Phillies: Girardi brings more than just winning record

Joe Girardi, the fifth Philadelphia Phillies manager since 2013, brings a number of notable attributes to the team following 10 seasons in New York.

When the Philadelphia Phillies hired manager Joe Girardi, they hired a manager with a winning record – 988-794 (or .554 win percentage) in 11 seasons, including a 910-710 record (.562 win percentage) in 10 seasons with the New York Yankees.

But, Girardi is more than just a winning skipper. He brings a number of notable attributes to a Phillies team that needs someone to do the job and stick around.

Girardi brings longevity to the team.

His 10 seasons with the Yankees show that he’s capable of producing the results needed to stick around for the long-term.

He joins Philadelphia under a three-year contract, with a club option for the following year.

The last Phillies manager who spent three or more seasons with the team was Charlie Manuel.

Manuel spent nearly nine years with the Phillies before his departure during the 2013 season, recording a 780-636 record (.551 win percentage), five playoff appearances and the 2008 World Series championship.

The Phillies’ story after that? Ryne Sandberg – nearly two seasons (his only major league experience as manager) with a 119-159 record and no postseason appearances; Pete Mackanin – just over two seasons (his longest tenure with a single MLB team) with a 174-238 record and no postseason; and Gabe Kapler – two seasons (his first as an MLB manager) with a 161-163 record and no postseason.

In total, that’s four managers over the last seven seasons, with a 507-627 record and no postseason appearances.

Girardi brings that longevity and winning record from his time with the Yankees. As the fifth different Phillies manager since 2013, the hope is that Girardi will provide the results needed to stick around and provide some stability for the team.

Longevity goes hand-in-hand with stability, not just for the team, but also their players.

Bryce Harper has the longest contract on the team, secured through the 2031 season. Harper, like the Phillies, has worked with a number of managers over the last decade.

The Las Vegas native made his major league debut with the Washington Nationals in 2012, joining their new manager Davey Johnson. After two seasons, Johnson was replaced by Matt Williams; two seasons later, Dusty Baker, then two more seasons after that, Dave Martinez.

Harper spent a season with the Nationals under Martinez before signing with the Phillies and Kapler last year. While there’s no direct correlation between the turnover and his MLB stats, there’s no doubt that some stability on the managerial front would be good for Harper, especially with his long contract.

Other starters, like Jean Segura, Andrew McCutchen and J.T. Realmuto, have also worked with a number of managers in recent years, though Segura and McCutchen also spent time with more than two teams.

Another element that Girardi brings to the Phillies is his playoff experience.

Girardi took the Yankees to the postseason in six of 10 seasons with the team, including a 2009 World Series championship. His overall playoff record is 28-24, or .538.

While Girardi took the team to only two postseasons in his last five years in New York, it’s important to note that big roster changes happened during that stretch.

A 2012 playoff-bound team that included Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano and Ichiro Suzuki looks much different than a 2017 playoff-bound team that included Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorius and Luis Severino.

There was a lot of turnover between Girardi’s stretch of consecutive postseason appearances and his final season with the Yankees.

The Phillies have done their share of roster moves recently, including the addition of Harper, Segura, McCutchen, Realmuto, Gregorius and Zack Wheeler over the last couple of years.

The players in the projected starting lineup and at the front of the rotation also have a track record for success. McCutchen was the 2013 NL MVP, has appeared in five All-Star Games and four postseasons. Harper was the 2015 NL MVP, has appeared in six All-Star Games and four postseasons.

Jake Arrieta was the 2015 NL Cy Young winner, with one All-Star appearance and three postseasons, including winning the 2016 World Series with the Chicago Cubs.

Segura and Realmuto are two-time All-Stars, Aaron Nola took part in one All-Star Game and Gregorius has been to four postseasons.

The Phillies roster has a playoff pedigree and their new manager has the playoff experience to match.

Girardi also brings a different insight to the team.

After the Yankees parted ways with Girardi at the end of the 2017 season, the skipper joined MLB Network as an analyst on MLB Tonight.

While a manager’s job includes sizing up the competition by watching tapes, the role of TV analyst gave Girardi a more consistent look at teams across the majors, matched with the opinions and insights gathered from his fellow analysts.

That perspective from his time away from the field could provide an edge when it comes to preparing for each team that they’ll face.

And one more element worth mentioning is Girardi’s big market experience.

Philadelphia has some of the most passionate sports fans in the country and while that passion could create extra pressure for the decision makers on the team, Girardi is no stranger to being front and center.