Boone, Girardi share mutual respect

TAMPA, Fla. -- Joe Girardi had already enjoyed a baptism of sorts in his new hometown last November, taste testing cheesesteaks and doing his best Rocky Balboa impression by racing up the 72 stone steps that lead to the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art, when an unexpected phone call brought him back to his pinstriped past.

As Girardi checked the messages on his cell phone, he heard Aaron Boone’s recorded voice spill out of the speaker, then wondered aloud what the call could be about. Girardi soon learned that his successor in the Yankees' dugout wanted to offer his appreciation for a job well done, having prepared his band of “Baby Bombers” for big league success.

“He just wanted to talk about how he was thankful for the job the coaches here did,” Girardi said. “Obviously, he’s really happy with his team. We helped raise some of those kids and he just told me I did a good job. I thought it was really big of him to make that call, and I was not expecting it. I know Aaron a little bit, but our paths never really crossed in the game. I played more against Bret [Boone] than him. It was really nice.”

Girardi’s decade-long tenure as the Yankees’ manager ended after his club’s elimination in the 2017 American League Championship Series, and Wednesday marked his first trip to George M. Steinbrenner Field since that season. As the first Major League manager to win 100 or more games in each of his first two seasons, Boone credits Girardi for handing over the keys to a well-oiled machine.

“He's just someone that I have a really healthy respect for,” Boone said. “I had a really good conversation with him this winter. Part of the reason that I walked into such a good situation is what Joe was able to do here and the foundation that he laid. I think he's a big reason why I was able to walk in and hit the ground running. He was, for me, a really good guy to follow.”

Girardi said that it took him about a year to accept the Yankees’ decision to change managers, with general manager Brian Cashman saying at the time that they were seeking someone who could better execute “communication and connectivity” with young players like Aaron Judge, Gary Sánchez and Luis Severino.

“I had given a lot to the Yankees in the 10 years that I was there,” Girardi said. “I put my heart and soul in it, and I thought I was going to be back. I was looking forward to it, because we went through some years that were kind of lean and we transitioned with some older players. It was finally like, ‘The young guys have arrived.’ And you knew that they had a run for a long time, so I was looking forward to that.”

After the 2018 season, Cashman said that he visited Girardi’s home in the New York City suburbs to clear the air about their professional parting.

“He's a great manager, he was a great Yankee, and we were lucky to have him for as long as we did,” Cashman said. “I've been really fortunate to have some great leadership in that dugout for quite some time now. … We had a lot of winning together and he's won championships here as a player. He won a championship [in 2009] as a manager. But he's even that much better of a person.”

As Girardi entered the ballpark, having hustled across the Courtney Campbell Causeway following the Phillies’ split-squad 9-7 victory over the Pirates in Clearwater, Fla., he had a chance encounter to exchange pleasantries with Yankees hurlers Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle and Jordan Montgomery -- all of whom pitched for him on that ’17 club.

Girardi also enjoys daily connections with his past in Phillies camp -- former Bombers Didi Gregorius and David Robertson are on the roster, Ronald Torreyes is in competition for a utility role, and longtime dugout companion Rob Thomson is Girardi’s bench coach.

“Obviously, it’s really familiar for me,” Girardi said. “I’m trying to think how many years I was a part of the organization -- four as player, 10 as a manager, a couple years as a broadcaster, a bench coach. It’s been a big part of my life. It’s been a big part of my kids’ lives. But I’m really excited about my next chapter. I’ve loved every bit of being in Philadelphia. It’s a passionate town about sports and baseball, and it’s been great.”