Toronto’s search for right skipper proves elusive
If the 2013 Major League Baseball season had played out the way most experts had predicted, then Tuesday should have been a date Toronto Blue Jays fans had circled on their calendars.
By this point, the Jays were supposed to have a healthy lead in the American League East, leaving the Boston Red Sox far behind to play out the string. John Farrell coming back to Toronto with his tail between his legs would have made the night even sweeter.
Surely, when the Red Sox manager approached home plate to deliver his lineup card at the Rogers Centre, the crowd of 40,000-plus would have revelled in his agony.
His sudden — but not totally unexpected — departure to the Red Sox at the end of October seemed to serve as the catalyst for a flurry of off-season moves made by Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos.
Within a couple of weeks, the Blue Jays had engineered a blockbuster trade with the Florida Marlins, signed freeagent outfielder Melky Cabrera and then pulled off what appeared to be the most significant move of all, landing the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner in R.A. Dickey via trade. Farrell could have his “dream” job in Boston, but the Blue Jays organization seemed hell-bent on making him regret that decision.
Instead, when Farrell hands his lineup card over on Tuesday night, it will be John Gibbons who comes to home plate with his cap pulled low.
As we hit the home stretch of the season, it’s clear the Blue Jays have once again fumbled a managerial decision.
When Farrell decided to bolt last fall, there was a healthy portion of the Blue Jays fan base that applauded the move. In two seasons under Farrell, none of the club’s young players such as Adam Lind or Brett Lawrie showed significant improvement. And perhaps the most damning indictment of Farrell was the fact that Ricky Romero’s career derailed under his watch.
Pitching was supposed to be his specialty, so to see their ace imploding on the mound every fifth day was alarming.
It’s no safe bet that Farrell would have been the answer this season in Toronto and in fact, it’s hard to imagine who would have been the right fit. Some have mused that Terry Francona had the right skill set to manage a team with this many stars, but he was snapped up by Cleveland in early October — when Farrell was still employed by the Blue Jays.
The frustrating thing is that Toronto still hasn’t found that right manager 20 years after winning their last World Series. During that span, the most successful season was an 88win campaign in 1998 under the guidance of Tim Johnson (Johnson was dismissed in spring training of the 1999 season when it was revealed he lied about his experience in Vietnam to the players inside the clubhouse).
Sadly, his managerial resume is more impressive than any of the men who followed in his footsteps.
Since Johnson left town, the Blue Jays have had a revolving door inside the manager’s office at the Rogers Centre. Jim Fregosi, Buck Martinez, Carlos Tosca, John Gibbons, Cito Gaston and Farrell all attempted to put their stamp on the team, but failed to accomplish that goal.
Meanwhile, divisional rivals have enjoyed success on the field thanks in part to stability in the dugout. The Yankees have had only had two managers since 1996 and both Joe Torre and Joe Girardi led their squads to the World Series. Francona won two World Series titles in his eight-year run in Boston, while Joe Maddon has transformed the Rays into a contender since taking over in 2006 (and with a much lower payroll than the Yankees or Red Sox).
The Blue Jays, on the other hand, are one of only three teams who have failed to make a post-season appearance in the last 20 years.
The Pirates and Royals are also on that short list, but Pittsburgh should snap the streak in the fall. Kansas City, meanwhile, is well above the .500 mark and in contention for a wild-card berth in the American League.
That could leave Toronto sitting alone with this dubious distinction when October rolls around.
There is always the chickenand-the-egg argument that can be made in this situation. Does a good manager make the players better — or do good players make the manager better?
Over the last 20 years, the Blue Jays have wasted Cy Young seasons from the likes of Roger Clemens and Roy Halladay. They’ve had MVP-type campaigns from Carlos Delgado, Vernon Wells and Jose Bautista and have nothing to show for it.
The problem in Toronto hasn’t been fielding quality players — it’s been finding the right man in the dugout to lead them.