Big Challenges Await Postseason Rookie Girardi, Just Ask His Peers

Before his first time managing in the playoffs, Ron Gardenhire had managed a full regular season in the majors, three years in the minors and spent 11 seasons as a Twins coach, including with the 1991 World Series winners.

Yet none of that could prepare him for managing in the postseason.

Asked if there is any way for a manager to be ready for his first playoffs, Gardenhire told FanHouse: "No. Guaranteed, no."

Which means on-the-job training for the Yankees' Joe Girardi.

While Girardi has managed 486 games, played in 39 postseason games and served as a coach on the Yankees' 2005 division winners, he has never managed a playoff game.

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That doesn't mean the Yankees can't win it all. Terry Francona managed the Red Sox to the 2004 World Series title in his first postseason trip, as did Mike Scioscia with the 2002 Angels and Bob Brenly with the '01 Diamondbacks.

Detroit's Jim Leyland said even Tony La Russa had a learning curve.

"I think the first time probably caught him a little bit by surprise," said Leyland, a coach under La Russa on the 1983 White Sox.

"Be prepared as you can be, but you're going to catch some surprises that you didn't know about. You can talk to other people about it, and they can advise you on it, but until it actually happens, it catches you by surprise."

Scioscia said managing in October isn't too different from the rest of the year.

How this year's playoff managers fared in their first postseason:
Manager	First Visit
Girardi, Yankees	N/A
Francona, Red Sox	Won '04 WS
Leyland, Tigers	Lost '90 NLCS (PIT)
Gardenhire, Twins	Lost '02 ALCS
Scioscia, Angels	Won '02 WS
C.Manuel, Phillies	Lost '01 ALDS (CLE)
La Russa, Cardinals	Lost '83 ALCS (CHW)
Torre, Dodgers	Lost '82 NLCS (ATL)
Tracy, Rockies	Lost '04 NLDS (LAD)

"Everything's going to be magnified," Scioscia said. "There's more weight on everything that happens. That doesn't mean it changes what you do.

"When you're there, I think you should have a pretty good grasp of what the strengths of your team are and who you're facing and go from there."

But Gardenhire pointed out some differences.

During the game itself, the manager has to have a sense of urgency, with more emphasis on the short term and less on the long term.

"You're quicker with the pitchers most of the time," Gardenhire said. "You don't want to get too deep behind in any game. And you change your roster too. You normally go with like,10 pitchers and more players on the bench so you have more moves off the bench."

And away from the field, there's plenty to worry about.

"That first time is a shock," Leyland said, "when all of a sudden you're dealing with travel plans, and families on this plane, and are we taking the family on that plane, and Uncle Joe wants eight tickets and Aunt Marie wants seven tickets, are my tickets there, no my tickets aren't there -- all that [stuff]."

Plus the spotlight and scrutiny and media obligations.

"You make the playoffs," Gardenhire said, "and then you start -- it's like you're going here before the game, you've got a big media event there and then you've got to [deal with] your local guys -- it's nuts. It was truly, truly nuts. The off days, there's always something going on.

"You have to be a part of it to get that feel for it. It's not easy. Nowadays with another round and your roster -- what matches up vs. one team -- there's so much that goes into it. And the stinking [scouting] reports that you get. It's sick. You try to go over all that stuff. There's a lot involved."

Dodgers manager Joe Torre has more postseason wins than anyone ever, 80, but he went three-and-out in his first trip, with the 1982 Braves.

Torre, however, does think his former coach will be OK with the Yankees.

"The thing that's important is he knows what it's like because he caught in the playoffs," Torre said. "The catcher is the guy right there with the manager. He was my sounding board before [Derek] Jeter was because of his experience, and because he was a catcher in the early years when I was there. He's a bright kid."