Phillies hire Girardi
The Phillies hired former Yankees manager Joe Girardi to replace Gabe Kapler on Thursday. Girardi will be introduced at a news conference Monday.
“I’m excited for this next chapter of my career,” Girardi said in a statement. “The Phillies have a strong commitment to winning from the owners to the front office to the players to the fans. It’s something that I’ve seen up close for the last 30 years of my baseball career . ... To have my name now associated with this great franchise is something that I couldn’t be happier about.”
Girardi, 55, succeeded Joe Torre as Yankees manager after the 2007 season and spent a decade in pinstripes. He led the team to its 27th World Series title, beating the Phillies in six games in 2009. He also managed the Marlins one season and was NL manager of the year after going 78-84 in 2006, the only manager in the history of the award to win it with a losing record.
The Phillies haven’t had a winning season since 2011 when they finished a run of five straight NL East titles, two pennants and one World Series championship under Charlie Manuel.
Girardi is the 55th manager in franchise history. He’ll wear No. 25.
■ The Padres hired Jayce Tingler from the Rangers to take over a team that has missed the playoffs for 13 straight seasons and hasn’t had a winning record in nine years, according to reports.
Tingler, 38, most recently was on the Rangers’ coaching staff as major league player development field coordinator, working with outfielders and baserunners. His only previous managerial experience has been at the lowest rungs, including guiding Leones del Escogido to a 9-1 start in the Dominican Winter League.
He replaces Andy Green, who was blamed for the Padres’ second-half collapse when he was fired with eight games left in the season.
Golf: Tiger Woods bogeyed his first three holes before rallying for an opening-round 6-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with U.S. Open champ Gary Woodland at the Zozo Championship in Inzai City, Japan. It was Woods’ first action since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee two months ago. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama was one stroke back. Rain postponed the second round at the PGA Tour’s first tournament in Japan. ... Aussie Minjee Lee shot an opening-round 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead at Buick Ladies Championship in Busan, South Korea . ... Louis de Jager of South Africa shot an opening-round 8-under 63 to take a two-stroke lead at the European Tour’s Portugal Masters in Vilamoura.
Soccer: Vlatko Andonovski is expected to replace Jill Ellis as coach of the U.S. women’s national team, according to reports. Andonovski, 43, will become the eighth person to hold the U.S. job on a permanent basis and the first to do so as a product of a domestic women’s professional league. Currently the coach of Reign FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, Andonovski won two titles with FC Kansas City and is one of three people to hold head coaching positions since the league’s inception in 2013.