Upon further review, fans not happy with Girardi

TWO DAYS after making the biggest managerial blunder of his career, Joe Girardi was greeted with a loud chorus of boos from the sellout crowd of 48,614 at Yankee Stadium when he was introduced prior to Game 3 of the ALDS.

“Not the first time,” Girardi said after the Yankees beat the Indians, 1-0. “I kind of expected it. I’ve seen them boo players and managers that have a lot more status than I do. So I was prepared for it. I prepared my family for it. I told my kids what was going to happen. But that’s life.

“It’s not going to change who I am. It’s no fun to be booed. But they’re passionate and they want to win. And they get upset when we don’t win or when someone makes a mistake in their eyes. So that’s part of it.

“But you get the good side of it too, like the emotion Sunday. The emotion Tuesday against Minnesota. So that’s the trade-off.”

Asked if he thought his reputation would be tarnished as a result of his failure to challenge Lonnie Chisenhall’s strike-three foul tip, which was called a hit-by-pitch in the sixth inning of Game 2, Girardi said he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“There are a lot of people upset with me. And that’s all part of it. And that’s something I’ll have to deal with. The only thing I can do is give my best to this team moving forward. And that’s what I’ll do.”

Girardi is in the final year of his deal. Following a 91-71 regular season and, with the ascension of players like Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius, Chad Green and Jordan Montgomery, it seemed reasonable he would be asked to return, along with Brian Cashman, who has rebuilt the roster faster than expected.

That seemed even more likely following Girardi’s managerial job in Tuesday’s wild-game, when he navigated the final 26 outs with his deep power bullpen. But then came Friday’s nonchallenge, which helped put the Yanks in an 0-2 ALDS hole.

Hal Steinbrenner, unlike his father, isn’t prone to impulsive decision-making. And Girardi’s overall body of work is strong. Still, this was quite a blunder, on the biggest stage. Also, there have been questions about how long Girardi, a family man first, wants to keep managing.

“I’m never worried about (my future),” Girardi said. “I worry about other people’s futures, but not my own.”