Girardi On WFAN: Veterans Deserve Credit For Yankees' Resurgence, Too
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- New York has been buzzing about the "Baby Bombers," but manager Joe Girardi thinks the veterans deserve plenty of credit, too, for the Yankees being in the thick of the playoff hunt.
"I've been proud of the way that these guys have fought," Girardi said during his weekly appearance on Mike Francesa's WFAN show Thursday. "And it's not just the kids; it's the older guys that have kind of immersed themselves in this and helped these kids out. And you've had guys like (Tyler) Clippard that have just stepped up and been a huge piece for us. Adam Warren. Tommy Layne has done an incredible job. You get some big hits out of Tyler Austin. You get a big grand slam out of Tex (Mark Teixeira). It's been everyone. Ellsbury's had big hits.
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"It's been great to watch. It's great how they've meshed together. And we need it to continue happening."
Entering Thursday night's game at Boston, the Yankees trail Toronto by two games for the second wild-card spot in the American League.
On Wednesday, the Yankees signed former Royals and A's designated hitter Billy Butler, who was in the starting lineup Thursday night against the Red Sox's Eduardo Rodriguez. Oakland released Butler last weekend.
"We got him to DH against left-handers, so we're putting him in there today," Girardi said. "I don't think there's any time to wait, or it's not like he's out of shape because he's been playing all year long. So yeah, I know he hasn't had at-bats in a few days, but that's not abnormal for him, so we threw him right in there."
To listen to the full interview with Girardi, click on the audio player above.
