Joe is quickly becoming known as a great manager of baseball, in his young age he has already won a World Series with the Yankees and Manager Of The Year with the Marlins. He is currently on pace to make another World Series run with the Yankees in 2010. With all the success that Girardi has had in the Yankees uniform as a manger and player the question still lingers for this off-season and that is will he go manage the cubs?
Girardi is originally from East Peoria, Illinois which is about a three hour drive to Chicago. He started his career in the MLB with the Cubs and I believe he feels some what devoted to them. He was drafted by them in 1989 and played with them till 1992 until Colorado Rockies drafted him in the expansion draft. Then in 1995 he was traded to the New York Yankees where he would go on to win 3 World Series rings with them. In 1999 the Yankees moved up a 25 year old Jorge Posada that Joe Girardi split time with and was his mentor for that year. In 2000 he was traded back to the Cubs where he played till 2002 and Girardi finished his playing career in St.Louis.
Girardi in 2005 he became the bench coach for the Yankees where he was able to Manage one game during Torre suspension. After the 2005 season Girardi became the manager of the Marlins replacing Jack McKenon. This was the only year he was manager of the Marlins winning Manager Of The Year, but he was fired in the off season due to an early argument he had with the Owner during a game. Some thought he would be fired then but they waited to the off-season. The next year Girardi got a job with the YES network as a commentator and I think at that point most knew that they were wanting to make him the Manager of the Yankees. Well they didn't have to wait long with Torre not getting the results they brought in Girardi. After the 2008 season and the Yankees finished 3rd in their division I think some were wondering did Yankees make the right decision, but in 2009 Girardi wins 103 games and wins the World Series.
Now the question is with all the success he has had with the Yankees, why would he leave to go to the cubs? Is it to try to break them out of their World Series slump? Is it because he considers it home? No matter what it is the Chicago Cubs in the off season are without a doubt going to pursue Girardi for the managerial position. Nobody knows what Girardi thinks about it at this point besides Joe himself, but I know the brass for The Yanks have to be concerned at this point. I think though Girardi will end up staying put for now and continue his success with the Yankees. There is to much talent and money to walk away right now and leave multiple championships on the table. Even though I think somewhere in the back of Joe's mind he would love to be the hometown hero it is just not the right time in his life to do so. I do believe though once he gets into that status of all time elite managers later in his career, then he will go over to the Cubs and see if he can take them to the World Series. The only thing that scares me though is if he goes to the Cubs and wins a World Series he will be a legend in Chicago forever, and that right there might persuade him to go back home. Being a Yankees fan I hope that he stays because he is definitely a great manager and would be hard to replace, but there is always that saying Home Sweet Home.
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