GIBBY GETS GLIBBY
Blue Jays manager in fine ironic form as he deftly fields questions about ball club’s off-season inactivity
Come watch Gibbons’ last year managing (the Blue Jays). Manager John Gibbons (left) jokes to reporters when they asked him why fans should watch the team in 2018 despite the Jays’ inactivity this off-season.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Someone forgot to tell Blue Jays manager John Gibbons his club is doomed to mediocrity in 2018.
After AL East rivals New York Yankees traded for MLB home run and RBI leader Giancarlo Stanton this week, much of Jays Nation went into panic mode, the feeling being that Toronto GM Ross Atkins is fiddling while Rome is burning. In this case, Rome being the Blue Jays.
The Yankees, who finished 15 games ahead of Toronto and two games behind division-winning Boston last year, got Stanton. So far the Jays have got Aledmys Diaz and Gift Ngoepe. It’s almost Christmas time. The Jays got a Gift, the Yankees got a Maserati.
But Gibbons isn’t pushing the panic button. The always-upbeat Toronto field boss is confident the club’s front office will pull the trigger on some suitable deals to make the club competitive in 2018. Gibbons was serious about that, but of course, he can never stay completely serious for long.
When asked why Jays fans should buy tickets for the 2018 season, before Gibbons could answer, a reporter suggested Toronto fans should buy tickets to come watch Stanton and the Yankees when they visit Rogers Centre to play the Jays. Gibbons laughed and one-upped: “Come watch Shohei Ohtani AND Stanton.”
The Jays, of course, were one of the teams that two-way Japanese sensation Ohtani left off his short list even though the Jays went all-in to try to sign him. Ohtani eventually signed with the Los Angeles Angels.
When pressed on the question as to why Jays fans should buy tickets for the 2018 season, Gibbons took his sense of humour to yet another level, saying: “Come watch Gibbons’ last year managing (the Blue Jays).”
He was asked again if he had a serious answer.
“Ask the GM, man,” the manager said. “Don’t ask me.”
Gibbons did get serious eventually, expressing faith in Atkins and the club’s front office that they will do something to address the club’s positional needs this off-season — including adding a starting pitcher, outfield help and, most importantly, more offence. The Jays finished deadlast in runs last year in the AL with 693. In 2016, Toronto was fifth with 759 runs and in 2015 they were first with 891 runs. It’s been a significant, alarming, drop.
“(Atkins) is looking at a lot of different things, but you’ve got to give things time,” said Gibbons. “I don’t think you can just react (instantly) to somebody (the Yankees) making a big move like that. Sometimes that means riding it out a little bit to get what you want.”
Gibbons reiterated that a lot of how the Jays do in 2018 will hinge on whether Aaron Sanchez can get and stay healthy. The big righthander played catch in Dunedin on Tuesday reportedly with no problems. Sanchez, the AL ERA leader in 2016, was placed on the DL four times last season with blister issues on his right hand.
“He says he feels great,” said Gibbons. “(And) all indications are (the blister issue) is behind him. We saw what happened last year when he wasn’t around. It’s vital.”
Of course, Gibbons couldn’t resist finishing his interview at the MLB Winter Meetings with another quip. When asked if he has drawn any conclusions on what went down in last year, Gibbons replied: “You mean, could I have managed better?”
“You can always do that,” he said with a laugh.