The Yankees' Next Manager Matters Less Than You Think

Every Yankee fan wants the next manager to be smart. We all want him to be somebody who knows his baseball cold. And most of all, we want him to be someone who is going to keep the screw-ups to a minimum.

And that's why Brian Cashman's choice to be the next Yankee manager is not as important as you might think. Which is probably why he's taking his time in making his selection. There is no great choice out there, but there are several choices that could be good ones.

And since the offseason is the time for the general manager to make the transactions necessary to improve the team, and spring training doesn't start until the middle of February, actual game action, and even game preparation, will not be necessary for at least 3 months.

This means that the Yankees could head down to Tampa having only hired a field manager a day or two before, and it might not make that much of a difference.

Basically, at this point, the main requirement for the next Yankee manager is to use his eyes and his common sense to manage a game, and not some book or binder, like Joe Girardi did all too often.

There it is: Rule Number 1 to be the Yankee manager in 2018 is, "Don't manage the game the way Joe Girardi did." Or, if you prefer, "Don't be Joe Girardi." Which should be very easy.

Observe that rule, use your head, don't take a pitcher out just because he's thrown a certain number of pitches, don't take a pitcher out just because a lefthanded batter is coming to the plate, let the players play to the best of their ability, and the difference between winning the pennant and not will shrink from one game to none at all.

After all, that one game was not only indicative of Girardi's managing style since 2010, but it was symbolic, showing that the 1 game might as well has been 50.

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Days until the next election for Governor of New Jersey: 1, tomorrow. Time to elect Phil Murphy, defeat Kim Guadagno, end Christieism forever, and send the Republicans and their illegitimate leader Donald Trump a message that their time has come and gone. But only if you get out and vote! The polls open tomorrow morning at 6:00, and close at 8:00 at night. Remember: A vote for Kim Guadagno, or anybody but Phil Murphy, or no vote at all, is a vote for Donald Trump and a vote for Chris Christie. Enough! Vote for Phil Murphy for Governor!

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: 3, this Thursday night at 7:00, in a consolation game since we didn't make the Playoffs, home to Perth Amboy, a former conference opponent since dropped a division. Why Thursday? Friday isn't a holiday. Saturday is, Veterans Day, but that's not the kind of holiday you would postpone a game for. Quite the opposite: Like Memorial Day or the 4th of July, that's the kind of holiday on which you would want to play, with a proper pregame (or halftime) ceremony. Bob Molarz' Green-White Army is now 2-6, with only this game and the Thanksgiving game to go.

Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 5, this Saturday at 12:00 noon, away to arch-rival Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania.

Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 8, a week from tomorrow afternoon at 3:45 PM, against Portugal, at Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria, a coastal city near the famous Parish of Fátima, where the "Miracle of the Sun" occurred 100 years ago. After that, no matches are scheduled. They were supposed to play at the World Cup in June 2018. Alas...

Days until The Arsenal play again: 12, a week from this Saturday, at 7:30 AM our time, home to Tottenham Hotspur in a North London Derby that could go a long way toward determining the team's fate this season. They were absolutely robbed away to Manchester City yesterday, and they'd better get a competent and honest referee against Spurs.

Days until the next North London Derby: See the previous answer.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving high school football game: 17, on Thursday, November 23, at 10:00 AM. And thank God it's at home, at Jay Doyle's Green Grove, rather than at that purple shit pit on Route 9.

Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: 33, on Saturday, December 9 at 7:00, against the New York Rangers at the Prudential Center in Newark. Their 1st game against the New York Islanders will be on Sunday, January 7, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Their 1st game against the Philadelphia Flyers will be on Saturday, January 13, 2018, at the Prudential Center.

Days until the Alex Rodriguez Contract From Hell officially runs out, and the Yankees can spend his salary on new players: 55, on December 31.

Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Pyeongchang, Korea: 95, on February 9, 2018. A little over 3 months.

Days until the Red Bulls play again: Unknown, as the season came to an end with a Playoff defeat against Toronto FC this past Saturday. Usually, the Major League Soccer season begins on the 1st Sunday in March, which would be March 4, which would be 118 days from now.

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": Unknown, although the season opener is rarely a derby, so it probably won't be against either New York City FC, the Philadelphia Union, D.C. United or the New England Revolution.

Days until Opening Day of the 2018 Major League Baseball season: 143, on Thursday night, March 29, as the Yankees open away to the Toronto Blue Jays. A little over 5 months.

Days until the Yankees' 2018 home opener: 147, on Monday afternoon, April 2, against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: 155, on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Fenway Park.

Days until the next World Cup kicks off in Russia: 220, on June 14, 2018. A little over 7 months. But the U.S. team won't be playing. At least now, Donald Trump doesn't have to choose, and can root for his favorite country, the host nation, Russia.

Days until September 2018 roster call-ups, when we can finally start to expect seeing most of these wonderful "prospects" that Yankee general manager Brian Cashman wanted: 299. Under 10 months.

Days until the next Congressional election, when we can elect a Democratic Congress that can impeach and remove Donald Trump from the Presidency: 365, on November 6, 2018. Exactly 1 year, or 12 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Mariano Rivera: 429, on January 9, 2019. A little over a year, or a little over 14 months.

Days until the next Women's World Cup kicks off: 578, on June 7, 2019, in France. The U.S. team, as 3-time and defending Champions, has, as usual, a better chance than the men's team would have had in 2018 anyway.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 793, on January 8, 2020. A little over 2 years, or a little over 26 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 991, on July 24, 2020. Under 3 years, or a little over 33 months.

Days until the next Presidential election, when we can dump the Trump-Pence regime and elect a real Administration: 1,093, on November 3, 2020. Under 3 years, or a little under 36 months.

Days until Liberation Day: 1,171, at noon on January 20, 2021. A little over 3 years, or a little over 38 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.

Days until the next World Cup for which the American team will be eligible is scheduled to kick off: 1,842, on November 21, 2022, in Qatar. A little over 5 years, or 60 months. The charges of corruption against Qatar may yet mean that they will lose the tournament, in which case it will be moved to a nation where it would not be too hot to play it in June and July.