{"id":35795,"date":"2022-06-04T00:32:01","date_gmt":"2022-06-04T00:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/phillies-had-to-fire-joe-girardi-as-manager-but-their-woes-remain\/"},"modified":"2022-06-04T00:32:01","modified_gmt":"2022-06-04T00:32:01","slug":"phillies-had-to-fire-joe-girardi-as-manager-but-their-woes-remain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/phillies-had-to-fire-joe-girardi-as-manager-but-their-woes-remain\/","title":{"rendered":"Phillies had to fire Joe Girardi as manager but their woes remain"},"content":{"rendered":"<div wp_automatic_readability=\"102.78776978417\"><!-- tml-version=\"2\" --><\/p>\n<p>The <span>Phillies<\/span> always were a faux contender.  By payroll alone, they fooled some people into thinking otherwise.  Only the <span>Mets<\/span>, <span>Dodgers<\/span> and <span>Yankees<\/span> spent more than Philadelphia&#8217;s $ 233 million.  But it was going to be difficult for the Phillies to push 90 wins with poor defense and a questionable bullpen.  Joe Girardi paid the price for those flaws.  But he also added to them.<\/p>\n<p>  The Phillies fired Girardi as manager Friday after a 273-game tenure that can only be classified as a failure.  Girardi was 132\u2013141 with Philadelphia while presiding over the worst bullpen in baseball (5.00 ERA) other than the <span>Rockies<\/span> (5.38 ERA).  Girardi&#8217;s relievers somehow gave up the fourth-most homers and suffered the fifth-most losses in three seasons despite throwing the fourth-fewest innings.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"m-in-content-ad-row l-inline mm-in-content-ad-row--in-content not-size-b not-size-c not-size-d\" data-ad-group=\"in_content-0\"\/>\n<div class=\"m-detail--body-item m-detail--body-item-inline\">\n<figure class=\"l-inline tml-image m-detail--tml-image--inline\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" wp_automatic_readability=\"1\"><phoenix-picture><a><picture class=\"is-waiting-to-load\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1240px) 700px, (min-width: 675px) 620px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_380\/MTg5OTQ2MzEzMjU1NjkxMzU3\/girardi-out-phillies.webp 380w, https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620\/MTg5OTQ2MzEzMjU1NjkxMzU3\/girardi-out-phillies.webp 620w, https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_1240\/MTg5OTQ2MzEzMjU1NjkxMzU3\/girardi-out-phillies.webp 1240w, https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700\/MTg5OTQ2MzEzMjU1NjkxMzU3\/girardi-out-phillies.webp 700w, https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_1400\/MTg5OTQ2MzEzMjU1NjkxMzU3\/girardi-out-phillies.webp 1400w\"><source sizes=\"(min-width: 1240px) 700px, (min-width: 675px) 620px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_380\/MTg5OTQ2MzEzMjU1NjkxMzU3\/girardi-out-phillies.jpg 380w, https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620\/MTg5OTQ2MzEzMjU1NjkxMzU3\/girardi-out-phillies.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_1240\/MTg5OTQ2MzEzMjU1NjkxMzU3\/girardi-out-phillies.jpg 1240w, https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700\/MTg5OTQ2MzEzMjU1NjkxMzU3\/girardi-out-phillies.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_1400\/MTg5OTQ2MzEzMjU1NjkxMzU3\/girardi-out-phillies.jpg 1400w\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/phoenix-picture><!-- disableImageMeta is needed to prevent duplicate rendering of the image meta.--><!-- Duplicate rendering can occur because we have moved the image metadata outside of--><!-- the .m-detail-header--container. The original image metadata in tmlImage is needed--><!-- for the InContent detail header which renders when the media size is inline or breakout.--><figcaption wp_automatic_readability=\"2\">\n<p class=\"tml-image--caption\" itemprop=\"caption\">Girardi&#8217;s time as Phillies manager can only be described as a failure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"tml-image--attribution\" itemprop=\"author\"><span>AP Photo \/ Matt Slocum<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>  Unofficially, Girardi was gone May 24. That was the night in <span>Atlanta<\/span> when Girardi refused to use his closer, Corey Knebel, after a two-run homer in the top of the ninth by Bryce Harper gave the Phillies a 5\u20134 lead.  A win would have pulled the Phillies to within one game of .500.  Girardi asked Nick Nelson to do something he had never done before: Close a one-run ball game.  Ten pitches later, the Phillies lost.  And Girardi lost the clubhouse.  It started a 1\u20137 tailspin that sealed his fate of him.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"m-in-content-ad-row l-inline mm-in-content-ad-row--in-content not-size-a not-size-b not-size-c\" data-ad-group=\"in_content-0\"\/>\n<aside class=\"m-in-content-ad-row l-inline mm-in-content-ad-row--in-content not-size-a not-size-b not-size-d\" data-ad-group=\"in_content-0\"\/>\n<aside class=\"m-in-content-ad-row l-inline mm-in-content-ad-row--in-content not-size-a not-size-c not-size-d\" data-ad-group=\"in_content-0\"\/>\n<aside class=\"m-in-content-ad-row l-inline mm-in-content-ad-row--in-content not-size-b not-size-c not-size-d\" data-ad-group=\"in_content-1\"\/>\n<p>  Why didn&#8217;t Girardi use his closer that night?  He has a \u201crule\u201d that no reliever should pitch three consecutive days, especially early in the season.  Defending himself, Girardi brought up junk science.  \u201cLook how many guys had Tommy John surgery last year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>  He told Knebel, who wanted the ball, \u201cYou threw a lot of pitches\u201d on each of the previous two days.  His pitch di lui counts: 23 and nine. <\/p>\n<p>  Protecting the health of players is admirable.  But you cannot be so rigid as to disallow common sense, especially when your position players have fought back to the edge of a needed victory.<\/p>\n<section class=\"m-in-content-recommendation m-detail--in-content-recommendation m-detail--body-reset mm-component-stack--is-body-item\" style=\"--title_size_a_font_size:16;--title_size_b_font_size:16;--title_size_c_font_size:16;\">\n<p><span>Scroll to Continue<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>  The greatest relief pitcher of all time, Mariano Rivera, pitched 19 years without a major arm injury.  Do you know how many times he pitched three days in a row?  Forty-six times.  He did so 39 times for Joe Torre and seven times for Girardi.<\/p>\n<p>  The Phillies&#8217; bullpen would test any manager, but Girardi does not have a good track record of running bullpens.  His bullpens di lui ranked in the bottom half more times (eight) than in the top half (six).  In his eight years without Rivera, Girardi&#8217;s bullpen ranks were 3, 14, 16, 19, 21, 24, 25, 30.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"m-in-content-ad-row l-inline mm-in-content-ad-row--in-content not-size-b not-size-c not-size-d\" data-ad-group=\"in_content-2\"\/>\n<p>  In addition to his bullpen usage, Girardi took heat for his lineups, a popular criticism that tends to be overrated by critics.  Even so, Girardi&#8217;s leadoff hitters posted at .252 on-base percentage.  Only two teams ever finished a season with a worse OBP out of the leadoff spot: the 1969 expansion <span>Padres<\/span> and the &#8217;81 <span>Blue Jays<\/span>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"m-in-content-ad-row l-inline mm-in-content-ad-row--in-content not-size-a not-size-b not-size-c\" data-ad-group=\"in_content-1\"\/>\n<aside class=\"m-in-content-ad-row l-inline mm-in-content-ad-row--in-content not-size-a not-size-b not-size-d\" data-ad-group=\"in_content-1\"\/>\n<aside class=\"m-in-content-ad-row l-inline mm-in-content-ad-row--in-content not-size-a not-size-c not-size-d\" data-ad-group=\"in_content-1\"\/>\n<p>  There was little Girardi could have done with the hand he was dealt on defense.  The elbow injury to Harper forced bat-first free agents Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to get regular run in the corner outfield spots.  The interior defense was so bad it allowed a .270 batting average on grounders \u2014 38 points worse than average and worse than every team except the <span>Nationals<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>  Every year the Phillies have less acreage to cover in their home park than any other team, and every year they defend poorly.  Under Girardi they ranked 30th, 23rd and 26th in defensive efficiency.  In the three previous seasons they ranked 16th, 29th and 22nd.  Girardi&#8217;s replacement, Rob Thomson, is not going to turn bad defenders into good ones.<\/p>\n<p>  Don&#8217;t let the luxury tax bracket fool you.  From the start the Phillies were a flawed team.  Trying to win without a reliable defense and bullpen is a losing formula.  The offense (seventh in the league in runs per game) wasn&#8217;t close to covering such flaws.  It was a difficult task, and Girardi had to go because he was not up to it.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"m-in-content-ad-row l-inline mm-in-content-ad-row--in-content not-size-b not-size-c not-size-d\" data-ad-group=\"in_content-3\"\/>\n<p><strong>More MLB Coverage:<br \/><\/strong><strong>\u2022 The Phillies Are in Free Fall<br \/>\u2022 Five-Tool Newsletter: Diary of a Near-Perfect Game<br \/><\/strong><strong>\u2022 Jeremy Pe\u00f1a Is MLB&#8217;s Most Professional Rookie<br \/><\/strong><strong>\u2022 Welcome Back to the New Normal, Hitters<br \/><\/strong><strong>\u2022 Brett Phillips Is MLB&#8217;s Master of Fun<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/template\" id=\"facebookPixel1103097776498609\">!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()\n{n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}\n;if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;\nn.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\nt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,\ndocument,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n(function(){\n    fbq('init', '1103097776498609');\n    fbq('track', 'PageView');\n    var contentId = 'ci02a2d29ac000245d';\n    if (contentId !== '') {\n        fbq('track', 'ViewContent', {content_ids: [contentId], content_type: 'product'});\n    }\n})();<\/script>    .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Phillies always were a faux contender. By payroll alone, they fooled some people into thinking otherwise. Only the Mets, Dodgers and Yankees spent more than Philadelphia&#8217;s $ 233 million. But it was going to be difficult for the Phillies to push 90 wins with poor defense and a questionable bullpen. Joe Girardi paid the &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/phillies-had-to-fire-joe-girardi-as-manager-but-their-woes-remain\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Phillies had to fire Joe Girardi as manager but their woes remain<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[11],"tags":[1202,236,1201],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/t_share\/MTg5OTQ2MzEzMjU1NjkxMzU3\/girardi-out-phillies.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35795"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35795"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35795\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}