his only All-Star appearance as a player. (He was manager of the 2010 American League All-Star team.) He played with the Cubs again in 2001 and 2002.

On June 22, 2002, St. Louis Cardinals player Darryl Kile was found dead in his hotel room prior to a nationally televised game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Minutes after the game's scheduled start time, a tearful Girardi announced to the crowd that the game was canceled by Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig "because of a tragedy in the Cardinal family", without alluding to Kile's death.

In 2003, Girardi played for the Cardinals.

Broadcasting and coaching career
After a spring training stint with the Yankees in 2004, Girardi retired and became a commentator for the YES Network. He hosted the youth-oriented Yankees on Deck, received good reviews and was offered a larger role on 2005 Yankee broadcasts. But he rejected that offer, as well as an offer by Florida Marlins to become the bench coach with a guarantee to become the team's manager in 2006, although he subsequently got that job. Instead, he became the Yankees' bench coach. He managed a game during a Joe Torre suspension, a loss to the Kansas City Royals. Girardi remained the host of Kids on Deck in 2005, having shot his shows before spring training. During games, YES promoted Kids on Deck by showing Girardi sitting in the dugout during breaks in the game.

Girardi worked games three, four and five of the 2006 World Series for Fox as part of the network's pregame and postgame team, along with host Jeanne Zelasko and regular analyst Kevin Kennedy.

After fielding managerial offers for the 2007 season, Girardi instead came to terms with the YES network to return to the broadcast booth for 60-plus games as a Yankees analyst and co-host a new show on the network, Behind The Plate, with John Flaherty, also a former Yankee catcher. Girardi also served as color commentator for the No.2 booth (usually with Thom Brennaman) on Major League Baseball on Fox.

Florida Marlins (2006)
After the 2005 regular season, Girardi was named the manager of the Marlins, replacing departed manager Jack McKeon. His first notable action as manager was to prohibit facial hair, a policy similar to that of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

Girardi managed the team to a 78–84 record and a wild-card contention even though the team had the lowest payroll in Major League Baseball. At $14 million, the Marlins' 2006 payroll was lower than the salaries of several MLB players. But Girardi was nearly fired in early August when he got into an argument with Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria during a game. According to witnesses and video footage, the Marlins owner was heckling homeplate umpire Larry Vanover. When the umpire warned Girardi about the harassment, Girardi and his bench coach Gary Tuck then turned to Loria and told him to stop. Loria had to be talked out of firing Girardi immediately after the game.

On October 3, 2006, the Marlins announced that they had fired Girardi, despite him winning Manager of the Year. Girardi said only that he appreciated the opportunity to manage the club. Girardi was thought to be among the leading candidates to replace New York Yankees manager Joe Torre after they lost in the 2006 American League Division Series, but Torre remained with the team. Girardi was also a candidate for the Cubs' manager position, to succeed Dusty Baker; he interviewed for the job just days after leaving the Marlins. With his playing experience in Chicago, he was considered a front-runner for the position. However, the Cubs chose to go with veteran manager Lou Piniella. Girardi took himself out of the running for the Washington Nationals' managerial job shortly thereafter and returned to the broadcast booth for the YES Network in 2007. He said taking another managerial job would have meant a third move in as many years for his family. Despite Girardi's firing, he was rewarded for his achievements with the Marlins in 2006 with the National League Manager of the Year Award and The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award for the National League.

New York Yankees (2008–present)
In June 2007, after the Baltimore Orioles fired manager Sam Perlozzo, Girardi interviewed for and was offered the job but turned it down.

When the Yankees' managerial position became vacant after the 2007 season, the Yankees interviewed Girardi, Tony Peña, and Don Mattingly. On October 29, 2007, Girardi was reported to be the Yankees' choice and the next day he signed a three-year contract, reportedly worth about $7.5 million.

Girardi chose to wear number 27 to signify his wish to lead the Yankees to their 27th world championship. Girardi is a health enthusiast and has a ban on sweets such as ice cream and soda from the clubhouse.

On August 2, 2008, Girardi participated in his first Old Timer's Day, the last such game played at the original Yankee Stadium. Girardi participated in the next Old Timer's Day on July 19, 2009, the first in the new Yankee Stadium, as well as every one since then.

Girardi's first year as Yankee manager was the first time since 1993 the team did not reach the postseason. (The 1994 season-ending strike came with the Yankees in first place in the AL East.) In 2009, his second year as manager, he led the Yankees to their 40th AL pennant and their 27th World Series title (defeating the Philadelphia Phillies), his first World Series title as manager and the Yankees' first since 2000. Before the 2010 season, Girardi changed his number to 28. Newly acquired center-fielder Curtis Granderson had worn 28, but agreed to change his number to 14.

Following the 2010 season, Girardi and the Yankees agreed to a three-year deal to keep him as the Yankees' manager.

Some predicted that the 2011 Yankees would finish behind the Boston Red Sox due to Boston's high-profile free agency moves and the Yankees lack of action. The Yankees season was plagued by injuries that caused disabled list stints for several key players. Despite the setbacks, Girardi managed to lead the team to the AL East title. Rob Parker of ESPN commended Girardi's performance and felt his efforts were deserving of American League Manager of the Year, but felt he would not get the award due to the Yankees high payroll and what Parker alleges is an anti-New York Yankee bias. The Yankees were defeated by the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in the divisional round.

On June 15, 2012, Girardi won his 500th game as a manager. Eventually, the Yankees reached the play-offs and defeated the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 in the first round but were swept by the Detroit Tigers in the 2012 ALCS on October 18, 2012.

Personal life
Girardi and his wife Kim live in Purchase, New York, and have three children. Girardi is of Italian descent and is a devout Christian.

While driving home after winning the 2009 World Series, Girardi stopped to help a car crash victim on a dangerous blind curve of the Cross County Parkway in Eastchester, New York. Police said he put his life at risk while trying to help the driver who had just crashed into a wall. The driver said she had no idea who Girardi was until the responding officers identified him. The next day, Girardi said, "I think the most important thing is that, obviously, there's a lot of joy in what we do, but we can't forget to be human beings when we help others out."

On October 6, 2012, during the 2012 ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles, Girardi's father Jerry Girardi died at the age of 81. He had been battling Alzheimer's disease and spent the past several years in an assisted-care facility.