With guys like Jon Gosselin, Alec Baldwin, Mel Gibson and the jerk who poisoned his kids for cash, still living and breathing, it’s easy to see why dads get dissed a lot in the media.
But, not all dads are bad.
In fact, some are down right nice.
Just ask Joe Girardi’s daughters.
New York Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi is the father of three children, and knows the importance of keeping the bond between child and parent strong.
Girardi made headlines recently when he modified rules that put restrictions on players’ kids having access to their dads in the clubhouse.
The baseball bigwig maintained that his players should have the opportunity to spend more time with their children, especially when the team plays at home.
Hence the change in rules.
The original rules, which were formulated under Girardi’s predecessor, Joe Torre, stated that girls could not enter the clubhouse at any time and that boys were allowed in only after a game in which the team won.
Under Girardi’s reign players can bring their sons into the clubhouse before and after every game—win or lose. In addition, daughters are allowed in several times a month, though all times are scheduled in advance to ensure the young girls aren’t standing in a room with a bunch of naked men.
“I think it’s important that your children know what you do, so they have an understanding of what work is,” Girardi told news reporters. “We’re not just going away to just go away, we actually have a job to do. I also think our kids shouldn’t be punished for us losing. It’s not their fault. Our guys are real good when we have a loss, their kids are respectful.”
Yankee players have embraced the rule change, saying that given how often they are away from home (in a regular season, the team plays 162 games), it means a lot to be able to spend quality time with their kids wherever and whenever they can.
For Girardi, he says the rule change makes perfect sense given that his family is his top priority.
And given that some dads make a regular habit of neglecting their kids just to watch a ball game on TV– never mind actually participate in it–I’d say that Joe Girardi qualifies as a not so bad dad.
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