Yankees offer manager's job to Joe Girardi

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Looks like former Yankees star and bench coach Don Mattingly won't be in pinstripes next year. The popular, early favorite to replace longtime manager Joe Torre has been passed over in favor of Joe Girardi, who spent the past season as a Yankees TV announcer after being fired last year by the Florida Marlins.

"Don was extremely disappointed to learn today that he wasn't the organization's choice to fill the managerial vacancy," Mattingly's agent, Ray Schulte, said today in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "Instead, he was informed the organization offered the position to Joe Girardi."

Girardi, 43, beat out Mattingly and first-base coach Tony Pena for the job. Mattingly told the Yankees he isn't interested in a coaching position next year and he also extended congratulations to Girardi and offered his best wishes, Schulte said.

Girardi, shown above before Saturday's World Series game, was the first person to interview to replace Torre, who managed the team to the playoffs in each of his 12 seasons.

For more on the Yankees, who also lost star player Alex Rodriguez to free agency, read this report by AP baseball writer Ronald Blum.

--Paul Chavez