Nearly one decade after he became the manager of the Yankees, Joe Girardi is out, after overseeing just one World Series title during his tenure.
Girardi announced his departure Thursday, according to multiple media reports: “With a heavy heart, I come to you because the Yankees have decided not to bring me back. I’d like to thank the fans for their great support as a player, coach and manager and the lasting memories of their passion and excitement during the playoff games.”
The announcement comes just days after the Yanks lost to the Houston Astros in the playoffs. Game 3 of the World Series between Houston and the Los Angeles Dodgers beckons on Friday. It’s currently tied up 1-1 after the Astros defeated the Dodgers in an epic 11-inning Game 2 on Wednesday.
Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman thanked Girardi “for his 10 years of hard work and service.”
Girardi’s contract had come to an end and the call to replace him was made following front-office meetings earlier this week at Yankee Stadium, The New York Times reported. According to The Times, internal candidate Joe Espada is a likely replacement, though no decision has yet been reached.
World Series 2017: The Stars Who Bleed Dodger Blue (Photos)
Celebrity fans have turned out in spades to cheer on the Dodgers as they go up against the Houston Astros in the team's first World Series in 29 years.
Ken Jeong is a self-possessed "lifelong Dodger fan," and attended Game 1 of the World Series in Los Angeles on Tuesday night to cheer on the team and wave the flag.
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Magic Johnson has been voicing his support for the Dodgers on social media all season, and attended Game 1 in person with his wife Cookie on Tuesday.
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Ryan Seacrest recently relocated to New York to host co-host "Live" with Kelly Ripa, but the longtime Angeleno still roots for the Dodgers from across the country.
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A Compton native, Kendrick Lamar, has shown up at several Dodgers games over the years, including throwing the ceremonial first pitch once in 2015.
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Jason Bateman is such a "crazy fan for this team," that he has never agreed to throw out a first pitch, but did the prank the Arizona Diamondbacks once by throwing a pitch out in their stadium when the Dodgers were visiting.
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Zac Efron has attended multiple home games wearing his L.A. hat, and the Dodgers even alerted fans that they could find themselves sitting next to the "Neighbors" star at some point.
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Ron Howard is not only a massive fan of the Dodgers, he's knowledgeable too, and will talk about the team's moves when he shows up to do interviews about his movies.
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From attending a plethora of games to palling around with legendary manager Tommy Lasorda, Eva Longoria is such a close friend of the Dodgers organization she even hosted a charity softball game at the stadium with first baseman (and Trump Hotel protester) Adrian Gonzalez.
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Larry King is a huge Dodgers fan and not shy about his opinions of the organization's moves. Last year, he had strong thoughts about the team losing pitcher Zack Greinke to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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Alyssa Milano is such a die-hard Dodgers fan that she started an entire fashion line called Touch after not being satisfied with the official team merchandise available to her and other female fans.
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George Lopez is one of the most famous Dodgers fans around and once wrote a long essay detailing exactly how and when he became a fan.
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It was hard to tell who was more star-struck when Danny DeVito, wearing a #7 jersey, walked onto the field and hugged Dodgers player Nick Punto after a winning game in 2013.
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"I’m a big, big Dodger fan. Have been all my life. My first Dodger game I was 5 years old," Bryan Cranston once said. In 2016, Cranston narrated the documentary entitled "Dodgermentary: The Lasorda Chronicles."
Mario Lopez loves the Dodgers so much he appeared in a video congratulating the 2016 on its successful season, alongside some other famous fans.
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Celebrities like Ken Jeong, Eva Longoria and George Lopez are rooting for #ThisTeam
Celebrity fans have turned out in spades to cheer on the Dodgers as they go up against the Houston Astros in the team's first World Series in 29 years.