Joe Girardi: 'Had no inkling'

— -- TAMPA, Fla. -- Joe Girardi said Friday he had no idea Derek Jeter would retire and that when he heard, he was "saddened" by the news.

"I think we were all a little bit taken [aback] by it," the New York Yankees manager said. "You are never sure how someone is going to do it, but I had no inkling that is what he was thinking, so I was little taken aback by it. ... In the [Facebook] article, he had written about how it is more difficult to get ready, and when it becomes more [of] a job than just playing, then it is something [he has] to think about.

"I remember Kevin Tapani telling me that it wasn't the day he pitched, it was the work the four days prior to pitching. It was difficult for him. [Jeter] has played for a long time. He has been so important to this organization. We are going to miss him."

Girardi said he will not go out of his way to play Jeter more, even if fans who have tickets for each Yankees game -- home and away -- will want No. 2 to be in the lineup.

"I got to do ... what's best for our team and what's best for him is the bottom line," Girardi said. "As I said, he's going to play as much as he's capable of playing; that's the bottom line for me. We want him out there every day. As I said, it won't be every day, but I want to run him out there most of the time."

Girardi said he likely will bat Jeter second.

"That would be the ideal thing if you could break up your left-handers but we'll just have to see," Girardi said.

Girardi plans on talking with Jeter face to face. Since the announcement, the two have exchanged texts, the manager said.