GIRARDI’S BOSTON DEBACLE

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Well, Girardi did it. Again. In his never ending quest to prove he is as smart as Joe Torre, Girardi overmanaged the Yankees out of a sure win in the opener of the Red Sox series.

This time Girardi’s blunder occurred in the 8th inning. With a 4-2 lead, Jonathan Albaladejo was cruising when he inexplicably hit Nick Green with an 0-2 pitch. He then threw a strike to Ellsbury, and that’s when Girardi had his brainstorm. Or, more accurately, brain freeze.

For reasons unknown, he brought in Rivera. Mo got out of the inning. But whereas normally he would be in the bullpen loosening and preparing for the 9th inning, Rivera sat on the bench for 15 minutes while the Yankees loaded the bases but did not score.

When he finally got the throw again, Mo was not sharp. He gave up a game tying two run home run to Bay. Youklis followed with the game winner in the 11th against an increasingly overmatched Damaso Marte.

So let’s review. Girardi panics and removes Albaladejo, who was pitching well. Jacoby Ellsbury, a left handed hitter is up. But Girardi does not bring in Marte, his supposed left handed specialist. Instead, he brings in Rivera, so that he can go cold on the bench between innings. How does any of this make sense?

The Yankees lost a game they had won. They lost the opener against their chief rival, and in demoralizing fashion. They now face two more games at Fenway this weekend with a closer who threw thirty pitches in the first game. In one swell foop, Girardi has put the Yankees behind the eight ball for the whole series.

What is truly maddening is Girardi’s need to make every game about himself. He always has to make one more move, one last move to show he is the smartest guy in the park. At crunch time, the game is never about the players – it is always about Girardi. Like Bobby Valentine before him, Girardi has an insatiable need to be the center of attention.

The Yankees need to take a long hard look at the man who is calling the shots on the field.

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