End Of An Evil Empire?

Has the evil emire moved to a different city? Is the new Death Star being constructed in Boston with the Red Sox winning their second championship in four years, and the talent to make them the favorites for next year?

The fans are already the stormtroopers; kind of slow, clumsy, and quick to make some unwanted noise. Star Wars references aside, these Red Sox can dominate baseball for years to come with their pitching and young talent that has already shown they are ready for the big stage.

Yesterday, it was Alex Rodriguez trying to steal some thunder from the Red Sox by announcing he was opting out of his Yankees contract. Today, it is the Yankees announcing that they have offered Joe Girardi the vacant manager's position.

First let me talk about Girardi (and it is reported he will accept the job tomorrow). This hire may cause a stir in the Yankees clubhouse because he was offered the job over Don Mattingly. Yes, that Don... "Donnie Baseball," one of the most beloved Yankee players, and a player who already had his number retired by the club.

Mattingly will not accept a position on the Yankees coaching staff, Marchand and ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney are reporting.

"Don was extremely disappointed that he wasn't the organization's choice to fill the manager's vacancy," Mattingly's agent, Ray Schulte, said in a statement.

I know Girardi is a great manager, but you have to try to keep your team intact after losing Joe Torre. Several key players with the Yankees were hinging their decisions on whether to stay with the Yankees based on if Torre was retained, and now who replaced him.

I think Mattingly was that guy to help make a smooth transition from the Torre era to a Yankees era that will include younger players.

The key Yankees players who are free agents: Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, and Mariano Rivera. Pretty hefty names that helped the Yankees strive in their evil empire era. Oh yes, and do not forget that third baseman that decided to opt out.

And it appears that it is officially over between A-Rod and the Yankees, as Hank Steinbrenner had this to say about him opting out:

"It's clear he didn't want to be a Yankee," Hank Steinbrenner, a son of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and now the figurehead of the club's baseball operations, told the New York Daily News. "He doesn't understand the privilege of being a Yankee on a team where the owners are willing to pay $200 million to put a winning product on the field.

"I don't want anybody on my team that doesn't want to be a Yankee."

So now the Yankees may or may not have to replace key players from the outside or from within. Hey, they have Wilson Betemit to play third.

The evil empire has changed uniforms, and I couldn't be happier.