Choose a new GM and Manager

[robinhood]

Many are complaining about Gibbons and JP. What I would like to know is: If you could hire a new GM and Manager, who would it be? Please be real and don't go saying Billy Beane and Joe Torre.

Question #2
Would this team be any better under new Guidance or does the roster still need an overhaul?

[broadwayjoe2]

JP needs to go, but a good replacement needs to be in the pipeline ready to go.

Replacing him with the next 'never will be' is not an option.

A quality manager might be easier to get your hands on than a GM so I'm not as worried about that factor.

The key here is that the Jays cannot try to fix this on the cheap.... Spend what it takes to get high quality people in here. In fact, overspend! I'd rather see a $70 Million dollar payroll and a crackerjack front office than an $80 Million dollar one with morons at the helm.

[martinthegreat]

Me, and me
I'd need some training in being a GM, but I could probably do Gibbons job minus all the baseball coaching kind of things. Bullpen management and lineups I could do for sure. Most people here could as well (but not as well )

[broadwayjoe2]

How are your pitfighting skills?

It seems you'll have to scrap it out with players on a regular basis to fill in for Gibbons.

Perhaps Chuck Norris would be a good choice.

[martinthegreat]

Chuck Norris kicks buttocks. I would go for that.
I hear that when Chuck Norris manages baseball, he always gets a called strike 3 no matter where the pitch ends up because the umpires are afraid of being killed by a roundhouse kick. That could be useful in the stretch.

[DrEasy]

Anyone but dePodesta should be an improvement over JP.

[Awesomeness Reeker]

Should the Tigers not collapse and steamroll in October as they did before the break, it would be nice to offer Dombrowski a new challenge.

Other than that, what's Schuerholz doing next year?

[85Jays]

GM ... no idea. I have no idea who is available who I'd want.

Manager ... shoot me for saying so, but Cito Gaston.

Yup, you heard me right.

The team's got the talent to contend, and it's got a good mix of veterans and young players, but the clubhouse is an absolute mess. If you want a manager who can address that problem, Cito's your guy.

[jaysmaniac]

and...who is in town on flash back fridays....coniciidence?

[85Jays]

Hmm ... how convenient! They can just put him in a uniform, sit him on the bench, and no one will notice that he's taken over the team until they see that he's still there on Saturday!

A bonus is that I believe Cito still lives in Toronto. No need to fly him in for the interview. The savings can go towards next year's payroll.

[firstrounder]

My heart bleeds Cito as well.

Unfortunately, we know JP, and there is no way he would ever in a million years, bring Cito back.

[ws1992]

Hard to believe, but Cito Gaston was also one of my choices when I read the title of this thread. I’m a sucker for nostalgia. He was an arm killer (Hentgen, Guzman, Ward) and wasn’t exactly a great guy to have around with young players, but he was also a winner for most of his tenure and has a Joe Torre type of personality that can really maintain a good clubhouse. To take the good, you have to take the bad. I guess that’s the case for all managers, though. If this becomes more of a veteran team, then the club could do a lot worse than Gaston.

I’m just tired of the Tosca/Gibbons type of managers. This time, either go big or go home. The best manager of this team post-Cito was veteran Jim Fregosi. That’s not saying much when Fregosi is up against Tim Johnson, Buck Martinez, Carlos Tosca, and John Gibbons, but that’s just reality.

Choosing a general manager is impossible because we don’t have the foggiest idea who is (or could be) available. For instance, if you told me Gillick was available last year, I would of given him anything he wanted and brought him back. Tough to judge from our end. I do know that it’s not going to be difficult to replace Ricciardi. It would take Bill Bavasi or Cam Bonifay to make this team worse, and even Godfrey’s not that devoid of baseball knowledge to hire those types. It pains me to think that Dave Dombrowski was one of Godfrey’s main choices in 2001, IIRC (he chose Detroit instead). He could of really helped this ballclub.

[satyr9]

martinthegreat said:

Chuck Norris kicks buttocks. I would go for that.
I hear that when Chuck Norris manages baseball, he always gets a called strike 3 no matter where the pitch ends up because the umpires are afraid of being killed by a roundhouse kick. That could be useful in the stretch.

He'd also get respect in the clubhouse 'cause he's the greatest ex-player ever. He didn't use a bat, but he hit a homerun in every at bat he ever had with a roundhouse. The pitchers couldn't intentionally walk him, 'cause the only guy who tried was killed by a roundhouse where Chuck Norris never left the batter's box.

[axlsalinger]

You guys have got to be f***ing kidding me. Say no to Cito. Now is not the time to try to re-live the past. Cito Gaston was a bad manager then and he would be a far worse choice now.

I give him credit for winning those 2 titles. No one can ever take that away from him. He did a good job with that team since he didn't tinker too much and they didn't need much management. He knew when to leave well enough alone and it worked well.

But he was Dusty Baker Lite in his treatment of young players, incapable of properly handling the pitching staff, and made a # of questionable moves in the seasons after 93. I am surprised no one has given him a second chance, but it should definitely not be us.

[broadwayjoe2]

Cito is yesterdays man.

Would he be better than Gibbons..... probably.
Does this mean we should hire him..... not a chance.

Cito wouldn't be an active force helping this team win games, he would be a caretaker.
This team needs a manager who actually adds to the ability of the team, instead of just making sure it doesn't implode (which Cito would probably do well)

[85Jays]

I disagree ... I think the team has the ability. The problem is that it's imploding. If a team is put together properly, a manager who can simply make sure it doesn't implode is all you really need.

As someone else said, though, it would never happen. Cito likes to run his own show, and Ricciardi likes the "top down" approach. The two would never get along.

[broadwayjoe2]

Errrrr....

You think this team has the ability to afford a manager who is reactive as opposed to proactive?

You think this team can afford to let a guy like Cito manage what young arms they do have coming up?

In my eyes, Cito is a perfect manager for a team like the Sox or the Yankees. Even the team the Chisox have would do well under his reigns.

The Jays however... I don't see it being a fit at this point. I just don' t think enough of the pieces are in place to let this team coast. Like it or not.... that's what Cito does, he coasts.

[85Jays]

Well, how he handles young arms would be my major concern, so that's a valid point. I would hope he learned his lesson from what he did with guys like Ward. But I do think that going into this season we had a lot of talent, and a lot of depth (at least offensively). Cito would have been a better fit earlier ... at the beginning of the year. There would be no point to hiring a permanent manager now ... we're at the "interim manager" stage, if Gibbons needs to be let go (and I'm still an "if" on that, because the details of the incident aren't clear.)

If I thought there were better options, I'd suggest a better option. I don't think Whitt is the solution. Of course, the offseason could produce new options.

I definitely would like to see us hire someone who isn't a "let's see, who have we got lying around" option, anyway.

[broadwayjoe2]

Oh I agree 85... it should be an exhaustive search to find a new manager.

I also agree that this team needs a veteran in terms of the managerial role. I don't think this team is in a position to have a guy learn on the job.

Man oh Man...

At this point Cito looks good to you and Jim Fergosi looks good to me..... In all reality though, I don't think either would be the best choice.

[DrEasy]

As someone else said, though, it would never happen. Cito likes to run his own show, and Ricciardi likes the "top down" approach. The two would never get along.

So basically, as long as JP is the GM, there's no chance we'll ever get an experienced coach.

[85Jays]

Unless JP modifies his philosophy on managers. I'd like to think a GM can adapt with experience.

[robinhood]

Lou Pinella anyone. He's a veteran Manager but he's also a hot head. If you really think about it, there are not many Veteran Managers out there who Don't have Jobs.

Im a Bobby Cox fan, Wonder if he would ever consider leaving Atlanta to come back to Toronto?

[85Jays]

Lou is a smarter manager ... but I think he's gotten a little nuttier the past few years. I'd pass on him.

Cox is a good option, and I suspect he'll be available after this season. A great manager, but I think his time in Atlanta is done. I'd love to see him back in Toronto again.

[axlsalinger]

it should be an exhaustive search to find a new manager.

Agreed, which is why it may as well wait until the end of the season. Unless the situation in the room is so bad that it can't wait. Which I don't think is the case. Yet.

Piniella does appear to be a nutcase. Not really interested in him. Bobby Cox is intriguing, I suppose.

Although I generally prefer the new up-and-comer approach over the retread, results vary wildly and at this point, the Jays should bring in a guy with experience. Leyland has worked wonders in Detroit, for example.

With all this talk about Gaston and Fregosi, what's Tim Johnson up to these days?! Just kidding, but he actually did do a good job when he was here. Other than the 'Nam flashbacks, of course.

[anne25]

Love the idea of Bobby Cox with Cito in the wing shoud Cox falter, or should it be the other way around.