Over in the Globe and Mail Jeff Blair suggests that while the team is changing presidents over the winter they should go all the way and change managers too. I'll admit that I would never have hired Cito. I think of him as a caretaker manager, he's not going to do much for you but he'll keep things running. All that said, I think firing him because he's exactly the manager that you knew he was when you hired him is short-sighted.
Cito's been what we thought he'd be. Line up selection was never a strong point. There are areas he is better in now than he was before. His first go at manager he'd leave starting pitchers in for 120-130 or more pitches, because, well I guess because that's Bob Gibson did it and if it was good enough then it is a good enough now. After leaving a trail of broken down arms back then, he's been fair gentler on his starters. Relievers? Well he still picks the guys he likes and rides them.
I do agree that if they put in a new CEO, I'd hope he is an experienced baseball man and that he would have a GM in mind and I'd want the GM to pick his own manager. I think a new GM would need a new field manager because, it seems, Cito wields a lot of power with the team and I wouldn't want a war between the new GM and the sainted manager that the fan base loves.
But this line bothered me:
Leaving aside the hints that Gaston is not exactly universally loved in the clubhouse, the Blue Jays ownership must bring in a new manager to run the field operation
A totally unsupported statement that is just there to shot at Cito's rep of being player's manager. Come on Jeff, if you are going to say that, tell us who is unhappy. Is it Kevin Millar? If it is, who cares?
Earl Weaver's line about being a manager that there are 5 players that love you, 5 guys that hate you and the secret is to keep the 5 guys that hate you away from the 15 that are on the fence. There are always going to be players that dislike the manager. There are 10 guys that will start each game, there are 25 (well in September more than 25) guys on the active roster. Do the math. They all think they should play or else they wouldn't be baseball players. Some are going to be unhappy.
I'm sure Adam Lind would walk through fire for Cito. Aaron Hill likely loves him. Marco Scutaro is likely the same.Jeremy Accardo maybe isn't a fan. Guess what? That's the life of a manager.