Sometimes it's not enough to be the hottest young managerial prospect in the game. Marlins manager Joe Girardi found that out the hard way last week. His Marlins, stocked with rookies and Double-A and Triple-A prospects, seemed certain to challenge the Mets' modern-day, National League record of 120 losses in a season. Last Sunday, with Florida at 51-59 and on the fringe of the wild-card race, Girardi nearly was fired. In Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a key ball-strike call went againt Marlins reliever Taylor Tankersley in the Dodgers' six-run seventh inning. Girardi, who had been ejected from Saturday night's loss, chose not to voice his objection. Instead, team owner Jeffrey Loria started a verbal assault of home plate umpire Larry Vanover. That ignited an exchange between Girardi and Loria seated in the front row, during which the manager reportedly told the owner to "sit the (bleep) down." After the game, Girardi and Loria had a private meeting -- before which Loria reportedly had ordered GM Larry Beinfest to can the skipper -- and front-office types started setting up chairs in the same conference room that had held meetings announcing former manager Jack McKeon's hiring and firing. Girardi's departure was averted during his closed-door meeting, but this wasn't the first time that he's butted heads with suits in the front office. It's hard to imagine Girardi getting fired after the impressive job he's done in his first year with the Marlins, but after Billy Martin's managerial debut that won a division title in 1969 for the Minnesota Twins, owner Calvin Griffth fired the headstrong manager. If the Marlins do a super-fade over the final weeks, will Girardi look as safe as he does today. . . which isn't necessarily all that safe?