The New York Yankees are bringing back a very familiar face on YES Network.
On Friday, head studio analyst Jack Curry announced that the network has hired former Yankee player and manager Joe Girardi as an analyst for the 2024 season. Girardi had two previous stints with YES in 2004 and 2007 (both of them prior to being hired as the team's manager), but he is also continuing his work on the Chicago Cubs' Marquee Sports Network, also as an analyst.
Despite playing with four different teams and managing three more, Girardi is not only primarily associated with the Yankees, but is also associated with their winning culture. As a player, he was with the Yankees from 1996 to 1999 and won the World Series with the team in three of those four seasons. He was the primary catcher of the 1996 team and hit an iconic RBI triple in Game 6 of that year's World Series; behind the plate, he caught a pair of no-hitters, those being Dwight Gooden's no-no on May 14, 1996, and David Cone's perfect game on July 18, 1999.
After his playing career ended, Girardi became the Yankees' bench coach and the manager of the Florida Marlins in 2005 and 2006, respectively, which were sandwiched between his prior YES Network stints; he was named NL Manager of the Year in 2006, but was fired after the season.
In 2008, Girardi replaced Joe Torre as the Yankees' manager and spent the next ten seasons in that role. Under Girardi's guidance, the Bronx Bombers recorded a winning record every year, made the playoffs six times, played in the ALCS four times (winning once), and played in and won the 2009 World Series, the team's most recent championship and World Series appearance to date. The Yankees were 200 games above .500 with Girardi as skipper, finishing 910-710 from 2008 to 2017.
After his tenure as Yankee manager ended, Girardi worked for MLB Network, managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 2020 to June 3, 2022, and became a color commentator for the Cubs prior to rejoining YES.
With former teammates Cone, Paul O'Neill, and Jeff Nelson as co-workers (in addition to coaching Jack Flaherty) and his status as a fan favorite still intact, Girardi should acclimate himself nicely in the studio and deliver fresh analysis on the Bronx Bombers' upcoming season.
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