(Updated Dec. 17, 2019)
Joe Girardi and Mike Matheny have much in common. Both attended Big Ten Conference schools (Northwestern for Girardi; Michigan for Matheny). Both were catchers who played in the World Series for franchises they later managed (Yankees for Girardi; Cardinals for Matheny). Both were teammates for one season, with the 2003 Cardinals.
On Dec. 17, 2002, Girardi, a free agent, signed with the Cardinals to be the backup to Matheny. Because of injuries, Girardi was limited to 16 games played for the Cardinals in 2003, the last of his 15 seasons as a big-league player.
Six months before joining the Cardinals, Girardi had helped them during one of their saddest days.
On June 22, 2002, before the Cardinals and Cubs were to play a Saturday afternoon game at a packed Wrigley Field, the teams learned St. Louis pitcher Darryl Kile had been found dead in his hotel room. After officials agreed to call off the game, it was decided Girardi, the Cubs’ catcher, should inform the crowd.
Displaying his leadership skills, Girardi stood on the field, faced the fans and informed them through the public-address system that a “tragedy in the Cardinals’ family” had occurred, that the game would not be played and the spectators should show respect and “pray for the Cardinals’ family.”
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote, “Girardi’s statements helped turn what some club officials feared might be an unseemly response by a disappointed crowd into one of quiet sympathy.”
Helping to recruit Girardi to the Cardinals was first baseman Tino Martinez, who had played with Girardi for four seasons with the Yankees. “Tino told me St. Louis would be a great place to play,” Girardi said to the Associated Press.
Girardi, 38, acccepted a one-year, $750,000 contract from the Cardinals. Strauss wrote Girardi “is considered a solid complement to Matheny.” (The Cardinals also had catcher Eli Marrero, but planned to play him primarily in the outfield in 2003.)
At spring training, Girardi indicated he was picking up the vibe of a championship club.
“To me, this is very similar to the feel in New York,” said Girardi, who played for three World Series-winning Yankees clubs (1996, 1998 and 1999). “They (the Cardinals) expect to win. Anything short of a World Series is considered a failure. Guys were here early before they had to report, working out. It’s just a good group and you can see that.”
Girardi was hitting .375 in 27 at-bats for St. Louis in 2003 spring training games, but after a March 20 exhibition against the Orioles he complained of pain in his side and stiffness in his neck. Medical tests showed he had an enlarged disc. The Post-Dispatch reported he would miss four to six weeks of the regular season “after undergoing a procedure to alleviate potentially career-ending pressure on his spine caused by a herniated disc.”
Wrote Strauss: “When Girardi left camp with his family, those he left behind were unsure when, or if, he would return to uniform.”
The Cardinals signed Chris Widger, who had been released by the Yankees, to replace Girardi. After missing the first 61 games of the season, Girardi was activated June 10, 2003. He made his Cardinals debut June 11 at Fenway Park and went 0-for-4 against Pedro Martinez and John Burkett. Boxscore
Three days later, at Yankee Stadium, Girardi got his first Cardinals hit, a single off rookie Jason Anderson. Boxscore
On July 1, 2003, Girardi returned to the disabled list, suffering back spasms unrelated to his disc problem. He wasn’t activated by the Cardinals until two months later. “It hasn’t been the season I had in mind,” Girardi said. “I was really looking forward to contributing to a championship team.”
On Sept. 28 at Phoenix, in the Cardinals’ last game of the 2003 season, Girardi came to bat for the final time as a big-league player. He led off the ninth inning with a single against Edgar Gonzalez. It was Girardi’s 1,100th hit in the majors. (Girardi batted .130, 3-for-23, for the 2003 Cardinals.)
Unable to overome injuries to players such as outfielder J.D. Drew, pitchers Matt Morris and Jason Isringhausen, second baseman Fernando Vina and Girardi, the 2003 Cardinals finished third in the National League Central, five games behind the first-place Cubs. “This team doesn’t need heart,” Girardi said to Dan O’Neill of the Post-Dispatch. “It needs health.”
Girardi sat out the 2004 season. The Cardinals, with Matheny and rookie Yadier Molina catching, won the pennant for the first time in 17 years and went to the 2004 World Series.
In 2005, Girardi became a coach for Yankees manager Joe Torre and the next year he became manager of the Marlins. In 2008, Girardi replaced Torre as Yankees manager. The next year, Girardi managed the Yankees to the 2009 World Series championship.
Girardi was Yankees manager for 10 seasons until he was fired on Oct. 26, 2017.
After the 2019 season, Girardi was hired to manage the Phillies in 2020 and Matheny, fired by the Cardinals in July 2018, was hired to manage the Royals.
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