Girardi on firing: 'We underperformed, and that falls on me'

The Philadelphia Phillies fired manager Joe Girardi. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Girardi on firing from Phillies: 'We underperformed, and that falls on me'

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 6/3/22

Joe Girardi was fired from his post as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday morning amid his third season at the helm. Shortly after the news broke, the 57-year-old talked on MLB Network Radio for his regularly scheduled appearance and discussed the team's decision.

Joe Girardi is doing his regularly schedule appearance on @MLBNetworkRadio. Here's what he said about his firing: "I think you understand it better as you go through it more times. And we underperformed, and that falls on me. So this is what happens."
— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) June 3, 2022

Girardi: "I wish them nothing but the best of luck. I think there's more talent in that room than the way that we have played. And I hope for the Middletons and the Bucks and the organization that they can turn this around and get to the playoffs."
— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) June 3, 2022

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. ET on Friday to discuss Girardi's dismissal.

"I can look back at this last week when we were three and seven, and I think realistically, we probably should have been seven and three. Well, that's going to fall on me, because we weren't, and I understand that. I just pray that they get better. And they get to the playoffs."
— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) June 3, 2022

Girardi is a former big league catcher whose playing career spanned from 1989 to 2003 and included stops with the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals. He was a one-time All-Star, appearing in the Midsummer Classic in 2000 with the Cubs.

Girardi's managerial career started in 2006 with the then-Florida Marlins, where he won NL Manager of the Year honors in his first and only year with the team. He was then the Yankees manager from 2008 to 2017 and guided the "Bronx Bombers" to 10 consecutive winning seasons, including the team's most recent World Series title in 2009.

A native of Peoria, Ill., Girardi has a career managerial record of 1,120-935 (.545 winning percentage) and a 28-24 mark in the postseason.

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