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Steinbrenner: Even winning World Series may not have saved Girardi's job

Reinhold Matay / USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees outperformed expectations in 2017, coming within a victory of making the World Series. They decided to part ways with longtime manager Joe Girardi anyway.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said it was a tough decision for general manager Brian Cashman, but things wouldn't necessarily have been different if the team had won the World Series, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.

"I'm sure there would have been more pressure,'' Steinbrenner said Wednesday. "It would have been maybe a more difficult decision to make. But I would have made it because I felt like that was best for the organization moving forward.''

In 10 seasons as Yankees skipper, Girardi went 910-710 in the regular season. He won the World Series with the club in 2009.

General manager Brian Cashman said in early November that Girardi had difficulty communicating with his players.

"This was not a decision we took lightly, and not a decision that had to do with two-three weeks. It had to do with two-three years, and observing things and hearing things," Steinbrenner said, noting that he agreed with Cashman's recommendation to bring in a new manager. "We felt it was time to move in a different direction."

The Yankees remain the only team without a manager in place for 2018.

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