The New York Yankees honored their 1998 World Series team on Saturday, but there was one rather conspicuous absence to the festivities.
Joe Girardi, who was a backup catcher on the 1998 team and the manager from 2008-2017, was invited to the ceremony but declined the invitation, according to Steven Marcus of Newsday.
Joe Girardi, a catcher on the 1998 world champion Yankees, was invited to Saturday's reunion, a team spokesman said. Girardi apparently declined.
— steven marcus (@newsdaymarcus) August 18, 2018
Girardi was also completely ignored during the ceremony itself.
Not one mention of Joe Girardi during the 1998 #Yankees ceremony
— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) August 18, 2018
This will probably raise some eyebrows. Girardi was not brought back by the Yankees after making the ALCS last year, and the manager made it clear that the decision was out of his hands. While he has said he still roots for the players, it’s not conceivable to think that he’s still unhappy about not being brought back by the front office.
There is no obvious reason why Girardi couldn’t have made the ceremony if he wanted to, as he primarily serves as a studio analyst at MLB Network, which is based near New York. It’s an interesting subplot.
