Joe Girardi Player Quotations

The only way that as a manager or as a player that we can change that is for our club to play better and for people to enjoy watching our club. My job is to get our club to win, whether there's one fan in the stands or 60,000. People like winners.

Since high school I've wanted to do this. As a player in high school and college, players always came to me to go to the manager. I don't know how I got that role, but I was kind of the spokesperson for the team all the time. I enjoyed it. I enjoy the competition, and I love studying the game. I think that's why I was born to manage.

If they truly in their heart want to represent their country they should because that's special. If it was something that was every year ... but you never know when you're going to get a chance again. I would never tell a player not to play or you lessen your chance to make this club. It's not going to lessen your chance. All it is, it's going to take us a little longer to get to know them.

If, in their hearts, they want to represent their country, I would never tell a player not to play.

He's a very talented offensive player that put up big numbers. He has not had the chance to probably catch enough games to make a fair judgment if he can be an everyday catcher. But the work ethic is there, and that's something that you cannot always teach.

I was the type of player who had to do the little things to win. Anyone can sit around and wait for the three-run homer. But I had to do the little things. I had to hit-and-run. I had to squeeze. That's the way I survived as a player.

That was the kind of player I had to be. I had to do the little things to win, and they have to do a lot of them. They have to hit and run, they have to steal, they have to squeeze some,

Those are high expectations. But I think he expects to be a very good player for a long, long time. He's very talented. There are things he can do. He works hard. He has a great attitude. We expect big things from him.

We all know he has a big bat. He has a chance to be an impact player on this team.

You don't want to see any player ever retire too early or have family issues that takes him away from the game. It's hard to retire. I hope if that's the choice that he made that he's happy with his decision. It's hard to take your uniform off.

I love youth. Youth is fun to watch because you get to see them grow. ... When you see a player for the first time get a base hit in a situation that maybe he hasn't done before, that's pretty exciting.

I love the way he's worked. I've been very impressed and proud of the way he's playing. He's communicating with other players. He's done everything you can ask a player to do.

I love him. He comes to play every day. ... He's done exactly what you want a young player to do. He's taken the job and run with it.

I believe I was born to manage. People asking about not having managed, but as a catcher I believe you manage every day you're on the field. I was the type of player who had to do the little things to win.

I don't worry about him defensively. I think you'll see a lot better defensive player in six weeks. They're all going to school right now.

I want players to look neat and responsible. Maybe it's old school, but it's kind of neat when people are always clean.