Joe Girardi’s tenure as the New York Yankees‘ manager can be considered a success: he was at the helm from 2008 to 2017, and won the 2009 World Series. No, it wasn’t perfect or pretty all the time, but it was far from a failure.
His lowest point as the Yankees’ manager came in the 2017 season, but not against the Houston Astros team that eliminated the Bombers in the ALCS.
The New York Yankees were in the Division Series for the first time in five years. The Cleveland Indians were up 1-0 in the series, but the Bombers were leading Game Two 8-3 in the sixth frame.
There were two outs and the count for Lonnie Chisenhall was 0-2. Chad Green was on the mound for the Yankees. The home plate umpire ruled that a Green pitch hit Chisenhall in the hand, so he was awarded first and the bases were loaded.
However, instant replay showed that the ball hit the knob of the hitter’s bat and then catcher Gary Sanchez caught it.
Girardi, the manager, had 30 seconds to challenge. He had won another challenge earlier but without a clear explanation, decided not to do it again. That was costly, as Francisco Lindor put the Indians within one with a grand slam and Cleveland later won the game 9-8, taking a 2-0 lead in the ALDS.
“There was nothing that told us that he was not hit on the pitch,†Girardi said afterward. “By the time we got the super slo-mo, we are beyond a minute. It was way too late.â€
The next day, Girardi took the blame. “I screwed up,†the Yankees’ skipper back then said. “It’s a hard day for me, but I’ve got to move forward…..I feel horrible. Does it change the complexion of the game? Sure, it could have. … It’s a tough loss, a tough situation.â€
The Yankees’ amazing come-from-behind series win
The Yankees, however, managed to come from behind and won the next three games to advance to the Championship Series.
“I was about as low as I could be as a baseball (person),†Girardi said after advancing to the ALCS. “I’ve been carrying this burden for five or six days. It’s hard….What those guys did for me, I’ll never forget it.â€
Despite the Yankees losing 4-3 against the Astros, that 2017 season was magical in many ways. Yes, Girardi made a mistake, but his team rescued him and not only overcame the gritty Indians, but gifted us an amazing series with Houston.