Joe Not-So-Cool...

One of the stories out of New York in the past two days as been Jon Heyman's interview Tuesday with Mike Francesa. Talking on the FAN, Heyman revealed that there seem to be deep problems within the Yankee clubhouse regarding manage Joe Girardi. Heyman stated that the "old guard" whom he listed as Jeter, Posada, Mariano, and Pettitte have a problem with Girardi's communication skills. He further states that Jeter and Mariano are "not enamored" with Girardi and that the issue has become a serious problem.

Much has been made about Girardi's relationship with the media and it's no surprise that communication has become a problem in the clubhouse as well. For a manager to be effective he needs to maintain open lines of communication with his players. Communicating his plans and recieving feedback is vital for a manager to be on the same page with his players. Numerous instances occurred this season where this seemed to be a problem, notably the sitting of Damon in Minnesota where Damon was not informed of the changes until arriving at the park. This lack of communication is unecessary and can be seen as insulting by the players.

Girardi's managerial problems all seem to stem from the fact that he sees the manager as some kind of all-knowing secret keeper. It sounds bizarre but so is his behavior. Blatently lying about injuries is pointless especially when 10 minutes prior your GM already released the information. Injuries don't remain secrets for long and lying about them gives the idea that there's an internal disconnect between you and your club. A lack of communication with players can be seen as a disrespectful approach to managing a clubhouse. Sure, the manager is the manager but these players are adults. Many of them are veterans and haved earn the right to at least be able to openly communicate with their manager. Shuffling the lineup every other day, trying to outsmart God every ninth inning, and the shallow "I believe in this team" when we were a loss away from being sent home doesn't help anyone.

All in all, Girardi has his high points as a manager. He did a decent job with the bullpen this year and the final record isn't necessarily something to be ashamed of. However, the communication issues, embarassing media stunts, and a ineffective approach to dealing with the clubhouse should worry Yankee fans. This is New York, things don't stay hidden for long and once a story is out its out. Girardi is on watch now and it remains to be seen if he can turn this team around.