His experience comes as the understudy for Torre. Last year was his first as an official coach (I'm pretty sure he was like Reggie Jackson, a "special advisor" or something, where he was at Spring Training and helped out but didn't have an official capacity on the bench). In 2006, he was the batting coach (his 2007 replacement, Kevin Long seems to be doing much better with A-Rod, but not so much with the rest of the team ), and this year, he is now the bench coach after Steinbrenner fired Lee Mazilli as the sacrificial lamb, punishment for falling to the Tigers in last years ALDS.

The other good options that still exist at Larry Bowa, the current third base coach, and Tony Pena, at first. I've heard other rumours floating about too though, as potential replacements: Jim Fregosi, the former Toronto manager (out of the league since 2000, no!), a rehash of Buck Showalter (no! please! no!), Bobby Valentine (Rangers and Mets, now in Japanese league, but this goes against my "we shouldn't hire coaches we've beaten in the playoffs" mantra, so no!), Dusty Baker (again, please no), and Ken Macha (former A's coach, again, no!).

Leaving Girardi and the current stable of assistant coaches as the wellspring to draw from. Even if Torre doesn't get fired this year, this is the last year of his contract, and I suspect Joe is getting old and tired of the New York scene, the Steinbrenner demands, and the general shit directed towards him as a major league manager. Turn the reigns over to a younger guy, like Girardi, who can fire these guys up.

With Girardi at the helm, the youth movement beginning in the pitching (Wang, Hughes, possibly Clippard/White/Sanchez), Mark Texiera at first, Ichiro in right field, hopefully a better bullpen (K-Rod I think is available after this season), and some fire brought back to the older players (will A-Rod stay or go?), I'm already looking ahead to 2008. Ugh. Grad school. Crap. Never mind.