Phillies Hire Former Yankees Skipper Joe Girardi As Manager
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- John Middleton has found his man. The Phillies hired former Yankees skipper Joe Girardi as their next manager, the team announced on Thursday.
It'll be a three-year deal for Girardi with a club option for 2023. The team will introduce their new manager at 1 p.m. on Monday.
Girardi spent 10 seasons as the Yankees' manager, but Middleton and the Phillies are all too familiar with the 55-year-old. It was Girardi who managed the Yankees to their 2009 World Series over the Phils that led to Middleton's famous declaration about getting"my bleeping trophy back."
In 10 seasons as New York's manager, Girardi won 910 regular-season games and held a 28-24 record in the postseason. He also managed the Florida Marlins in 2006, winning the NL Manager of the Year but was fired after just one season.
Despite never having a losing record with the Yanks, New York did not renew Girardi's contract after the 2017 season, replacing him with Aaron Boone.
Girardi has been out of baseball for the past two seasons, serving as a baseball analyst for MLB Network and Fox Sports.
"I'm excited for this next chapter of my career," Girardi said. "The Phillies have a strong commitment to winning from the owners to the front office to the players to the fans. It's something that I've seen up close for the last 30 years of my baseball career. I played against the great Phillies players of the early '90s – from Dutch Daulton to John Kruk to Dave Hollins – and I managed against their teams during the incredible run they had from 2008 to 2011. To have my name now associated with this great franchise is something that I couldn't be happier about."
Larry Bowa, who sat in on every managerial interview as an adviser for the Phillies, told CBS3 that Girardi's experience managing in New York was a big selling point and his hiring is the best direction for the organization.
Girardi does have some work ahead of him, as does general manager Matt Klentak. The Phillies are in desperate need of pitching.
"On behalf of everyone at the Phillies, I want to congratulate Joe and welcome him to our baseball family," said Klentak. "Joe brings high character and a tremendous work ethic to his position, and he is a proven winner. I look forward to working with him and I believe that he is the right manager to lead our team to the next level."
The Phillies also interviewed former managers Buck Showalter and Dusty Baker for the position.
Gabe Kapler was fired on Oct. 10 after two seasons, finishing with a record of 161-163.
The Phillies have not reached the postseason since 2011.
CBS3's Dan Koob contributed to this report.
