Monday Bantering: Links

I missed this one last night, but since twitter doesn’t post things in order, I saw it this morning:

Good to hear. We have enough outfielders that he can sit for a week or so. I would like them to try Gurriel out there for a game or two.

John Lott has a story, in the Athletic, about Russell Martin’s reduced playing time. Russell is saying all the right things about sitting:

“If we were in playoff contention, it would be a different story,” he said. “I would want to be in there every single day. And I still love to compete. But I think I have a mature way of looking at it. I don’t take it personally at all.”

And, he added, “I didn’t have a great season.”

And John ponders whether the Jays might want to try to move Martin this winter. He suggests that maybe the team wouldn’t want to leave the pitching staff in the hands of two inexperienced catchers (that’s guessing that Luke Maile would also be moved this winter). I’m sure that if the Jays can move Martin they will, even if they have to pick up most of his $20 million contract for next year.

In the Globe and Mail, Cathal Kelly talks to John Gibbons about his ‘last rodeo’.

“I am noticing things a little bit more now. I know it might be the last time I see a certain spot,” Gibbons, 56, says.

Such as?

“Like, we go to Fenway next week. You never know. I might not be back there.”

You’re never going to Boston again?

Gibbons, a “Texas forever” man, pulls back theatrically: “I’m sure not going to travel to the northeast for the hell of it.”

There are funny stories, every profile of Gibby has funny stories. Talks about taking a job as a bullpen catcher, offered by J.P. Ricciardi. He hadn’t caught in 15 years, and ‘blew out a knee’ his first day, but had to continue.

Wouldn’t it have been better to practise that at home a bit?

“Possibly,” Gibbons says, like the punchline is writing itself.

Maybe Rogers could get value for the last year of his contract by giving him Pat’s job in the booth. I’d much rather listen to Gibby.

There is also the story of his firing back in 2008. He has an amazing ability to make good out of bad. The line I really like is that Gibby never tried to make people think his job was ‘rocket science’. I like managers like that. I have little love for the guys that try to make you think they are the smartest man in the world and none of us can understand what he is doing.

Cathal paints the picture of a genuinely good man.

Go read the story.

I thought I’d put up a poll: