Joe Girardi Is Learning from the Tom Coughlin Instruction Manual

Two seasons ago, Tom Coughlin sat in a dark office, wondering what he could possibly do to save his job.

He had ultimately lost his locker room, and the veteran presence was beginning to shut him out.

The implementation of a leadership council, coupled with the brightening of a stern personality only a soldier could love, eventually paved the Giants path to a Superbowl title.

After similarly losing touch with the countless stars in the Yankee dugout, Girardi watched as his team finished six games out of the AL Wildcard race.

Even more concerning were reports of Derek Jeter’s displeasure with the locker room and coaching situation in the Bronx.

Permanently stuck within the league’s strongest division, Girardi knew that cosmic changes were necessary during this past offseason.

While $423.5 million of expenditure seems cosmic enough in itself, it has been the changes Girardi has made with his own attitude that may loom even larger.

Enter Tom Coughlin playing the role of Socrates, and Joe Girardi trying out for the role of his finest pupil Plato.

Actually, with as much talent as is present within the Giants and Yankees locker rooms, it is more so a revised copy of Coaching for Dummies.

Girardi’s job is even more simplistic than Coughlin’s. Coughlin needed to show a team’s core how to win, while Girardi needs to remind his core how to win.

Girardi’s “leadership council” has already been in power for fourteen years. By allowing Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera to handle their business, the Yankees will be far better off.

This is what Joe Torre always did best. He knew that he had the keys to a Ferrari, and he set it on cruise control. He never belittled his players, nor attempted to fix the unbroken.

Girardi has cancelled practices for team social gatherings, attempting to create a unified dugout. His relaxed demeanor has also been very well received by his players.

Aside from Girardi’s own behavioral changes, the Yankees have brought in an excellent compliment of personalities to the clubhouse.

Nick Swisher has already been dubbed the Yankee jester, making sure there is never stale air in the room.

He also works as hard as anyone on and off the field, showing a normally businesslike roster how to work and play. Damon will finally have a partner in crime.

CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira are two of the true fun-loving players in the league as well, and will deliver as many smiles and laughs in the dugout as they will victories on the field.

Even AJ Burnett has already made an impact on the Yankee roster. His relentless recruitment of Andy Pettitte during his contract negotiations made him realize how important he could become as one of the final pieces to the puzzle.

The likes of Brett Gardner and Cody Ransom will bring a toughness and gritty intensity from its role players that have been missing since the dynasty years.

The Yankees are a long way from following the Giants road to a championship. However, it appears Girardi has learned some important lessons in dealing with a big market sports franchise.

A-Rod Takes Shot at Jeter and Damon? Get Over Yourselves

Most superstars experience a turbulent rollercoaster ride through their Yankee years.

Mickey Mantle was far from the exception, and Roger Maris had his darkest days while breaking the home run record in pinstripes.

For Alex Rodriguez, the journey has been more reminiscent of jumping out of a plane with no parachute. It has been a heart-stopping freefall without a safety net and seemingly no conclusion in sight.

A-Rod’s ride actually seems somewhat worse than that.

He has started in orbit, and must first reenter the atmosphere before his freefall begins. Not only must he fall to Earth, but he must be engulfed in flames before doing so.

Rodriguez has been heavily scrutinized for:

1. Being seen with a blonde stripper in Canada
2. Cheating on his wife
3. Slapping the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove
4. His massive and unprecedented contract
5. Dating Madonna (far past her prime)
6. Using “Boli” and amphetamines
7. Withholding the entire truth in interviews
8. Leaving a spring training game with his ‘dealer’ cousin
9. Caring too much about his image, and
10. The failure to perform in the clutch

I am sure that I am leaving another group of blunders unnoticed, but the point has been made. A-Rod has experienced as much negative publicity as any non-imprisoned athlete.

Most of it is well deserved, but the recent whispers around baseball regarding his ‘disrespect’ of Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon is completely uncalled for.

While being interviewed about his temporary Dominican teammates, Rodriguez praised the tools and talents of Jose Reyes.

He simply said, “I wish he was on our team,” in an attempt to compliment a superstar and build chemistry with his new team.

Rodriguez even went on to compliment Yankees CF hopeful Brett Gardner. "That's fun to watch. Anytime you have that type of speed ... I mean, we have a guy in [Brett] Gardner that'll be fun. That's probably the most [fun] you can have, watching those guys run."

Somehow, in the twisted and ignorant minds of sportswriters and certain fans, this was intended as a shot to Jeter and Damon.

This of course because Jeter plays Reyes’ position as SS and Damon holds Reyes’ leadoff position in the lineup.

Even when A-Rod attempts to say positive things, they are twisted into controversy. It is becoming easier and easier to realize why he is so introverted with the media.

Had the scenario been reversed, and Derek Jeter praised USA 3B Chipper Jones, it would have been a classy move.

Simply a mutual respect earned from years of competition and World Series battles, Jeter would be patted on the back.

Why wouldn’t Rodriguez want one of the most dynamic players in MLB on his team? What exactly was he supposed to say about Reyes if not to compliment him?

The negativity surrounding A-Rod is beginning to get out of control. I am not going to condone most of what he has done and been caught doing, but give the guy a break.

Joe DiMaggio despised Mickey Mantle. They never got along, and DiMaggio always felt his legacy threatened by the new young star about to rewrite his position.

Rodriguez and Jeter do not need to be best friends. Their former relationship has been shattered, and they are now simply coworkers striving for the same goal.

Let it go. Stop attempting to create fire where there is not any smoke. The two may never like each other, but Rodriguez’s motive is not to belittle the Yankee captain…especially not now.

Yankee Restraint: Patience with Pettitte and Abreu Lands Them Teixeira

The Yankees have long been considered an organization characterized by a drunken sailor, and rightfully so. They tend to throw their riches at every attractive option available, and answer to critics at a later date.

This offseason seemed to be no different, as ‘$423.5 million’ has been stamped into the brains of every baseball supporter. This time, however, the Yankees intertwined blind aggression and fiscal awareness into their negotiations.

When it came to obtaining the best pitcher on the market, the Yankees did whatever it took, regardless of the circumstances. These were the George and Hank Steinbrenner Yankees.

In denying arbitration to two established veterans in Bobby Abreu and Andy Pettitte, the Yankees showed a clear awareness of where the market stood. This was a glance back in time of the Gene Michael Yankees.

Instead of inevitably committing themselves to $32 million in aging talent, the Yankees made the difficult decision to let .300 20 HR 100 RBI 20 SB walk out the door. Then they used leverage and realism in not offering Pettitte ‘Ace’ dollars in his decline phase.

The result was a savings of $26.5 million in guaranteed money. Even if Pettitte reaches all of his incentives, the Yankees are netting a $20 million payroll reduction.

Brian Cashman could now address the Yankees’ one remaining weakness. He essentially turned a 35 year old outfielder with limited range into a slugger with gold glove defensive ability in Mark Teixeira.

What is the difference between what Teixeira and Pettitte will make compared to the 2008 version of Abreu and Pettitte? It is the cost of a Brian Bruney or two; nothing more than an arbitration eligible middle reliever.

New York may have spent their profits like Armageddon was approaching, but their payroll remains virtually unchanged from 2008.

What they did was replace Carl Pavano, Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Abreu, and Pudge Rodriguez with CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Teixeira.

Next year we are sure to see more of the same. Hideki Matsui, Andy Pettitte, and Johnny Damon’s nearly $40 million will be transformed into a star outfielder and middle of the rotation starter.

What the Yankees do is retool according to the financial flexibility that they earned through a century of success and cerebral ownership.

They have gotten away from the tactical nature of assembling a roster that netted them four World Series Champions in five years.

Thankfully, the large commitments are once again being given to those in their prime, as opposed to the aging stars we have grown accustomed to.