Oct. 30, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Joe Girardi, a four-year letterwinner on the Northwestern baseball team from 1983-86, has signed a three-year contract to serve as the manager of the New York Yankees. Girardi replaces Joe Torre in New York's dugout.
"I think any of us would be somewhat surprised to get the job because it's such an honor," Girardi said. "I'm extremely excited and thrilled.
"I can't be Joe Torre, because I'm made up different. I'm a different character. I'm just worried about being myself and getting the most out of the guys."
The deal is worth an average salary of at least $2 million annually, a baseball official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the details.
Girardi was the 2006 NL Manager of the Year with Florida, plus he has a pinstriped pedigree. The hard-nosed catcher played on three Yankees teams that won the World Series, served as their bench coach under Torre and was a TV announcer this year.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was impressed by three attributes he saw in Girardi: hard work, accountability and discipline.
"He likes to compete all the time," Cashman said. "We believe he's mentally tough."
Girardi caught for the Yankees from 1996-99, served as a bench coach in 2005, then managed the Marlins the following year. He kept a young team in contention until September and then was fired, apparently for clashing with owner Jeffrey Loria and others above him.
The 43-year-old Girardi often told many in the Marlins about how the Yankees did things, reinforcing the winning ways he learned in New York. Now, he'll get a chance to try them out himself.
Girardi was the first person to interview to replace Torre, who managed the team to the playoffs in each of his 12 seasons. Girardi turned down the Baltimore Orioles' managing job last summer, choosing to spend time with his ailing father.
Girardi was a three-time All-Big Ten selection during his days at Northwestern, being named to the second team as a sophomore in 1984 prior to earning first-team accolades each of his final two seasons in a Wildcat uniform. He was also a third-team All-America selection of the American Baseball Coaches Association his junior year.
Girardi also excelled in the classroom, earning three Academic All-Big Ten honors while also being named a CoSIDA Academic All-American three times. This past summer he was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
Girardi graduated from Northwestern with a degree in industrial engineering.
The Associated Press contributed to this report