Girardi Signs With Cubs

December 3, 1999 / 2:49 PM EST / CBS/AP

When Joe Girardi joined the Chicago Cubs in 1989, he thought he'd never leave. Opening day that season was an experience he'll never forget.

He got engaged to his wife and then walked on the field and saw Philadelphia third baseman Mike Schmidt.

"I remember Mike Schmidt walking to the plate and thinking that I used to watch this guy kill the Cubs, and I couldn't believe I was on the same field as Mike Schmidt," Girardi recalled.

And after the Cubs made the playoffs in his rookie season, Girardi, who attended Northwestern, figured he'd be with the Cubs for life, playing for his favorite team as it went to the postseason on a consistent basis.

Instead, three years later, he went to Colorado in the expansion draft and helped the Rockies make the playoffs.

Then he landed in New York and played on three World Series winners in four years with the Yankees.

Now, Girardi is back with the Cubs, officially signing a $5.5 million, three-year contract Wednesday to be their No. 1 catcher.

He'll get $2 million in each of the next two seasons and $1.5 million in the third. And he'll be reunited with his manager in Colorado, Don Baylor.

The Cubs just finished a busy winter meetings, where they patched up some of their weaknesses by acquiring center fielder Damon Buford, pitcher Ismael Valdes and second baseman Eric Young.

All reasons why Girardi accepted a less money than St. Louis and San Francisco had offered.

After three weeks of negotiations, Girardi decided on the Cubs after he and his wife had breakfast with GM Ed Lynch, who is one of his Lake Forest, Ill., neighbors.

"Coming from New York we kind of got used to winning and being in the postseason," Girardi said, adding that he would sorely miss the city and the Yankees atmosphere, especially coach Don Zimmer, who was his Cubs manager in 1989.

"We knew the Cubs had positions to be filled. I talked to Ed and he told me we're going to shore them up," Girardi said. "I looked him in the eye and believed what he said and obviously he told me the truth."

Girardi, who batted just .239 in 65 games for the Yankees last year after Jorge Posada became New York's top catcher, also wanted to create a stable environment for his 3 1/2 month-old daughter Serena, who accompanied him and his wife Kim to Wednesday's news conference at Wrigley Field.

"It was indicated that Joe would take less to come here. So that means a lot," Lynch said. "The fact he wanted to be here, we didn't use against him, didn't low-ball him."

The Cubs brought in a veteran catcher last year but Jeff Reed.

Girardi, a Peoria, Ill., native who has a degree in industrial engineering from Northwestern, is 35. He's a .270 hitter in 987 major league games.

"Our families are here and our home is here," Girardi said. "When I drove home from New York and had to rent a U-Haul to take the baby's stuff home, I realized how difficult it is as a family not having a set schedule. If you can create a stable environment it's very important."