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By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff WriterComments from both sides hint that the Yankees bench coach and the Rays could be made for each other.
NEW YORK - The new Devil Rays officials have quickly made it known that Joe Girardi is the kind of person they are looking to hire as manager, and Saturday received permission from the Yankees to interview him.
Making it more interesting, Girardi said the Rays are the kind of team he would like to manage.
"They've got a lot of good young talent, and they've got a lot of good young talent in the minor leagues that is coming," Girardi said. "It's an interesting scenario."
Girardi, 41 this week, is finishing his first year as the Yankees bench coach after playing 14 seasons in the majors and spending 2004 as part of the Yankees TV broadcast team. He has managed only one game in his life - filling in for a suspended Joe Torre on May 31 (a 5-3 loss to Kansas City) - but is considered one of, if not the, hottest managerial prospects.
Girardi already has had one interview and another planned with the Marlins, and had nice things to say about them, too. But his experience of being on the bench for 19 games against the Rays (and 11 losses) clearly made an impression.
"They're a pain in the neck to play against, I can tell you that," Girardi said. "They create a lot of problems because of their speed and their youth. And you look at their rotation, to me (Scott) Kazmir has a chance to be really good, (Seth) McClung has a chance to be really good, (Mark) Hendrickson threw well for them.
"You look at Tampa and I really don't believe they're that far away. They have to continue to home-grow some talents, and see what they do besides that."
He also has thought some about what he would do with the Rays, and how he would assemble his staff, starting with retaining senior adviser Don Zimmer, possibly as his bench coach.
"I was with him 10 of my first 11 years (as a manager or coach) and it was great," Girardi said. "I'd want him around if I would be there."
New Rays president Matt Silverman called the Yankees to get permission Friday night and principal owner George Steinbrenner - whose distaste for the Rays could have been an issue - granted it on Saturday. With the Yankees playing Game 4 tonight in the American League division series, and possibly deeper into October, it may take a few days for an interview to be arranged. The Rays plan to start the process Tuesday by interviewing coaches Tom Foley, Billy Hatcher and John McLaren and Triple-A manager Bill Evers.
The description of a manager laid out by the new Rays officials - bright, energetic, egoless, values statistical data, open to new ideas - fits Girardi so well it almost seems they were talking about him.
For example, the Rays plan to put an emphasis on things such as statistics, trends and computerized scouting data. Girardi, who studied engineering at Northwestern, said he can't spend enough time looking over that kind of stuff.
"I do it a lot," he said. "I love tendencies. I love numbers."
Former Rays and current Yankees catcher John Flaherty said Girardi would be a tremendous hire.
"There is nobody who is more prepared or more intelligent about the game of baseball," Flaherty said. "He is a great motivator and he is going to bring a passion to that job that, really, I would look forward to watching him manage. ...
"I don't think you could ask for a better young manager for a young team. And I think there's an instant respect there as well. The career he's had on the field and winning championships, he's a person if you're around him for about five minutes you know he's going to be successful in whatever he does."
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Girardi's lack of managing experience should not be a concern.
"He's a real quality baseball man. He's been a big asset for us this year," Cashman said. "I know he hasn't had any managerial experience but he's managed the game behind the plate for so many years that I think it makes up for a lot."
Girardi played 14 years in the majors, catching for the Cubs, Rockies and Yankees before finishing his career with the Cardinals in 2003. He was known as a hardworking, hustling and heady player, and sees the Rays as being somewhat in his own scrappy image.
"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," Girardi said.
"If I was to get the Tampa job, I'm not inheriting five guys that can hit 30 home runs. I'm inheriting a lot of guys who have to do the little things."