Girardi dissected as Yankees try for Series title

AP - By RONALD BLUM

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When Joe Girardi left the dugout every few minutes to switch relievers against the Angels, some wondered whether he was getting paid per pitching change.

When he left slumping Nick Swisher in the lineup, he was criticized. When he put in a pinch runner for Alex Rodriguez, his judgment was questioned. Now, his decision to go with a three-man rotation in the World Series is hotly debated.

In a sport filled with second-guessing, no one is analyzed more than the manager of the New York Yankees. Especially the manager who succeeded Joe Torre.

"Anything involving the Yankees is going to be scrutinized, is going to be looked upon, is going to be dissected," team president Randy Levine said Wednesday. "In any position such as that, it takes time to really feel comfortable. And it took Joe very little time."

From his very first day in spring training last year, it was clear Girardi's Yankees would be different from Torre's, the shift not only in generations but in style.

Instead of holding a cup of green tea, Girardi gripped a banana. Instead of a Daily Racing Form on his desk, there was a silver Blackberry, a black ThinkPad laptop, sunflower seeds and a health drink. His crew cut gave him a no-nonsense appearance, and he kept to a schedule with the precise punctuality of the German train system.

And yet there was some letting loose, too. He threw a little batting practice -- to 8-year-old daughter Serena, who followed with a cartwheel, and 6-year-old Dante, who then put on the catcher's gear. Lena Girardi, then just 17 months old, toddled around in a blue batting helmet.

There were growing pains for dad throughout 2008, especially as the Yankees faded from contention and their streak of consecutive playoff appearances ended at 13. Reporters felt he withheld information, especially about injuries.

Torre became a beloved figure when he managed the Yankees to four World Series titles from 1996-00, deflecting criticism with his stories of Bob Gibson and the good ol' days. Even though he failed to win another championship during his final seven seasons, Torre left a huge shadow that Girardi stepped into.

"I think it would have been somewhat difficult for any manager to do, because he was here for so long -- the relationships that he had with the players, the media, with everyone involved. Obviously, I understood that going in," Girardi said when spring training began this year. "It wasn't going to be easy to replace him. I never tried to replace him. I just tried to be myself."