After a successful season managing the Florida Marlins, Joe Girardi will return to the YES Network. Girardi was fired by the Marlins after clashing with their crazy owner, Jeffrey Loria. (In one incident in 2006, Loria was relentlessly heckling an umpire from his seat behind homeplate. Girardi asked him to stop. Loria stormed from his seat and confronted Girardi in a 90-minute clubhouse meeting. "I preach to my players about not arguing with umpires, and this is not going to help us,"' Girardi said.)

Although there are other managerial openings in MLB (he was considered for the Washington Nationals spot), I'm sure Girardi wants to return to the Yankees to put himself in contention for Joe Torre's job. Torre's contract expires after the 2007 season.

Girardi was Torre's bench coach in 2005, the position Don Mattingly was recently promoted to after Lee Mazzilli's dismissal. Willie Randolph was also recently the bench coach, which is how the Yankees groom their coaches to be managers. If Torre does leave after this season, I have to believe Girardi would be on the short list of future managers.

Girardi will work 60 games as an analyst and team up with John Flaherty for a new show called "Behind the Plate."

Edit: Girardi was just named N.L. Manager of the Year for 2006. Congrats Joe!