Philadelphia Phillies: Mets, Gabe Kapler could get Joe Girardi fired
By Tim Boyle
Philadelphia Phillies fans are ready to run Joe Girardi out of town. The team has underachieved and his hot seat is probably already leaving burn marks.
This weekend will be Girardi’s chance to save his job and not get replaced. Three against the rival New York Mets in the Big Apple lead into Gabe Kapler coming into Philadelphia for three immediately after. If the Phillies fail versus the Mets and against their former manager, the timing works out well for them to fire Girardi once and for all.
Why Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi could lose his job this week.
There are a couple of unwritten rules when it comes to firing a manager. Although sometimes broken, it’s better not to fire a manager while on the road. The Phillies are close enough to Philadelphia with their series in New York that it’s not exactly leaving Girardi on the West Coast in the middle of a trip.
The end of May could also signal to the front office an opening to fire Girardi. While the calendar shouldn’t have much say into whether or not he keeps his job a day longer, it’s a good marker. Memorial Day is traditionally a day when fans begin to say the “standings count.” In which case, a rough series against the Mets could be enough for the Phillies to fire their skipper.
It’s possible Girardi could always get one more series against the Kapler and the Giants. Firing Girardi and then allowing Kapler to come into town and possibly beat up on his former team just doesn’t look right. It’s a double dose of grief for the ball club. Maybe the more realistic time to give Girardi the pink slip would be on Thursday’s off-day before the team hosts the Los Angeles Angels.
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Other than a complete turnaround by the club, Girardi will remain on the hot seat until he does eventually get fired. He is clearly not the solution for their ongoing playoff drought dating back to 2011. Firing him also won’t fix the problem but for the sake of trying something new, maybe the break the glass and do the inevitable.