Florida manager Joe Girardi insisted he's focused on helping the Marlins continue their surprising playoff push, despite rumors he'll be fired after the season.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, citing unidentified sources, reported Friday that Girardi's chances of returning next season are "zero" on a scale of 1 to 10.
"There's one thing I can't control and that's sources," Girardi said the Marlins played the Phillies on Friday night. "My job is to make sure this club wins games and we've done that. The focus should be on the players and what we're able to accomplish in the next nine days and if we reach our goal. The focus should not be on me or anything other than winning games."
Girardi, in his first season on the job, has two years remaining on a three-year contract. He's a strong candidate for NL manager of the year after leading the team with the lowest payroll in the major leagues into the wild-card race.
But Girardi's job security has been questioned because of a strained relationship with owner Jeffrey Loria. A much-publicized rift between the two men erupted at a game Aug. 6, when Loria berated an umpire while sitting behind the plate. From the dugout, Girardi told or asked the owner to stop, witnesses said. Loria angrily left his seat and confronted Girardi after the game during a 90-minute clubhouse meeting.
Loria wouldn't endorse Girardi when he finally addressed the matter three weeks later.
"The one thing I do not want to happen is the players should not be in the middle of this," Girardi said. "The players are called upon to play."
With a roster dominated by rookies, the Marlins were widely projected to lose more than 100 games. Instead, they became the first team in history to have a winning record after falling 20 games under .500. Florida was 11-31 on May 21, but improved to 73-72 on Sept. 12. The Marlins entered Friday's game at 76-77, and were four games behind wild card-leading Los Angeles.
Source: Yahoo! News
Well that is just terrible. He's probably manager of the year, and he's going to get fired. There's some good news for Cubs fans.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, citing unidentified sources, reported Friday that Girardi's chances of returning next season are "zero" on a scale of 1 to 10.
"There's one thing I can't control and that's sources," Girardi said the Marlins played the Phillies on Friday night. "My job is to make sure this club wins games and we've done that. The focus should be on the players and what we're able to accomplish in the next nine days and if we reach our goal. The focus should not be on me or anything other than winning games."
Girardi, in his first season on the job, has two years remaining on a three-year contract. He's a strong candidate for NL manager of the year after leading the team with the lowest payroll in the major leagues into the wild-card race.
But Girardi's job security has been questioned because of a strained relationship with owner Jeffrey Loria. A much-publicized rift between the two men erupted at a game Aug. 6, when Loria berated an umpire while sitting behind the plate. From the dugout, Girardi told or asked the owner to stop, witnesses said. Loria angrily left his seat and confronted Girardi after the game during a 90-minute clubhouse meeting.
Loria wouldn't endorse Girardi when he finally addressed the matter three weeks later.
"The one thing I do not want to happen is the players should not be in the middle of this," Girardi said. "The players are called upon to play."
With a roster dominated by rookies, the Marlins were widely projected to lose more than 100 games. Instead, they became the first team in history to have a winning record after falling 20 games under .500. Florida was 11-31 on May 21, but improved to 73-72 on Sept. 12. The Marlins entered Friday's game at 76-77, and were four games behind wild card-leading Los Angeles.
Source: Yahoo! News
Well that is just terrible. He's probably manager of the year, and he's going to get fired. There's some good news for Cubs fans.
