He did it...JP gracefully fired Gibby...
..not only that, he boldly re-hired Cito Gaston (I stress the "RE").
Now, we all know what Cito did in Toronto from 89-97, winning 681 games and 2 glorious World Championships, but can the 64 year old apply the magical turn around potion again in 2008?
Well, look at it this way, the 1989 Jays was one that had Lloyd Moseby, George Bell and Jesse Barfield manning the outfield. On top of that, Tony Fernandez was our wicked fielding shortstop while John Olerud played with his famous fielding helmet at first. Fred McGriff led the AL with 36 home runs that year. It was a roster that also encompassed the great Dave Stieb, Jimmy Key, both Duane Ward and Tom Henke. Yes, Jimy Williams was horrible at the managing post, but maybe it's the players who don't get enough credit for that absurdly remarkable turn around in 89.
Fast forward to 2008...the Jays in the present funk just does not compare with the massively underachieving 89 team. Perhaps Roy Halladay and Dave Stieb are comparable in some ways, but Lyle Overbay is not a John Olerud. Eck and Johnny Mac are amazing shortstops, but not nearly as amazing as Tony Fernandez. I doubt anyone on this team can reach 36 homers this year and besides, BJ Ryan's inconsistency may just offset that stat anyway.
I have nothing against our starting rotation this season. Up to this point, Halladay, Burnett, McGowan, Marcum and Litsch have combined to put on a fantastic show of pitching. Sure, there were a few inconsistencies here and there, but you can't expect them to hurl like all stars every time. However, one guy certainly deserves an all star berth and that's the stud Shaun Marcum. Marcum has the second best ERA (2.65) in the American League and looks to get better every fifth day. Otherwise, Doc Halladay's 2.90 ERA ranks 5th in the league and Jesse Litsch is at #15. Collaboratively, these three hurlers have a grand total of just 13 wins. I'm not a baseball historian, but when was the last time that ever happened?
Someone wrote in today's Toronto Star: "You can't fire the players, so the manager takes the responsibility." There's no better quote than that and as bad as this stretch has been, Gibby has taken the brunt of the frustration. I've never liked him that much nor was I disgusted with him, but I do feel bad for the man. Of course, the best wishes go out to him and the rest of the "former Blue Jay coaches". While I have the utmost respect for Cito Gaston, the fate of this club rests with everyone on the bench. Cito can be the master of strategy, but it's up to the players to execute.
While this change in coaching staff may bring some short term success, it's time for the front-office to step up and build a contender from the bottom up. Hey, while we're in the flashback spirit, here's a suggestion...
HIRE PAT GILLICK!
-D
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