Former Cubs Catcher Waiting for Job In Chicago?
After pulling his name out of contention for the Cincinnati Reds managerial job some people around baseball believe for former Cubs catcher and Yankees Manager Joe Girardi might wait a year so he can manage in Chicago. This according to a report from NBC Sports Chicago.
The real question is do either The Chicago Cubs or Chicago White Sox want Joe Girardi as their manager? Both teams aren't committed to their managers' after next season. However both Joe Maddon and Rick Renteria at this point enjoy the support of their executives.
The White Sox say Renteria is "an important part of player development and of establishing a culture hoped to spread throughout the organization." While the Cubs haven't talked extension with Maddon, Cubs President Theo Epstein backed Maddon pretty solidly right after the team's early exit from the playoffs.
Rumors also spread that one of the reasons Girardi's tenure came to an end with the Yankees was his inability to connect with young players. That could be a concern on either side of Chicago. It's worth noting that's one of the reasons the Cubs let hitting coach Chili Davis go.
I think Joe Girardi would make a great manager on either side of town. While some feel the Cubs have won in spite of Joe Maddon, I have to believe as long as the Cubs keep making the playoffs and he wants to manage the Cubs he'll get to. I'm fine with that too.
Girardi to the White Sox is way more interesting to me. The White Sox over the last thirty years have become the second tier Chicago baseball team because of a lot of poor choices by ownership. A lot of those choices having little to do with the product on the field.
Joe Girardi managing a young team of great likable players might be the first step for the White Sox to overcome the perception that they're Chicago's second tier baseball team. After all, there was a time in the not to distant past where it seemed Chicago was split more evenly between Cubs and Sox fans. Girardi could be the spark that restores that balance.