Less than 24 hours after making the decision to fire Sam Perlozzo, Orioles officials were in Chicago interviewing Joe Girardi, the man they hope will take Perlozzo’s job.
Incoming Orioles Chief Operating Officer Andy MacPhail, Executive Vice President Mike Flanagan, general counsel Russell Smouse and Lou Angelos, an attorney and the son of Orioles owner Peter Angelos, met for more than two hours with Girardi.
While the Orioles did not offer Girardi the job, they could do so as early as Wednesday, according to multiple club sources. Club officials left the interview impressed with the 2006 National League Manager of the Year, who was fired after one season with the Marlins after a dispute with ownership.
Flanagan declined to characterize how the meeting went, although Girardi, 42, called the interview productive and said he expects to hear from the Orioles within a few days. Bullpen coach Dave Trembley served as the Orioles’ interim manager in Tuesday night’s series opener in San Diego.
Former Cubs and San Francisco Giants manager Dusty Baker and Davey Johnson, the last manager to lead the Orioles to a winning season, are also on the Orioles’ wish list, but interviews had not been scheduled with either as of Tuesday night. In fact, it isn’t clear if the Orioles plan to interview anyone else, further indication that Girardi is their main focus.
Major League Baseball rules do stipulate that when hiring in key positions, like general manager, assistant general manager and field manager, minority candidates have to be considered. But if the Orioles communicate to the commissioner’s office that Girardi is the man they want and interviewing a minority would be done only to satisfy the rule, they may not be required to do so.
Girardi, a broadcaster for the Yankees, with whom he played for four of his 15 seasons, winning three World Series, said he planned on doing some research on the Orioles while he awaits the club’s decision.
Girardi, who nearly led the 2006 Marlins, who had the youngest team in the league and the lowest payroll, to the playoffs, likely would get his pick of several managerial opening after the season.
“I made it known that I want to manage again but it has to be in the right situation for me,” he said. “I don’t think my batteries needed to be recharged. There were just some things that I wanted to do and some situations that I want to take care of. And I want to manage again.”
The presence of MacPhail, could work in the Orioles’ favor. Girardi played from the Cubs from 2000 to 2002, during which MacPhail was team president.
“Obviously, I have a relationship with Andy and I have the utmost respect for him,” he said.
