And boy did he try his hardest to do just that.
In Game 3 and Game 5 of the series (the two the Angels won) Girardi was directly responsible for the Yankees' failures. Switching pitchers like Tony LaRussa circa 1989, he twice caused the Yankees to lose one-run games by bringing in the wrong arms from the 'pen. The typical bias Yankees fan that will support their inept manager to the absolute brink will undoubtedly cite Girardi's managing of his pitching staff to 103 wins in the regular season, the sweep over the AL Central champion Twins in the ALDS using his three-man rotation and bullpen-by-matchup technique, and the three wins notched already in the ALCS at the point when LA won their second and last game of the series (game 5), as evidence that Joe knows what he is doing. But the fact that those two wins ever even occurred is unacceptable, and the manner in which they occured places the blame squarely on Girardi's shoulders.
And then Joe pulled what could have been the ultimate blunder of his short managerial career in Game 6 of the series. Instead of pitching his ace Sabathia like nearly every analyst and columnist said he should — theoretically giving the Yankees their best chance of preventing the series from going to a game 7 — he instead chose to go with the lowest paid and highest aged of the three starters that the Yankees' have used in their playoff rotation.
Andy Pettitte? Isn't that guy like 50 now? With the rainout allowing Sabathia to start Game 6 on regular rest it was an obvious move to skip Pettitte and use CC that Girardi once again failed to realize and execute on.
So Joe sends the eldest and least talented pitcher in his ridiculous little three-man postseason rotation out to the mound and what does the pitcher do? Girardi's former battery mate makes it only 6 1/3 innings, giving up an obscene seven hits and yet only one run with six strikeouts. While one could argue the fact that Pettitte surrendered only one run validates Girardi's decision, the seven hits show that it was merely luck that the Yankees got through Andy's deceivingly poor outing.
Then it was into the bullpen for another demonstration of incompetence by the Yankees' manager. After pitching Joba Chamberlain only 2/3 of an inning in which he gave up no runs on no hits Girardi decided to lift his former starter turned co-setup man and pitch his closer for two innings!
Article comments
1 - hanwitopa
you forget that pettite but still mentioned he has more post season wins than anyone in history. he is an awesome post season pitcher and pitches better in big games....not a bad coice for game 6 cause if you win the rotation is set in order, which it now is.
2 - Tony
Yeah, I know. That was one of the points I was making. Its a satire.
3 - Minderbinder
Wow, I was going to comment on your complete lack of subtly but now I see why you felt you had to add "satire" to the title.
I don't think too many people questioned CC on 3 days rest, but are the Yankees going to pitch AJ Burnett on 3 days rest? CC is a horse, but I would be nervous about Burnett on short rest.
4 - Tony
Yeah I wasn't really going for subtle. I didn't think people questioned CC on 3 days much either until I read the New York press. They have been ridiculously hard on a manager who has done a great job. Its utterly baseless.