The Phillies hired Joe Girardi as their manager today.  Earlier this week, they announced the hiring of Brian Barber as their Director of Amateur Scouting.  Both have in common that their most recent MLB employer was the New York Yankees.

Joe Girardi was drafted by the Chicago Cubs as a catcher in the fifth round of the 1986 Amateur Draft out of Northwestern University.

Girardi reached the majors at the start of the 1989 season.  He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies as the 19th pick in the 1992 expansion draft.  He was later traded to the Yankees in November of 1995 (for RHP Mike DeJean, a MiLB pitcher who reached the majors in 1997 as a reliever who made his first appearance against the Phillies).  The following year, he was granted free agency and re-signed a 3-year deal with the Yankees.  He became a free agent after the 1999 season and signed a 3-year deal with the Cubs. He became a free agent after the 2002 season and signed with the Cardinals.  He signed a free agent deal with the Yankees after the 2003 season but retired during spring training before the 2004 season.

Girardi joined the YES Network as a broadcaster in 2004, but rejected a larger broadcasting role in 2005  as well as a position as bench coach with the Marlins (which included a guarantee of becoming the manager in 2006) to become the Yankees bench coach.  In 2006, he did become the Marlins manager.  One of his first acts as manager was to prohibit facial hair.  He led the Marlins to an78-84 record and wild card contention for most of the season despite having the lowest payroll in MLB.  Although he was voted 2006 Manager of the Year, he was fired after the season, probably over an on-field argument with owner Jeff Loria over his heckling of the home plate manager during an August game.  Girardi was also voted Sporting News Manager of the Year.

After being passed over for the open Cubs’ manager position and removing himself from consideration for the same position with the Nationals, Girardi returned to the YES Network for 2007.  In June 2007, he interviewed and subsequently turned down the Orioles’ manager’s job.

Girardi accepted a 3-year, $7.5M contract to become the Yankees’ manager on October 29, 2007 (over Tony Peña and Don Mattingly).  A health enthusiast, Girardi banned sweets such as ice cream and soda in the clubhouse.  The Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time since 1993 in his first season (89–73 in 2008, third in the AL East).

In 2009, well, you know.  It was the Yankees first World Series title since 2000.

After the 2010 season, Girardi signed a second, 3-year deal with the Yankees.  His 2013 Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008.  After that season, he signed a 4-year, $16M deal.  He missed the playoffs again in 2014.  In 2015, he led the team to a wild card berth.  In 2016, he missed the playoffs again.  But, qualified as a wild card in 2017.  He won the wild card game and came back from 0-2 deficits in the ALDS and ALCS, winning the division series but losing to the Astros in the championship series.  His contract expired at the end of the season, and the Yankees did not try to re-sign him.

This past August, he was named the manager for the US National Team at the 2019 WBSC Premier12 and would have been the Olympic team coach, but he stepped down to return to manage an MLB team.

Girardi has 4 world series rings, 3 as a player with the ’96, ’98, ’99 Yankees and one as the manager of the ’09 Yankees.  His record as a manager is 1782-988 (78-84 with the Marlins and 910-710 with the Yankees).  He managed 52 playoff games and has a 28-24 record.

Brian Barber was drafted by the Saint Louis Cardinals as a pitcher in the first round of the 1991 Amateur Draft out of Dr. Phillips High School (FL).  He was the 1991 Gatorade HS Player of the Year.

Barber reached the majors in 1995.  He pitched in 10 games over 2 years with the Cardinals.  He was granted free agency after the 1997 season and signed with the Royals.  He pitched in 26 games over 2 years and was granted free agency after the 1999 season.  He signed with the Indians but retired before the 2000 season.

Barber spent the last 18 years in the Yankees scouting department.  He began as an area scout, advanced to regional crosschecker (for the east coast), and most recently was their national crosschecker.

Apparently, Barber was hired last week.  He was spotted at the Carpenter Complex early this week.  He lives in Orlando.

Two years ago, the Phillies hired Rob Thomson as Gabe Kapler’s bench coach.  Thomson had been Girardi’s bench coach for the previous 3 years (2015-17).  He and the remaining Phillies’ coaches have been retained after Kapler was fired.  They were given permission to look for other jobs and would be paid if the incoming manager decided to replace them.

It remains to be seen if Thomson and the rest survive Girardi’s arrival.  At the very least, the new manager must select new pitching and hitting coaches.  Some of his Yankees’ coaches could soon join him.

Tony Pena was the bench coach (2009-14) and third base coach 2015-17) under Girardi.  Dave Eiland (2008-10) and Larry Rothschild (2011-present) were his pitching coaches.  Alan Cockrell (2016-17) was his last hitting coach.  Mike Harkey (2008-13 and 2016-present) and Gary Tuck (2014-15) were his bullpen coaches.  There were a few others.  If enough of them join his staff, do we change our pinstripes to blue?

Well, the manager search is over.  All coaching openings other than the major league hitting and pitching vacancies have been filled.  We can turn our attention to the coaches search and other things.

Strength and Conditioning camp begins on November 4th.  About 40 players were invited.  Another 50 plus staff will be on site including the trainers and support staff from the affiliates.  I believe that the front office will be here that week, too, conducting their own meetings in preparation for the the GM meetings that start on November 11th.