Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Open Letter to Joe Girardi: They set you up.


Dear Madam or Sir,

It is time to state what surely you've pondered in those empty, painful late innings.

Joe Torre knew this was coming.

He knew Melky Cabrera was actually Oprah Winfrey in cleats, that Phil Hughes can't blow his nose without pulling a muscle, that Ian Kennedy belongs in dental school, and that ARod has an almost magical ability to suck the spines from everyone around him. (He's all yours, Madonna.)

He knew Jason Giambi plays firstbase like the Statue of Liberty, and that Matsui was breaking down, that Jorge was breaking down, that Damon was breaking down -- that everything breaks down. Even Jeter. Even Mariano.

And he left them for you.

Sir, you are not the manager of the New York Yankees.

You are the manager of the Titanic.

These days, it's hard not to notice the listing of the deck. When a team loses 8-7 one night, then 2-1 the next, there's a big leak somewhere down below.

So now, you face the toughest July and August of your career.

You must maintain dignity amid the rising waters and the pointing fingers.

You must change the Yankees of Joe Torre to the Yankees of Joe Girardi.

Joe Torre's team is dead.

If you keep waiting for Joe's team to suddenly show up with buckets and bail you out, you're dead.

If you keep waiting for 4-HR games and 7-run outbursts, you're dead.

If you keep managing as if this is really some great hitting line-up, you're dead.

They set you up.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Duque,

I think you are on to a core truth here.