Lenny Dykstra wants to be the Philadelphia Phillies manager
At this point in yet another disappointing Philadelphia Phillies season, it’s not a question of if Joe Girardi will be fired, but when.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski declared last week that he wouldn’t fire the embattled manager during the season, but that was before they dropped four straight. The third-place NL East team has lost 11 of their last 15 games and has sunk to 11 1/2 games out of first. With every appalling loss, Girardi’s future looks more set in stone. His latest comments gave off the energy of a passenger saying “smooth sailing” while the Titanic was already sinking:
"“I don’t worry about my job. I’ve never worried about my job. I don’t worry about my job. I’ve got to do my job. It’s the business of being a manager. I don’t worry about it.”"
Methinks the manager doth protest too much.
Whenever the Phillies do replace Girardi, one of their former stars would like to be considered for the gig:
Lenny Dykstra.
On Monday night, after the Phillies lost their fifth straight game, the perennially-online Dykstra wondered aloud about taking over:
Should I take the gig? https://t.co/HpUQ0Fi9hF
— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) May 31, 2022
By Tuesday morning, he’d officially thrown his hat into a ring that may or may not exist yet:
If the #Phillies want to win, they will hire me to manage the team. The fans deserve better! Baseball is my business! To be a winning manager in the big leagues, you have to know how to motivate your players so they will stop at nothing to do whatever it takes to win, dude!
— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) May 31, 2022
He also mentioned his spotless arrest record over the last four years, which doesn’t seem relevant, as Girardi also has not been arrested in that span, or ever in his life.
It’s not as if Girardi or anyone else who might be managing the currently lifeless #Phillies has been arrested any less than I have over the last four years, one week and one day! (And in the case of Hall of Famer Tony La Russa…)
— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) May 31, 2022
Dykstra celebrated four years without getting arrested last week:
Guess who’s now gone four consecutive years without being arrested.
— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) May 23, 2022
He also polled the public and retweeted several anti-Girardi and pro-himself sentiments:
Which team having a disappointing 2022 so far is the best fit for me to come in and take over as manager?
— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) May 31, 2022
Joe Girardi and Doc Rivers are the same person: Completely checked out do-nothings collecting a paycheck based on winning 1 title with absolutely loaded squads over a decade ago.
— Reverend Paul Revere (@RevPaulRevere) May 25, 2022
Lenny you’re the spark the Phillies need! Even if you’re the damn bench coach, we need you firing these guys up!
— Joe Schelling (@JoeySpeedo) May 31, 2022
It’s more than a bit hypocritical of Dykstra to make cracks about Tony La Russa for his two DUIs, seeing as Dykstra was also charged with a DUI of his own, after he drove drunk and crashed his car into two trees after John Kruk’s bachelor party in 1991.
The Phillies will almost certainly will replace Girardi before the end of the calendar year, but Dykstra probably isn’t the Phillies’ top choice. His post-playing career is overflowing with scandal and virtually zero leadership experience. The former pennant-winner has been embroiled in steroid allegations (he admitted it), failed business endeavors, bankruptcy, and more than two dozen instances of legal action taken against him in the last two decades. He’s pled guilty to multiple felonies and spent time in prison.
Less than three years into the gig, Girardi is not the common denominator of the Phillies’ failure, so firing him won’t solve all of their problems. These problems predate him, and seem immune to any changes that should improve the club. Unfortunately for him, it does seem inevitable that in the not-so-distant future, there will be a new skipper.
What is the Philadelphia Phillies’ common denominator of failure?
The Philadelphia Phillies are in danger of being swept by the New York Mets. What is the common denominator of their perennial underperforming and failure?