The New York Yankees picked experience over popularity, offering the manager's job to Joe Girardi at the risk of watching Don Mattingly walk away from the franchise.
Beloved as team captain, Mattingly was the early favorite to replace Joe Torre and openly coveted the spot.
After finding out on Monday that he did not get it, Mattingly told the Yankees he had no interest in returning next year as bench coach or in any other coaching position.
PHOTO: AP
"Don was extremely disappointed to learn today that he wasn't the organization's choice to fill the managerial vacancy," Mattingly's agent, Ray Schulte, said in an e-mail. "Instead, he was informed the organization offered the position to Joe Girardi."
Girardi also beat out Yankees first-base coach Tony Pena, who had the most managerial experience of the candidates.
Girardi was last year's National League Manager of the Year with the Florida Marlins, plus he has a pinstriped pedigree.
The hard-nosed catcher played on three Yankees teams that won the World Series, served as their bench coach in 2005 and was a TV announcer this year.
Still, spurning Mattingly -- who always receives one of the loudest ovations at Yankees Old-Timers' Day -- was sure to be compared to another famous Yankee snub: Babe Ruth was never offered the manager's job he so desperately wanted.
Mattingly was the Yankees hitting coach for three years before moving next to Torre this season.
Schulte said Mattingly congratulated Girardi and wished him well.
Girardi's agent, Steve Mandell, said he was in negotiations with the Yankees, and declined to say when there might be an announcement.
Girardi managed the Marlins last year and kept a young team in contention until September last year, and then was fired, apparently for clashing with owner Jeffrey Loria and others above him.
If 43-year-old Girardi takes the job, he inherits a team in transition and one without Alex Rodriguez, who informed the Yankees on Sunday that he was terminating his contract and becoming a free agent. He also is not assured of getting back pitchers Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera or catcher Jorge Posada.
After leading the Yankees to four World Series titles in his first five years -- but none since -- the Yankees offered Torre a one-year contract featuring a substantial paycut and performance-based bonuses. He turned it down on Oct. 18.
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