Inside the Yankees' clubhouse, Joe Girardi's reputation was that he's a good man, a generally good manager and someone who brought more intensity to his job than anybody in the Bronx.

But players quietly bemoaned a lack of communication with him, especially when it came to their roles, and struggled to connect with the man who had been in the driver's seat for 10 years, several players -- current and former -- and sources within the organization have told NJ Advance Media.

The Yankees made public their decision to dump the 53-year-old Girardi as their manager early Thursday morning.

"I want to thank Joe for his 10 years of hard work and service to this organization," general manager Brian Cashman said in a statement. "Everything this organization does is done with careful and thorough consideration, and we've decided to pursue alternatives for the managerial position.

Girardi, whose four-year, $16-million contract was up, made it clear it wasn't his decision to leave.

"With a heavy heart, I come to you because the Yankees have decided not to bring me back," Girardi said in a statement.

Internal candidates to replace Girardi could include bench coach Rob Thomson, third base coach Joe Espada, catching coordinator Josh Paul, Triple-A manager Al Pedrique and High-A manager Jay Bell.

Conversations with players and others in the organization, who were granted anonymity by NJ Advance Media in order to speak freely, painted the picture of a manager who seemed to push most of the right buttons in the dugout but not in the clubhouse or the hallways, where relationships are made.

Mostly, they said, because he was rarely in the clubhouse.

"It's hard to tell where you stand with Joe," one player said.

One player explained that Girardi seemed far more laid back each spring training than he was during the regular season.

Girardi, the player said, almost seemed to make an effort to talk to every single player in the locker room at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, where the Yankees host spring training.

But his interest in conversation and the small talk that can bond boss and employee would plummet in the days before Opening Day and rarely resurfaced, the player said.

"He was like night and day," the player said.

Another source pointed to Girardi's handling of veteran designated hitter Matt Holliday toward season's end.

Holliday returned from a long disabled list stay in early September and was the Yankees' primary DH for much of the month. But as the month closed and the playoffs neared and Holliday's playing time was decreased, Holliday, the source said, didn't seem to know how he fit in.

While some questioned his moves at times, sources said, Girardi certainly wasn't disliked.

When third baseman Todd Frazier told reporters "this one is for Joe" following the Yankees' AL Division Series-clinching Game 5 win over the Indians, it was an honest -- if unspoken -- sentiment.

Many inside the organization sympathized with Girardi following his Game 2 mistake to not challenge a critical play that could have given the Yankees a win, with one player likening it to "a mistake pitch or an error. It's baseball. Things happen. He owned it, too."

Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.