Girardi Gets an Interview

Joe Girardi interviewed with the Cubs today. Naturally, there was no news about what went on in the interview, like what questions Girardi was asked, what answers he gave, or how many donuts Jim Hendry ate. But the thing I don't understand is why teams are so secretive about the day the interview is going to take place. The Cubs confirmed they were going to talk to Girardi and Girardi confirmed he was going to talk to the Cubs. But neither side would devulge what day they were going to talk. Why is the day such a big deal?

Girardi has already interviewed with the Washington Nationals and apparently has an offer to do some broadcasting next year. In an interview with the Daily Herald, Girardi indicated that he had also been approached about other open manager positions and thought a decision would be made by the end of the month.

Rumors are swirling that the Cubs are also going to interview Padres skipper Bruce Bochy. According to published reports, Hendry was interested in interviewing Bochy in 2003 when he hired Dusty Baker (remember him?), but the Padres refused to allow the interview. However, rumor has it that the Padres are interested in replacing Bochy, and Hendry is apparently still interested in talking to him. I'm luke warm on Bochy. I like him only because I can't think of anything I don't like about him. He does have an unusually large head, but that shouldn't stop a guy from managing the Cubs.

Even more rumors are swirling concerning the future of Joe Torre and Alex Rodriguez. The New York Daily News reported that Torre will be fired, although they failed to say when or who this news came from. In essence, they made up the whole story. Even so, that did not stop other news outlets, including ESPN, from reporting the news (and crediting the Daily News).

Getting rid of Torre makes no sense. The Yankees made the post-season for the 11th straight year (10 of those as division champs) and then ran into a Tigers team with a far superior pitching staff. The Yankees went 20 straight innings without scoring a run. That's usually not the manager's fault. Of course, making sense has never been the Boss's strong suit.

On the other hand, the ARod rumors make a lot of sense. I've got to believe that in his heart of hearts, ARod would rather play almost anywhere other than NY next year. I've also got to believe that the Yankee organization and players would rather approach 2007 without ARod and the hype surrounding him. He's a helluva player, but in NY, he's a poor fit.

Naturally, I'm hoping the Cubs can put together a package of players to bring ARod to the friendly confines. I wouldn't anticipate any of the problems he had in NY to follow him to Chicago. Of course, the Cubs likely won't be the only suitor the Yankees will be dealing with. Perhaps tops on the list is the Anaheim Angels (I know they're called the LA Angels of Anaheim now, but I've chosen not to participate in that ruse). Stay tuned...