Former Chicago Cubs Player in Running for New Opening

Joe Girardi played two different times for the Chicago Cubs and now he could be returning to the Windy City for a new job.

Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

A former Chicago Cubs player and Northwestern alum could be in the running for the head-coaching job for the Wildcats, reports MLB.com.

Joe Girardi — who played two different times with the Cubs and is a native of Peoria, Ill. — is one of two NU alums that the Wildcats reportedly have interest in to replace Jim Foster, who was fired earlier this week.

The other NU alum is another MLB veteran, Mark Loretta.

The potential to hire Girardi would be a solid move for a program reeling from allegations of bullying and a toxic environment that led to Foster’s dismissal. His firing came less than a week after the firing of football coach — and NU alum — Pat Fitzgerald.

Girardi hasn’t coached or managed since the Philadelphia Phillies fired him in May of last season. The Phillies reached the World Series under interim manager Rob Thomson, who is now the full-time manager.

But Girardi has had plenty of success as a manager. He has a career record of 1,120-935 with the Marlins, the Yankees and the Phillies. With the New York Yankees he led them to the 2009 World Series title. He also won three rings as a player with the Yankees in 1996, 1998 and 1999.

But he’s never coached at the collegiate level.

As a player he spent more than a decade in the Majors, but he made his debut with the Chicago Cubs, who drafted him in the fifth round in 1986. With Chicago from 1989-92 he had his best offensive season in 1990, as he played in 133 games and batted .270 with a home run and 38 RBIs.

He left the Cubs when he was left unprotected in the 1993 Expansion draft and was selected by the Colorado Rockies.

He later returned to the Cubs from 2000-02 and made the All-Star team in 2000 as an injury replacement for Mike Piazza. That season he played in 106 game and batted .278 with six home runs and 40 RBIs.

Girardi carved out a fine career at Northwestern, playing for the Wildcats from 1983-86. He was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and a three-time Academic All-American. He was considered good enough to play in the Cape Cod League in 1984 and earned All-Star status.

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