Girardi's Greatest Loss

Baseball games are won and lost, and when it comes right down to it, don't mean all that much in life. Especially when you've lost a loved one.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi has a delicate balancing act to deal with after the passing of his father Jerry this past Saturday. Girardi notified the media this afternoon that his Dad had lost a long the battle with Alzheimer's Disease.

Girardi was extremely close to his Dad and visited him as often as possible, especially after his diagnosis more than a decade ago. While the decision to manage the playoffs was a tough one, Girardi knew what his Dad would want him to do -"to finish the job at hand."¹ Girardi has been part of championship teams that had the manager or players go through similar odysseys.

Joe Torre learned of the passing of his brother Rocco in 1996 while managing a doubleheader in Cleveland. The Yankees captured their first World Series title in 18 years that Fall, while another of Torre's brothers, Frank, underwent a heart transplant.

The 1999 championship team saw Luis Sojo, Scott Brosius, and Paul O'Neill all lose their fathers during the season, with O'Neill's Dad passing away during the World Series.

Playing the game is usually what an athlete will choose to do in times of crisis, much as the average person's use their job as a distraction from tough times.

My condolences go out to Joe, his Kim, and three children, as well as the entire Girardi family.

To find out how you can help support research into Alzheimer's Disease, go to alz.org.

1- Quote from ESPN.com