Major League Baseball

Managerial moves scrutinized in ALCS

Published Oct. 25, 2009 7:52 p.m. ET

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When Joe Girardi has big decisions to make, he consults his thick black binder. In his first postseason as New York's manager, he's been checking that book full of baseball data a lot. Some say too much. At this time of year, when the moves of experienced postseason managers like the Angels' Mike Scioscia and Philadelphia's Charlie Manuel are scrutinized as much as a contestant on "American Idol," Girardi has taken considerable heat for a handful of curious decisions in his first playoffs as a skipper. "As I've said all along, every move is not going to work out. That's the bottom line," Girardi said Saturday, before Game 6 of the AL championship series between the Yankees and Los Angeles Angels was postponed to Sunday by rain. "That's the human element of it. You prepare yourself for moves to work out," he said. "We had a lot of moves work out this year but we've had moves that haven't worked out. And that's why we haven't won every game." He's come close, though. The 44-year-old Girardi became only the second manager to win his first five postseason games before the Yankees dropped two of three in California, taking a 3-2 lead back to New York. An academic All-American at Northwestern, Girardi is known for being well-prepared and detail-oriented. The former catcher shed the tightly wound persona from his first year as Yankees manager and loosened up, even canceling practice in spring training to take the team to a pool hall, and the club responded by going a major league-best 103-59. But the playoffs have been different. Girardi often appears tense, the No. 27 on his back a burden in the Bronx where success is measured in World Series championships - he chose the number to remind him that New York is going for its 27th title. He's made moves based on matchups listed in the book rather than by feel, used pinch runners liberally and even benched, Jorge Posada - the player that replaced Girardi in the Yankees lineup in the late 1990s - in favor of light-hitting Jose Molina when A.J. Burnett starts. "You're under a microscope, and you understand that being here," Giradi said. "You understand it to a certain degree as a player. You understand it to a certain degree when you watch as a coach as you are working under Joe Torre. And you understand a lot better when you're actually sitting in that chair." The rumblings that began in the division series, when he wore a path to the mound swapping relievers, grew to tabloid fodder after the loss to the Angels in Game 3. Going to Dave Robertson in the 11th inning of Game 2 against the Twins with two runners on base and none out? No problem. The young reliever escaped the jam and the Yankees won. The questions came after Game 3 against the Angels, though, when Girardi pulled Robertson after getting two outs in the 11th. Girardi was seen in the dugout flipping through his binder before calling for Alfredo Aceves - who gave up the winning hit. "He's not just going with the hot hand," Posada said afterward. "He's going with the guy who's pitching good, going with the guy who's going to hit, just trying to win the game." Girardi was then second-guessed after Game 5 for leaving Burnett in too long. The starter had thrown about 60 pitches but sat for the Yankees' long, six-run seventh inning. He allowed the first two runners to reach in the bottom half before being lifted. The skipper also drew bemused looks for giving up the DH spot for a pinch runner, and for pulling Alex Rodriguez - a good baserunner - for another pinch runner while trailing 7-6 in the ninth inning of Game 5. The one person who is not parsing Girardi's decisions is the manager in the other dugout. "There's not a guy around that knows the Yankee team better than Joe Girardi," Scioscia said. "As a role of the manager, as our staff talks about, there can't be anybody around that knows the team better than I do or our staff does. So you make decisions along those lines and you have to live with them." Scioscia is not immune to criticism. Despite being considered one of the best managers in baseball, having won a World Series title in 2002 and leading the Angels to the playoffs in six of the last eight seasons, he was still asked Saturday about his decision to take out John Lackey in the seventh inning of Game 5 with the bases loaded and the Angels ahead 4-0. "You make your decisions and you live with them. Obviously that's one that didn't work out," Scioscia said Saturday. "As I said then and I think we've had some conversations since, you know, my heart said let John stay in there and pitch, and my head said try to turn Tex (Mark Teixeira) around. And that's what you get for listening to your head." The managers could be headed for more scrutiny after Game 6, depending on how they handle their aces. Thanks to the rainout, both are capable of pitching Sunday. Scioscia had Lackey available in the bullpen and Girardi was sticking with Andy Pettitte, even though CC Sabathia was on his regular rest. "We like the guy going (Sunday)," Girardi said of Pettitte, who will be going for his record 16th postseason win. "CC has been great, but Andy will pitch." The chorus of critics will surely let Girardi know if he was right.