"Those fans are impatient. I feel for Joe. The kid is a good manager. He's going to be a better manager."
Those are the words of Joe Torre, speaking about Joe Girardi.
Torre points out the problem with Girardi. He isn't old enough.
Have you ever been promoted over your former peers? They never quite respect you, or see you as leader. As time goes on and younger staff come in, they accept you as boss. That guy you used to share a cubicle with? He never does.
Joe Torre was "dad" as one Yankee fan I know puts it. You don't want to let him down. That part time catcher that you used to play with? Whatever, dude.
Here's an anecdote from Wikipedia:
After Berra's Yankee playing career ended with the 1963 World Series, he was hired as the manager of the New York Yankees. Much was made of an incident on board the team bus in August. Following a loss, infielder Phil Linz was playing his harmonica, and Berra ordered him to stop. Seated on the other end of the bus, Linz couldn't hear what Berra had said, and Mickey Mantle impishly informed Linz, "He said to play it louder." When Linz did so, an angry Berra slapped the harmonica out of his hands. All was apparently forgotten when Berra's Yankees rode a September surge to return to the World Series. But the team lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games, after which Berra was fired. It was later learned that general manager Ralph Houk had been ready to discharge Berra since midseason, apparently for a perceived loss of control over the team.
By the way, Berra's team finished first and went to the World Series.
This kid is going to be a good manager. It just isn't going to happen in the Bronx. I'm starting the Girardi Watch, and if I'm Bobby Valentine, I drop a hint in the Japanese press that I'm interested. (Which is an uncool thing to do, but I'm not Bobby Valentine who does such things.)
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