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sports Saturday 4 June 2022
Joe Girardi fired by Phillies, replaced by Rob Thomson

By DAN GELSTON right forearm and elbow
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joe soreness and was forced to
Girardi managed a Phil- give up right field and play
lies team with the reign- designated hitter. Second
ing NL MVP, five 2021 All- baseman Jean Segura is
Stars, a $224 million payroll out for up to three months
that nudged the franchise with a fractured right index
above the luxury tax and finger. The Phillies are 12-15
expectations of ending the at home and are 4-10 in
longest playoff drought in one-run games. They are
the National League. 3-7 over their last 10 games.
Buried deep in the NL East "I think realistically we
standings, and with a sag- should have been 7-3. Well,
ging bullpen, defensive that's going to fall on me
deficiencies and slumber- because we weren't," Gi-
ing starts from some of rardi said. "I just pray that
their high-priced veterans, they get better and that
Girardi paid the price for they get to the playoffs."
Philadelphia's miserable The lowlight was a May 5
start. He was fired Friday, loss at home to the New
becoming the first major York Mets when they blew
league manager to lose his Philadelphia Phillies' Joe Girardi walks to the dugout during a baseball game, Tuesday, May 31, a six-run deficit in the ninth
job this season after failing 2022, in Philadelphia. inning and lost 8-7. The
to turn a team with a re- Associated Press Mets had lost the previous
cord payroll into a playoff 330 times they trailed by six
contender. baseball operations Dave "We underperformed and won the World Series since runs in the ninth.
Bench coach Rob Thom- Dombrowski said. that falls on me. This is what 2008 and has watched fan "I think there's a number
son was named interim Girardi's first year with Phila- happens," Girardi told Siri- interest plummet through a of reasons we didn't win.
manager. delphia was the pandem- usXM's MLB Network Radio. decade-plus of mediocre We gave too many extra
Expected to contend for ic-shortened 2020 season. "I think there's more talent in baseball. outs that cost us four or
the NL East title, the Phillies The Phillies went 82-80 last that room than the way we "It's not something that can't five games, maybe even
are 22-29 and 12 games year and he ends his ten- have played." be fixed and changed," more," Girardi said.
behind the first-place New ure with a 132-141 record. The Phillies still boast NL Dombrowski said. "I think Girardi replaced Yankees
York Mets. The Phillies en- Girardi managed the New MVP Bryce Harper and NL we already started some of manager Joe Torre after
tered Friday 5 1/2 games York Yankees from 2008-17 Cy Young Award runner-up those changes this winter the 2007 season and spent
out of the second NL wild- and the Florida Marlins in Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, time when we made some a decade in pinstripes. Gi-
card spot. 2006. All-Star catcher J.T. Real- changes within our system, rardi led New York to its
"Oh, I think we can make The Phillies have lost 12 of muto and free-agent slug- our organization, a lot of 27th World Series title, beat-
the playoffs. I think we're 17 games heading into the gers Nick Castellanos and changes, but those things ing the Phillies in six games
in a position where we can opener of Friday's three- Kyle Schwarber. Yet Phila- don't show up overnight." in 2009, and his 910 wins
battle back to do that. I do game series against the Los delphia hasn't made the Harper has been plagued were sixth most in team his-
believe that," president of Angeles Angels. playoffs since 2011, hasn't most of the season with tory. q

Broadcaster Kaat uses offensive nickname for Yankees' Cortes

DETROIT (AP) — Minneso- with Kaat after the broad- have anything more than
ta Twins broadcaster Jim cast about the comment. just that, honestly," he said.
Kaat referred to New York "Obviously, we take these Cortes has affectionately
Yankees left-hander Nestor matters seriously and like become known as "Nasty
Cortes as "Nestor the Mo- in all cases will handle this Nestor" by Yankees fans
lester" during a broadcast internally and privately," while going 5-1 with a 1.50
Thursday, the second of- Morse said. ERA to begin this season.
fensive remark in the past Kaat planned to contact He pitched seven scoreless
year by the 83-year-old Hall Cortes directly and speak innings to beat the Angels
of Fame pitcher while call- with the pitcher about the in the first game.
ing a game. situation. Kaat, a longtime commen-
As Minnesota's Chris Ar- "Jim meant no ill will," Morse tator who has also worked
cher struck out Detroit star said. for the Yankees and MLB
Miguel Cabrera, Kaat be- After the Yankees swept a Network, apologized in Oc-
gan to explain that Cortes day-night doubleheader tober after saying teams
had become one of his from the Los Angeles An- should try to "get a 40-acre New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes reacts during the fifth
favorite pitchers during a gels, Cortes said he had field full of" players who inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the
breakout season with New heard about Kaat's com- look like White Sox infielder Los Angeles Angels on Thursday, June 2, 2022, in New York.
York. ment. Yoán Moncada. Associated Press
"'Nestor the Molester,' "I'm sure, you know, he His comment about
Nestor Cortes," Kaat said. didn't really mean it, and Moncada reminded some He apologized later in that compliment the great play-
"Angles and different people make mistakes, but viewers of the unfilled prom- game between the Astros er that he is, I used a poor
speeds. He's a pitcher." it didn't offend me at all," ise by the U.S. government and White Sox. choice of words that re-
Twins vice president of Cortes told The Associated that freed slaves would re- "Earlier in the game when sulted in an insensitive and
communications and con- Press. ceive 40 acres and a mule Yoán Moncada was at hurtful remark," he said.
tent Dustin Morse spoke "So, you know, I don't really following the Civil War. the plate, in an attempt to "And I'm sorry for that."q