When the Yankees fired pitching coach Dave Eiland this fall after their run in the American League Championship Series was put to a stop, general manager Brian Cashman called it his own decision. He said it was a “private” and “personal matter” that led to Eiland being let go and did not answer further questions. Now new details are trickling out.
Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York heard from a source this weekend that Eiland’s tarnished relationship with manager Joe Girardi, and not Cashman, is what likely spelled the end for the veteran Yankee coach.
Eiland felt that his “opinions were being deemphasized” when he returned from a month-long leave of absence in June, according to Marchand’s source, and frustration likely grew out of A.J. Burnett’s consistently poor showings in the second half of the 2010 season.
So what does this all mean? Not much, really. Eiland is already gone and the Yankees aren’t going to get into further details of why he was let go because they don’t have to. It does make one think that Girardi might have a little more say in organizational moves than previously thought. He soured on the guy, the guy was fired.
The Yankees have not yet settled on a replacement for Eiland. Former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson is in the running, as is A’s former pitching coach Curt Young. Leo Mazzone’s name has been thrown around as well.