Girardi a champion as skipper

NEW YORK --- When Joe Girardi left the dugout every few minutes to switch relievers against the Angels, some wondered whether he was getting paid per pitching change.

When he left slumping Nick Swisher in the lineup, he was criticized. When he put in a pinch runner for Alex Rodriguez, his judgment was questioned. Then, his decision to go with a three-man rotation in the World Series was hotly debated.

It's shelved for now, as the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 to claim their first title since 2000 on Wednesday night.

In a sport filled with second-guessing, no one is analyzed more than the manager of the New York Yankees. Especially the manager who succeeded Joe Torre.

"Anything involving the Yankees is going to be scrutinized, is going to be looked upon, is going to be dissected," team president Randy Levine said Wednesday. "In any position such as that, it takes time to really feel comfortable. And it took Joe very little time."

There were growing pains for Girardi throughout 2008, especially as the Yankees faded from contention and their streak of consecutive playoff appearances ended at 13.

Torre became a beloved figure when he managed the Yankees to four World Series titles from 1996-00, deflecting criticism with his stories of Bob Gibson and the good ol' days. Even though he failed to win another championship during his final seven seasons, Torre left a huge shadow that Girardi stepped into.

"I think it would have been somewhat difficult for any manager to do, because he was here for so long -- the relationships that he had with the players, the media, with everyone involved. Obviously, I understood that going in," Girardi said when spring training began this year. "It wasn't going to be easy to replace him. I never tried to replace him. I just tried to be myself."

Girardi was voted NL Manager of the Year in 2006, receiving the honor after the Florida Marlins fired him following his only season. Despite keeping a team with 22 rookies in contention until September, he didn't get along with owner Jeffrey Loria.

"You learn a lot about people. You learn a lot about how to wear different hats, what relationships mean and the importance of doing everything in your willpower to get the most out of your players, no matter what it really takes," Girardi said.