I Need A New Dictionary

John Harper, Daily News

As badly as Joe Girardi handled the infamous non-challenge in Game 2 ... excuse-making and all, it seems only fair to point out that since then he has not only owned his mistake but reacted as professionally as possible to questions about his job status and being booed before Game 3.

In short, the ordeal has humanized the often-robotic Girardi in some ways ...

Fans have every right to boo, but it's not often a manager gets that type of treatment before a playoff game. ... I thought he'd dismiss questions about it afterward ...

Instead Girardi gave a thoughtful, respectful, and what seemed to be a heartfelt answer ...

None of this gets him off the hook for his mistake last Friday night. ...

It doesn't mean the manager didn't deserve to be hammered for his handling of Game 2 ...

I just think it's only fair to note that Girardi has handled the aftermath of his mistake with a touch of class.

(my emphasis)

One definition of classy:

having or showing class: such as ...
b: having or reflecting high standards of personal behavior ...
c: admirably skillful and graceful ...

My dictionary is clearly outdated. It does not include:

d: after committing what everyone around you says is the worst blunder in your 11 years as a major league manager, display your usual stubbornness and make several excuses for your mistake, each one more bizarre and nonsensical than the one before, only to, on the following day, finally admit the obvious, that you, in fact, did make a mistake

The word "class" - like "hero" - has been devalued and debased. (Or perhaps the writers who cover the Yankees are trigger-happy to use that word when anything remotely proper happens.)

I also note that after Game 2, Harper wrote that he did not think that Girardi could "redeem himself" from his "indefensible decision". Less than 24 hours later, Harper (while not excusing Girardi's mistake) had certainly softened.

Girardi "owned his mistake"? Well, what else could he do, really? No one on the planet thought it was the right (non-)move and it probably cost his team a playoff win. He was bound to be asked about it again and digging in his heels and defending it the next day would have been insane. It would have kept the story alive for the rest of the postseason and into the winter, possibly costing him his job. It was far better to close the book on it and hope everyone will move on.