Numero 28 Joe Girardi.... an efficiency expert de extraordinaire... a company man garbed in Yankee pin stripes.... “ throwing the dice” from Casey Stengel, a banker from Glendale Ca growing up on the Field of Dreams with his mother’s Kansas City(Mo) goal of him becoming a dentist
II
Honus Wagner, Roger Hornsby Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, the Gas House gang....Pepper Martin Leo Durocher Paul and Lloyd Waner Stan Musial Enos Slaughter Van Lingle Mungo Joe “Ducky” Medwick “Ole Reliable” Tommy Henrich George Selkirk Peewee Reese Pete Reiser Dixie Walker Jcckie Robinson Willie Mays Micky Mantle Joe Dom and Vince DiMaggio Ted Williams Johnny Pesky Bobby Doerr Creepy Crespie Sal Maglie “the barber” Stan Hack Red SchoendistGil Hodges Babe Herman Dick Wakefield George Brett Bucky Walters Billy Southworth Joe McCarthy Hilda and her ragamuffin band at Ebbets Field Lou Novikoff Bo Belinsky Johnny Murphy Walter Alston Vito Tamulis Robin Roberts Stan Lopata Del Ennis Richie Asburn Lenny Dykstra Ted Kluszewski Gene Conley Eddie Matthews
“Murderer’s row” Charlie Keller... Hank Bauer Gene Woodling Tito Martinez Harry Danning Cal Ripkin, Jr .Cecil Travis Paul DehringerVic Raschi David Coen Tommy John Ernie Banks Lew Riggs the Cooper brothers pitching catching for the Cards( Mort and Walker) Mel Stottlemyre pitcher and pitching coach for ten years, with Joe Torres
Roger Maris Hank Greenberg Ralph Kiner Hank Aaron Johnny Mize Roberto Clemente Sandy Koufax Don Drysdale Yogi Berra Don Zimmer .Mr.October Reggie Jackson Johnny Vander meer Bobby Feller Lefty Gomez Dizzy Trout Hal Newhouser Billy Martin Paul O’Neil Pie Traynor George and Dick Sisler Snuffy Sternweis Gerald Priddy Mel Ott Ralph Branca Bobby Thompson Bill Terry Carl Hubbell Hal Schumacher Sid Gordon Bobby Brown
Bernie Williams Whitey Ford Phil Rizzuto..Frankie Crosetti..Red Rolfe Joe Gordon the Mahatma Branch Rickey Sandy Amoros Harry the cat Brecheen Howie Pollet Joe Torres Ralph Houk Charlie Gehringer Slats Marion Warren Spahn Curt Flood Bill Dickey Harry Danning Billy Herman Babe Phelps Josh Gibson Duke Snider Carl Furillo
Whitlow Wyatt Kirby Higbe Hugh Casey Fat Freddie Fitzimmons Curt Davis.Howie Schultz Pete Coscarart Eddie Stanky Dolph Camilli. Mickey Owen’s passed ball .Cookie Lavagetto Arky Vaughan .Satchel Paige Dutch Leonard.Joe Black Roy Campanella Don Newcombe Jal Gregg Rex Barney
Terry Moore Harry Walker Babe Dahlgren Al Gionfrido Eddie Miksis Eddie Basinski Randy Johnson Andy Pettite Billy Cox Gene Hermanski Augie Galen Larry French Frenchy Bordagaray(mustache&goatee).....Lou Boudreau.Andy Pafko Whitey Kurowski Brooks Robinson at the hot corner....Mo Rivera in relief at age 40.....(without steroids) Roger Clemens Red Ruffing Spud Chandler Dizzy Dean & his brother Paul..Johnny Sain. Cal Abrams Allie Reynolds Eddie Lopat Ken Griffey(Jr and Sr) Johnny Bench Pete Rose Jr Gilliam
Ten world series rings to Joe’s one when he had non conformists like bearded Johnny Dmon and “Godzilla Chop Suey .October 24,2110 self destroying no less at Arlington, Texas a toot and a whistle from JFK’s inevitable Dallas.......
III
The flakey brain waves of the former catcher become manager...relying on his binder of stats in the age of cybernetics....not having a Bobby Cox or a Charley Dressen ...his convoluted thinking was a Walpurgis of a nightmare.... self destroying before fans on six continents.
Lifting pitcher Phil Hughes(a second game disaster) shrieking screaming in the bottom of the fifth..when “say it ain ‘t so Joe” walking his talk to the guillotine .
“Say i t ain ‘t so Joe”
IV
Not a risk taking original thinker but recitative of deja vu syndrome since early September when the Yankees began their self destructiveness.,playing not to lose, leaving men in scoring position. Not getting runs in, going thru the motions after George Steinbrenner’s passing..
Not a clutch hit nor an “Ole Reliable” or a Dave Winfield in the lineup. Johnny.Damon clean shaven to the Tigers. Godzilla to the Angels.....
A company man couldn’t get it done.... Could he?
Right? Right.
V
Those convoluted brain waves like that of Justice Clarence Thomas’s frau...after 19 years dialed the Brandeis University professor Anita Hill to publicly apologize to her husband, the Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas for his stud like innuendos he made with the attractive worldly wise “Miranda” of the Bard’s “Tempest”.
As thou being on the make was an off the cuff impromptu for a Supreme Court nominee..
Girardi never ever second guessing himself imaginative adjustments to his self defeating syndrome.
When Phil Hughes was pulled in the 5th, he went screaming into the tunnel....his frayed psyche climbing the walls. Girardi never the father figure to youthful dreams of being and becoming his binder and “gimme the ball, kid” playing out his “30 lashes with a wet noodle” syndrome.
He couldn’t dominate an inning no less mine his pitch count . Finito to David Robertson’s home run gafes and his whupping boy A.J. Burnett’s. bottom line... pitching his maligned soul in spots where he wild pitched... hit a batter and walked bubbamizes in a cast of nine Texas Rangers.... a freaking out pitch count .
He and his zinger doomed..
“Say it ain’t so Joe”
A somnolent day of reality in the house that Ruth and George built October 24, 2010.... The Babe in his camel haired coat walking by the Ucla men’s gym..the Renaissance campus 1949..
