It was October 2012 and New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was prepared to let Joe Girardi go.
Not only was Cashman willing to allow Girardi to return home to the Chicago Cubs, he was prepared to help move Girardi into the manager’s office at Wrigley Field.
With Girardi’s Yankees contract set to expire after the 2013 season, Cashman told him, “If you want to go to the Cubs, let me know.”
Girardi grew up a Cubs fan. In the '70s, he and his dad would drive the two hours from Peoria, Illinois, to attend Cubs games and watch Girardi’s favorite players, Ron Santo and Jose Cardenal.