There's an article in Friday's New York Post by George King which marvels at how far Joe Girardi has come in so short a time. Grumblings about the Yankee manager could be be heard earlier this month, and were even louder at the end of last season, but they've all disappeared. 14 wins in the last 19 games have a way of making that happen.
King offers some platitudes from Yankee players who credit Girardi for the strong run, but the reasons for Girardi's turnaround are far easier to find. The man is finally being given something to work with, and the results are everything that people have been expecting from the Yankees in the last two years. The final piece falls into place when Jorge Posada returns from the disabled list on Friday night.
It will be the first time in about a year that Girardi will be able to fill out a lineup card without the name of a reserve on it because he chose to give a starter a day off. Alex Rodriguez's return has already shown what a difference playing with the first string makes. That 14-5 record coincides with A-Rod's return, which also coincides with Mark Teixeira's hot streak and, well, you get the picture.
Girardi also doesn't have to deal with names like Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson when he selects the next day's starting pitcher, and he gets the Phil Hughes that he thought he was getting in April of 2008. Those things make you a better manager whether you've actually changed your style or not, because, quite frankly, there's a lot less for you to do.
As his handling of the bullpen shows, Girardi still has some issues when it comes to pushing the right buttons during games. Given the age and fragility of the Yankee roster, he'll likely find challenges again in his future. When he does, and when they lose as a result, it won't be a reflection of Girardi's managerial skills any more than CC Sabathia throwing a shutout is a mark of his prowess.
Girardi's only a genius if his players allow him to be, so he should be looking a lot smarter now that he's got a full arsenal at his disposal.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
