Phillies: Joe Girardi discusses need to adjust amid pandemic

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Phillies manager Joe Girardi discusses upcoming challenges as ‘spring training 2.0’ begins next week

Baseball is back. New Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi joined his former colleagues at MLB Network Wednesday evening to discuss current events surrounding the team, as well as his thoughts on “spring training 2.0” and the upcoming season.

How will new @Phillies skipper Joe Girardi approach managing the 2020 campaign?

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— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 25, 2020

Managing not just players, but COVID-positive cases

When Girardi joined the Phillies this offseason after spending much of the last decade as the New York Yankees skipper, surely he had no idea that he would have to manage a pandemic affecting his players before making decisions in the dugout at Citizens Bank Park.

As of early this week, the Phillies announced that seven players and five staff members tested positive for COVID-19. And, of those seven players, six had recently used the team’s training facilities in Clearwater, Florida.

While the identities of the players have not been identified, Girardi says he and the team frequently checks in on them to make sure they are doing OK.

“Most of them, the symptoms have been very mild, but [they still will be] quarantined for two weeks,” Girardi says.

And, as part of the recently agreed 101-page manual for the 2020 season, the players will still have a ways to go in terms of getting back on the baseball diamond — even after symptoms and the virus itself subsides.

“You have to be tested a number of times before you can come back. Once you come back, you can’t just dive right back in,” Girardi says.

Following the proper guidelines

The skipper called out pandemic’s seriousness and the “huge responsibility” on the sports industry to assure things are done the right way, that they protect each other, and that the guidelines are followed.

There is complexity as it relates to maintaining proper social distancing and staying six-feet apart, especially in baseball.

“You think about a clubhouse, 60 players in spring training, using different fields, and transferring. And, once they leave the facility, they have to come back, and their temperature is taken,” Girardi says. “It is really complicated.”

Phillies stadium employees are already on top of things. Girardi says a lot has been “thrown” on grounds crew and training staff to do things quickly, with players able to start showing up to Citizens Bank Park and needing to be tested as early as this Friday.

“Spring training can start as early as July 1. A full-squad can start on July 3. They have a lot to do,” he adds.

Joe Girardi, Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Changing managerial style amid 60-game schedule

When asked if he has to change the way he usually manages in order to adjust to the abbreviated schedule, Girardi agreed, adding he “better be smart about it.”

“I think you have to [adjust], but you also have to be careful, understanding, you think probably most about pitchers during this. And you’re going to think about position players as well,” he says.

While the 2020 season will start out with 30-man rosters, it will shrink to 28-man rosters two weeks later, and, after four overall weeks, to 26, notes 6ABC’s Jeff Skversky. Each team will be asked to submit their 40-man roster, as well as a 20-man “taxi squad” list.

There will be larger than ever roster sizes, yet a shorter than ever amount of time to gear up for the season. Girardi stresses the importance of using each player wisely.

“You can’t start running relievers out a number of days in a row just because it’s 60 games and it’s not a marathon but a sprint,” he says.

When discussing position players, Girardi says he may use the designated hitter as a strategic way to keep strong hitters in the lineup who could use a day off in the field.

“How many games will they play before they go into the regular season compared to the normal spring training? I think you’re going to have to use the DH strategically to get them off their feet a little bit,” Girardi says. “Maybe you can keep J.T. [Realmuto] or Bryce [Harper] in the lineup more. [Andrew] McCutchen, coming off the knee injury, can be used more. We [also] have Jay Bryce, who I think fits that mold pretty well.”

“There is a fine line as managers that we walk to making sure that players aren’t overused,” Girardi continues. “Because think about it: if you hurt someone or they go on the DL for two or three weeks, that could cost you your season.”

Scott Kingery #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies high fives manager Joe Girardi (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Keeping the taxi squad ready

Girardi says the Phillies have had discussions as far as different facilities they will use for “taxi squad” players, and that they need to have another group of starters ready to go on the same day as other starters “in case someone gets sick or goes down.”

“Lehigh is close, Reading is close,” he says. “They have to get live at-bats. Pitchers have to get to where they are facing hitters and competing but you’re also not wearing them out. I think you have to be strategic about that [as well].”

Getting to know players’ strengths and weaknesses

Girardi kept things frank on MLB Network in saying it is “unfortunate” the team had to break up their first spring training back in early March. He says he was “getting a decent feel” of the roster at that time.

“We were just getting to the competition stage where you were going to learn a lot about our players,” the 2009 World Series-winning skipper says. “But now, we start all over again.”

Fast-forward to July, Girardi says he will have to “really pay attention,” while relying on video and his coaching staff, to get a similar good feeling about his team in “spring training 2.0.”

“To me, I always think about the bullpen usage the most. And, about starters and how they look when their stuff is good — how it looks — and when they’re struggling it’s not,” says Girardi, who thinks he will have a pretty good handle on his hitters given he can study matchups.

At the end of the day, Girardi believes there is a “bunch more thought” he will have to put into this season than any season he has managed before.

“But, I think if we all put our heads together and we make sure that we’re responsible when we’re away from the field,” he says, “I think we can do this.”

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