Joes

Good morning! There are two new major league baseball managers, one on each coast. Joe Girardi has officially been named the skipper of the New York Yankees, and has a three year contract. At the press conference held to announce his hiring, he spoke of his Dad, who is sick, and that touched me. The man has a big heart and the love he has for his family is real. He said this, taken from the Hartford Courant's Jeff Jacobs' Friday column....

"My father hasn't spoken in a month," Girardi said as he buttoned up pinstripe jersey No. 27 and secured his Yankee cap. "And when the lady who takes care of my father - he has Alzheimer's - showed him the picture of me as the new Yankee manager, my father said, `Oh, yeah.' This means a lot to our family."
There was a tear in Girardi's voice and, for a second, there was another Torre in The House That Ruth Built and A-Rod Abandoned. This was a moving introductory moment for Girardi."

Peter here, and yes it was. My Dad also suffered from that terrible affliction, and I know exactly how he feels. Good luck to him. At least he won't have to deal with Georgie Porgie.

Also signing a three year deal, this one for $13 million, is Joe Torre, a gifted leader. And he'll need all those leadership skills to handle a team of young players and veterans who never really meshed the way they should have under Grady "leave him in there" Little. I wish him well. He is and always will be a class act, a gentleman who knows what he's doing. Don Mattingly will remain "his man Friday." And that bodes well for the Dodgers. Will Posada or Rivera follow them to Lala land? Only time will tell, but Andy Pettitte has gone on record to say that if he pitches at all in 2008, it will be for the Yankees.

And so it goes, day five of the off season, the time of year when thoughts turn to football and college basketball, the University of Connecticut Huskies for us here in North Central Connecticut. The men are coming off a tough season and will improve. The women? That's another story entirely. They are ranked number two in the country, behind their non-showing nemesis, Tennessee. And they have the best high school player in the nation, BY FAR, coming to Storrs next year. They should be so much fun to watch, and they kick off the 07-08 season with a game against the USA National team, featuring the likes of Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Swin Cash, who all played for UCONN in the beginning of this century. This should be a great one to watch, the start of what should be a Final Four season, and it IS televised tonight at 7:30 PM EDT on CPTV (Connecticut Public television).

Wow, I was a little long-winded, but I'm done! Have a wonderful Friday and weekend. The Red Sox news front was quiet (All Quiet on the Fenway Front), except for the news that Doug Mirabelli filed for free agency on Thursday. If he's going to go, we'll miss him. He had an off year with a .202 batting average, but his defense when faced with the Wakefield knuckleballs was unsurpassed. Good luck, Dougie!! Click on the title of this post for the aforementioned Jeff Jacobs and his Friday sports piece. I'm sure you'll enjoy. Be well, be safe, and be happy. Always and forever.