Girardi is the Right Man for the Job

As Rick Morrisey pointed out in his column this morning, Joe Girardi is relatively inexperienced when it comes to managing an MLB club. He spent two years as a bench coach for the Yankees and then one year as the manager of the Marlins.

Pinella, on the other hand, has much more management experience. He’s managed the Yankees, Reds, Mariners, and D-Rays. He’s taken the Reds and Mariners to the post-season and he won a World Series Championship with the Reds. There’s no doubt just based on experience, Lou Pinella gets the nod to be the Cubs next manager.

Even so, I’m still pulling for Girardi. He is a more level-headed kind of guy who will more easily weather the up and downs and twists and turns that come with being part of the Cubs. He’s younger, has more time to build his career, and knows first hand what it’s like to be both a Cubs fan and a Cubs player. Plus, even if the Cubs don’t spend another penny on payroll, Girardi will be inheriting a team with a payroll nearly six times larger than the job he just left. So Joe likely won’t have any complaints about the amount of money being spent to sign players.

Pinella, on the other hand, is in a position where he has to win now. He’s 63 years old and only wants to manage for a few more years. He sees this gig with the Cubs as potentially being his swan song. If he can win a WS with the Cubs, he can walk away from the game as a hero.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of the Cubs winning now. But I’m concerned about what will happen when things don’t go quite right. What will Pinella do when Hendry fails to substantially improve the team or when the Trib Co. decides to cut payroll to make the team more attractive to potential buyers? Pinella doesn’t have the time nor the temperament to deal with these types of setbacks and disappointments.

I would be happy with either manager. In fact, I think Pinella might be in a better position to attract free agents. I also like the fact that Pinella is bilingual. But in the end, I still think Girardi is the best fit for the Cubs.