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 "In my heart I have feelings of what we have to do, OK? And that's just the way I'm going to leave it," he said during Thursday's news conference.
He wouldn't go into his dealings with the Los Angeles Dodgers before he agreed to a $7.8 million, three-year deal to manage the Yankees.
"There are specifics of my life that I don't characterize because you are in the business of protecting your family and sometimes protecting other people," he said.
There figure to be fewer warm, fuzzy stories than during the dozen years under Joe Torre, who was hired by the Dodgers on Thursday exactly two weeks after he left the Yankees.
Girardi's number will be a constant reminder of his mandate: win the Yankees' 27th championship, their first since 2000. Still, he wouldn't predict whether his team can win it all next season.
"You don't have all the pieces together, so it's hard to evaluate exactly where we're going to be," he said.
Girardi, who won three World Series titles while catching for the Yankees from 1996-99, talked about how much getting the job meant to him and his father, Jerry.
"I try not to get emotional, but my father hasn't spoke in a month. And when the lady who takes care of my father, he has Alzheimer's, showed him the picture of me as the new Yankee manager, my father said, `Oh yeah,'" he said.
Girardi takes a job held by Hall of Famers Miller Huggins, Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel.
During most of his time with the Yankees, Girardi wore No. 25, which he kept in 2006 as manager of the Florida Marlins. With Jason Giambi having taken over that number in New York, Girardi was No. 52 when he coached with the Yankees in 2005.
It didn't take Girardi long to find out what it meant to be Yankees' manager.
"I got a call from Yogi last night and you realize the stature of the position when Yogi calls you at your house and says,
'Do I still get to come to spring training?'" Girardi said, lowering his voice to mimic that of Hall of Famer Yogi Berra.
Knowing the Yankees' manager is under constant scrutiny, Girardi also said he'll change his phone number. Before his news conference, he took a tour of the new Yankee Stadium, under construction across the street and scheduled to open in 2009. He walked by where the clubhouse will be and the path to the dugout.
"Just kind of how your every day would be," he said. "Tremendous time to have this opportunity, to be a part of the history here, and then to be able to be a part of it in the new stadium is really, really unique. As I was walking through it, smelling the new concrete. And the foul poles were up."
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He can only hope he makes it to the new ballpark. Owner George Steinbrenner, while receding from the daily operations, can pop up at any time to criticize his manager. One of their bonds is Northwestern
-- Steinbrenner was an assistant football coach there, and Girardi later was a student.
"I still think the Boss is the Boss. And obviously, I've always enjoyed my time with him, dealing with him. There's times that we've joked about, you know, our Northwestern football vs. Buckeye football and I will continue to enjoy that," Girardi said. "He was very congratulatory. He said:
'It's great to have you aboard.'"
He had not yet been to his new office, where Torre's belongings had been cleared out and just outside, an oversized 2007 schedule was on the floor. Moving into the office will feel strange "because it's been occupied by a great man," Girardi said.
While he spoke in a restaurant in the bowels of the ballpark, Girardi's name and picture were displayed on the scoreboard behind center field. General manager Brian Cashman presented Girardi's wife, Kim, with a bouquet of roses.
Girardi, who got a $7.8 million, three-year contract, beat out bench coach Don Mattingly and first-base coach Tony Pena for the job.
"The Joe Girardi that I know is a determined individual," Cashman said. "He's got a big heart. He's genuine and sincere. He's decisive in what he wants to do, but yet open."
Notes: LF Hideki Matsui will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, which Cashman termed "routine cleanup." ... SS Derek Jeter's right knee, which bothered him during the second half of the season, does not need surgery, Cashman said. ... The Yankees must decide by Friday whether to exercise a $16 million option on RF Bobby Abreu, and it appears they will. ... Cashman said LHP Andy Pettitte, who has until Nov. 7 to exercise a $16 million player option, has told him he will pitch for the Yankees or retire. ... Cashman told Robinson Cano his intention is to have him stay at second base and not replace Alex Rodriguez at third.
[Associated Press; By RONALD BLUM]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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