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11/20/2007 12:48 PM ET
Yankees name Girardi's coaching staff
Some holdovers from 2007 crew, as well as some new faces



NEW YORK -- Joe Girardi has plenty of reasons to feel good about his upcoming season with the Yankees, especially with Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera seemingly back in the fold.
As Girardi said, it's always better when you know who you'll be working with. As such, the Yankees officially unveiled their 2008 coaching staff on Tuesday, keeping some members of last season's crew while incorporating some new faces and roles.

Hitting coach Kevin Long and first-base coach Tony Pena will return, while Dave Eiland has been promoted to pitching coach. Rob Thomson becomes the new bench coach, and both third-base coach Bobby Meacham and bullpen coach Mike Harkey -- both members of Girardi's 2006 Marlins' coaching staff -- have joined New York.

"Now that the coaching staff is put together, we can all go to work," Girardi said. "We've already started working on Spring Training and how we'll approach it. It's obviously a lot better when you know everyone that you're going to be working with."

Three members of Girardi's staff worked under Joe Torre in 2007 -- Long, Pena and Thomson, while Eiland traveled with the team in September after his season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre ended.

"Just watching the work that they've done makes you comfortable with them," Girardi said.

Eiland, 41, will be entering his sixth season coaching in the Yankees organization, after playing parts of five seasons with the club. A familiar face to hurlers working their way through the system, Eiland came on board in September and embraced a role as an extra voice for Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, among others.

"Dave knows all the young pitchers," Girardi said. "Obviously, those young guys are going to play an important role with us this year, so I thought it was important that the pitchers were comfortable with the pitching coach."

"It's an honor and a privilege, and something that I'm very much looking forward to," Eiland said. "I'm very anxious to get started."

The 40-year-old Long returns for a second season as hitting coach after earning strong reviews; Rodriguez credited Long's diligent work ethic as one contributing factor to his MVP campaign.

Pena, 50, was one of three candidates interviewed for the managerial position, but he said he would be more than happy to return to New York under Girardi. A former American League Manager of the Year in 2003 with Kansas City, Pena is entering his third season with the Yankees.

Thomson, 44, is a longtime member of the Yankees organization who has held various titles over the past 18 seasons. He served as the Yankees' Major League Field Coordinator in 2007, acting as the communication bridge between the club's advance scouts and Torre's staff, but he has also spent eight seasons coaching and managing in the Yankees' system.

Girardi, who spent time with Thomson last week in the Dominican Republic, said he believes the one-time Minor League catcher and third baseman is up to the challenge.

"I saw the work he did when I was a player there and how prepared he is," Girardi said of Thomson. "He's a take-charge kind of guy. He's managed, he's run the Minor Leagues, he's coached third base. He's done so many different jobs that I think he's ready for this step."

Girardi also added two former Yankees to his team, members of his first coaching staff in 2006 with the Marlins. Meacham, who played 457 games with New York from 1983-88, served as Girardi's third-base coach in Florida. The 47-year-old will fill the same role in 2008, having spent this past season as the first-base coach for the Padres.

"He knows how to play the game," Girardi said. "He's worked with all kinds of different types of players, being a manager in the Minor Leagues, being a first-base coach and a third-base coach."

Harkey served as Girardi's bullpen coach in 2006 with the Marlins and worked this season as a Triple-A pitching coach in the Cubs organization. Once a first-round pick of the Cubs in 1987, the 41-year-old Harkey appeared in 131 Major League games, making 104 starts for the Cubs, Rockies, A's, Angels and Dodgers.

"Harkey's a pitcher in the big leagues who was a starter and worked out of the bullpen, and understands the difference in the roles and how to prepare for each role," Girardi said. "I think he does a great job of preparing the pitchers to be ready when they come in from the bullpen."

Girardi said that he planned to reach out to left-hander Andy Pettitte, one large remaining piece of business for the Yankees, in the coming days. But by settling his coaching staff and securing three key free agents by the Thanksgiving holiday, Girardi said there is plenty to be pleased about.

"I think the way it's starting to come together is very nice," Girardi said. "Obviously, until everything is completed, you don't want to get your hopes up too high. But it looks like the guys that we all wanted to come back will be back."


Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.