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John Gibbons

Although the sample size is small, I can't help notice that a sizable number of you believe John Gibbons is doing an ok job and should be allowed to stay and some of you even believe his contract should be extended. While I wholeheartedly disagree with you, I am interested in your reasons for such a selection. What are everyone's thoughts on John Gibbons?

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I vote
for fire him after this season. I think this team should make the playoffs next year under the right manager.

His job with the batting lineup is terrible and doesn't seem to get the best out of lineup. It's clear a manager is doing a great job when his team overachievers and a bad one when they underachieve. In the land of Pythagoras and basic observation we are clearly underachieving.

by achengy on Jul 30, 2007 2:25 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I voted same as Allan
fire him at the end of the season.  

At the end of the day, I'm not sure how much impact a manager has - I'm sure there's an impact but it is difficult to quantify.  That said, while I'm not crazy about Gibbons' in-game decisions, a manager doesn't necessarily have to excel at in-game strategy to be successful.  

Folks (including myself) will point to Gibbons' bullpen management and his construction of the lineup, but if you look down the right sidebar at our brother and sister SB Nation sites, those are the same criticisms that every team's fans has for every manager.  While I have been frustrated with Gibbons' endless tinkering with the lineup for what seems to serve little purpose, I think we can all agree that replacing Gibbons isn't going to end those criticisms.  

What it comes down to, in my opinion, is this.  The one thing a manager absolutely has to be able to do is have the respect of his players and project on the team an on-the-field unity of purpose.  I've played for managers that did this and ones that did not, and the ones that did consistently got performances out of their players that exceeded expectations.  

Whatever ability Gibbons may have had to lead this team no longer exists, in my opinion.  It's unlikely it will return.  When that happens, you have two options: change the players, or change the manager.  J.P. has said he's sticking with the players, so it's time to let Gibbons go and see what someone else can do.  

I do usually oppose firing a manager in the middle of a season, but I don't really care either way whether he goes now or in the offseason.  If the Jays don't have someone in mind to replace him, let him serve out the year or ask him to resign (with pay, of course) late in the season and then finish it off as a lame duck.  It's time for someone else to have a chance with what seems to be a more talented core of players than their record indicates.  

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on Jul 30, 2007 8:22 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Possibly . . .
joe girardi?  it seems like a decent situation as long as he doesn't go to the yankees.  but then again, if you ask the nationals or the orioles, maybe he never wants to manage again and would rather have a 100% Manager of the Year rate.
"The NY Mets are my favorite squadron" --Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

by jessef on Jul 30, 2007 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I agree
with both of you.

Interesting note: Yahoo rumors had a post the other day saying that if Gibbons did not finish July with an above .500 record, that he would be fired - being that he has fired (according to the article) every coach he's had that's been under .500 at this point of the season.

by thelettere on Aug 1, 2007 3:34 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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