Davidoff: Girardi needs to work on popularity factor

On June 24, 2009, Brian Cashman paid a surprise visit to the Yankees in Atlanta. The team possessed a modest 38-32 record, had lost nine of 13 contests and trailed the Red Sox by five games in the American League East.

Cashman offered a few words of encouragement to his players, and after an 8-4 win over the Braves, Mark Teixeira told reporters, “Sometimes the principal needs to show up in the classroom if the teacher is having trouble with the students.’’ Starting with that game, the Yankees went a ridiculous 65-27 (.707) record for the duration of the season.

The anecdote came to mind with news of Girardi’s three-year, $9-million extension with the Yankees, which will be announced today. Many Yankees fans don’t appear particularly excited by this news. At the least, there’s a perception that the intense personality of Girardi — the teacher — causes as much damage as it creates good.

I don’t agree altogether with that perception. I think you’re making a dangerous leap by correlating Girardi’s dour expression with the fact that the Rangers put a beatdown on the Yankees. But I do think the Yankees have to better acknowledge Girardi’s primary fault, and work harder to compensate for it.

It’s no different from when Cashman tried to make up for Joe Torre’s aversion to serious video analysis by hiring bullpen coach Joe Kerrigan.

How do they do this? That’s easier said than done, especially if pitching coach Dave Eiland is the only coach they’re going to replace. Maybe Cashman can try a few more drop-ins like that Atlanta visit, although that loses effectiveness with overuse. Maybe Girardi just needs to work more on his media relations.

He’s too good a manager in other, crucial components of the game to toss aside. But he’s too good a manager, also, to have such a low popularity index.

Alderson update

Before World Series Game 2, Bud Selig offered this about new Mets general manager Sandy Alderson: “I have enormous respect for Sandy, both professionally and personally. And I will tell you, the job he did in the Dominican was extraordinary . . . He is a first-rate person and a great executive.” Asked if he recommended Alderson to the Wilpons, Selig told reporters: “Let’s say what I’ve said to you, I said to the Wilpons.”

Meanwhile, as we reported here, Alderson has received the green light to hire some high-profile front-office people. The New York Post reported that Alderson has reached out to Paul DePodesta, now with San Diego, and J.P. Ricciardi, now with ESPN.

DePodesta, whom Alderson brought into the organizations of the Athletics and then the Padres, has shifted from baseball operations work to more on the business side with the Padres. His wife’s family hails from San Diego. Therefore, it’s not clear whether DePodesta would make the jump to Flushing.

Ricciardi, who worked with Alderson in Oakland and served as the Blue Jays’ general manager from 2002 through 2009, wants to get back into baseball operations. He also has been in contact with the Red Sox about such an opportunity.

The most likely transfer might be amateur scouting guru Grady Fuson, who currently is working for Alderson’s protégé, Billy Beane, in Oakland.

Manager search updates

Bobby Valentine is a finalist for the Brewers’ opening, and if any of the remaining teams figure to be a match with the energetic Valentine, it’s Milwaukee. Owner Mark Attanasio has an affinity for big names and big ideas. Valentine has told friends he’s skeptical that he’ll be managing at the outset of the 2011 season, but he’s unpredictable. The Marlins have told interim manager Edwin Rodriguez to “sit tight,” and that they hope to resolve their situation by the middle of next week.