NEW YORK -- Somewhat uncharacteristically, manager Joe Girardi delivered his end-of-the-season address before the season was actually over, presumably not wanting to schlep back to Yankee Stadium later this week to rehash a 2016 season that by just about any known New York Yankees yardstick has to be judged a huge disappointment.
Among the subjects Girardi touched upon prior to Sunday's game were his job security, the challenge of managing young players next season, the improvement he saw in Masahiro Tanaka this season and the emotions he expected to see Sunday afternoon from Mark Teixeira, who was honored before the season finale against the Baltimore Orioles, after which Teixeira is heading into retirement.