NEW YORK -- Joe Girardi is back in the Yankees family, but he won't be wearing pinstripes.

 

Girardi was introduced as the newest member of the YES Network broadcast team on Monday, as he returns to the network as a game analyst. Girardi spent the 2004 season with YES before taking a job as Joe Torre's bench coach in 2005 and becoming the Marlins manager in 2006.

 

After being let go by Florida following the season, Girardi interviewed for the Nationals' managerial opening before removing himself from consideration.

 

"I thought it was best, at this time in my life, to go back to broadcasting," Girardi said. "I enjoy the challenges of broadcasting and I enjoy the challenges of managing. ... We had a lot of discussions with the Nationals, but I felt it just wasn't the right timing for my family and I. I loved managing, but it wasn't the right timing."

 

Girardi joins John Flaherty, Al Leiter and Paul O'Neill as game analysts for YES, while Michael Kay and Ken Singleton will return to handle play-by-play duties. Girardi will work approximately 60 games in 2007.

 

Girardi and Flaherty will also co-host "Behind the Plate," a new series on the network which will look at the game of baseball from the viewpoint of two former catchers.

 

Girardi wants to manage in the Majors again at some point, but he doesn't plan on jumping ship in the middle of the season if an opportunity presents itself. That said, he wouldn't rule anything out.

 

"Obviously, you can't predict what jobs are going to open up or if people are even going to be interested in you or somebody else," Girardi said. "I take life one job at a time, so I'll continue doing it as long as YES wants me back and as long as I enjoy doing it.

 

"I don't go into a job looking to do something else, so I'm going into this looking to be the best broadcaster I can be."

 

Girardi's Marlins went 78-84, hanging in the National League Wild Card race for most of September. Girardi is a candidate for the NL Manager of the Year award, which will be handed out on Wednesday.

 

Even though Girardi won't be on the bench in 2007, he believes that he can keep his managerial skills polished in his role as analyst.

 

"I think you see the game in a little bit of a different light," Girardi said. "When you're sitting up in the booth, you have to come up with ideas that a manager might do. It's kind of what you do as a manager, but as a manager, you have to make the decisions. As a broadcaster, you just have to put the options out there."

 

With Torre entering the final year of his contract, there will certainly be speculation about who will follow him as the manager of the Yankees. Girardi's name will likely come up with that of Don Mattingly, but Girardi isn't worried about how it may look if he's second-guessing Torre from the broadcast booth.

 

"It's not a concern for me," he said. "Joe Torre knows the respect that I have for him. Being a manager, I understand that at times, you're going to be second-guessed. Some ideas as a manager work out, sometimes they don't."

Wow.

 

NL Manager of the Year leaves managing after one year. I'm sure he'll be managing the Yanks in 2008, but still.

Good for him. Make Loria pay him every cent of that contract.

Hopefully he brings some insight and smarts to that broadcast team. They desperatly need it.

YES! Pun intended! I get to watch his broadcasts now! Sweet!

Hopefully he brings some insight and smarts to that broadcast team. They desperatly need it.

he wasnt too bad during the WS

Good for him. Make Loria pay him every cent of that contract.

 

now Loria has a good excuse for not signing Miguel long term :mischief

Interesting, I might actually have a reason to watch the Yankees over here :mischief2

It would interesting to hear what he has to say about the firing and all, think he'll bring anything up during his tensure in the hot seat?

wow, he's really sniffing around that Yankee Chicken Coup isn't he?

 

From what I've read, he pulled out of the Nationals Race when they got serious with him.

 

Perhaps he wants a chance to work for da boss.

 

Or da boss' Son in Law (God Forbid)