Blue Jays: John Gibbons speaks out on firing rumours

Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons has been the subject of some recent rumours that indicate that he could be on his way out soon. Now, the laid-back Texan speaks out on his thoughts regarding those rumours.

Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons appeared on MLB Network Radio Friday and spoke regarding the report from the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal that suggested he could be fired sooner rather than later. Rosenthal’s column ($) notes that the Jays “seem destined to move on from John Gibbons” at the end of the season.

As always, Gibby delivered a blunt and straight-forward response. “Sooner or later it’s going to happen, I can guarantee you that” chuckled Gibbons upon being asked the question.  “I’ve learned to dismiss those things, it’s a reality though”.

Speaking about his relationship with the Mark Shapiro/Ross Atkins management team, Gibby said that they have a “great working relationship” and that “if things do come to an end here, it’s been a wonderful ride”.

On the subject of the imminent organizational rebuild, Gibbons mentioned that “maybe [the Blue Jays] would benefit from getting a new fresh face”, adding that he’s “not so sure [he] want[s] to go through a total rebuild”.

As for how the decision will happen, the former New York Met farm hand said that “we’ll probably sit down before it’s all said and done and talk that out”, alluding to the aforementioned positive, yet occasionally suspicious relationship between the skipper and the management.

On whether or not he would be fired after the upcoming home series against the Tampa Bay Rays,  Gibbons said: “that would surprise me, considering where we’re at in the season, but you never know either…”.

Finally, when asked about why a rebuild sounds unappealing to the second time manager, Gibby joked that he’s always believed that his greatest strength is his patience, but in his own words, he doesn’t “think [he has] that much patience”.

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While the interview didn’t really give us a ton of insight into the status of Gibby’s job, it did offer up some perspective as to how the skipper feels about where the organization is headed. While it’s not a massive revalation to suggest that he won’t stick around for the entirety of the rebuild, it’s at least somewhat surprising to hear the skipper himself acknowledge it.

Objectively though, it is a thing of beauty to see Gibbons speak so candidly about his situation, especially given the plethora of rumours that continue to circle over his head. Even if you’re not a “John Gibbons fan”, you’d be hard-pressed to dislike his comments.

If he stepped down today, he would be second on the Blue Jays all-time list of managers in wins, second to only Cito Gaston. He would also place second to Gaston in years managed, total games managed and managerial losses.

Regardless of what happens, John Gibbons should be remembered as a fine major league manager. His good rapport with his players, as well as his laid-back, straightforward approach to the game make him one of the more entertaining managers in baseball, making it potentially difficult to say goodbye to him.