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April 01, 2008

Girardi Wants '08 Yanks To Remember '07 - Like the '98 Yanks Remembered '97

Via Jack Curry -

Even though the Yankees were supposed to play their first game Monday, Girardi explained that he gave his season-opening speech Saturday. He said he thought some players would be too busy on game day to absorb the message.

Before Girardi spoke to the team Saturday, he showed a seven-minute videotape. The tape opened with the last game the Yankees played, a 6-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians in the 2007 American League division series. The current Yankees watched Jorge Posada strike out for the final out and then watched the camera shift from one glum Yankee to the next.

Girardi wanted the players to remember how despondent they felt because he still recalled how depressed he was after the Yankees lost to the Indians in the 1997 playoffs. On the flight home from that series, Girardi opened his laptop, wrote about his feelings and used those memories to motivate himself in the off-season. He wanted these Yankees to do the same.

“We talked about where the club ended up last year and how empty that feeling is and doing whatever it takes to not let that happen again,” Girardi said.

When it comes to motivation, it always boils down to pleasure and pain: I will do this because it will give me pleasure. Or, I will do this because, if I don’t, it will bring me pain. (On the flipside, it’s: I’m not doing this because it brings me no pleasure. Or, I will not do this because, if I do it, it will bring me pain.)

I think Torre was playing the “do it” for “pleasure” card long enough. Clever move by Girardi to try the “do it” to avoid “pain” card now. I also (like Girardi) think that "pain" factor motivated the ’98 Yankees. Hopefully it will do the same for the 2008 Yankees.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at April 1, 2008 11:49 AM

Comments

Posted by: Raf at April 1, 2008 05:45 PM