The Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball have named Joe Girardi as their manager. On Thursday, the native of Peoria, Illinois signed a three-year contract.
Girardi becomes the latest person to leave the broadcast booth to become a Major League Baseball manager. Earlier this week, the Cubs named David Ross their manager. Girardi was working for FOX Sports this past year and Ross was working for ESPN. Girardi and Ross have something else in common as they were both Major League Baseball catchers.
Girardi however, is returning to the managerial position, while this is Ross’s first assignment. Prior to working for FOX Sports, Girardi managed the Florida Marlins in 2006 and the New York Yankees from 2008-2017. Ironically in 2009, the Yankees beat the Phillies in six games to win the World Series with Girardi as their manager.
The fact that Girardi is now with the Phillies is a bit of a surprise. There was a lot of talk that he would be the next manager of the New York Mets, and the fact he is with the Phillies came out of left field (pardon the unique baseball pun).
Due to the fact Girardi is now with the Phillies, he will no longer be managing the United States at the 2019 WBSC Premier 12 tournament which starts November 2 from Japan. The event is an Olympic qualifier with the top team from the Americas and the top team from Asia (excluding Japan who is hosting the Olympics) qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo In Girardi’s place, former Yankees third baseman Scott Brosius will be the American manager.
As a player, Girardi played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cubs, Yankees, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals from 1989-2003. He was an all-star with the Cubs in 2000, and won three World Series as a player with the Yankees in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
Girardi will now be in charge of a Phillies team that underachieved in 2019. A lot more was expected for the Phillies this past season with the acquisition of Bryce Harper, but the Phillies only finished at the .500 mark at 81 wins and 81 losses, and were 16 games back of the National League East champion Atlanta Braves. So it comes as no surprise that Gabe Kapler was fired on October 10.
