MONTREAL – At some point in the year-plus since Ross Atkins became the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, a significant shift occurred.
While working in Cleveland’s front office, he had respected John Gibbons from a distance. Once he arrived in Toronto, he got to know Gibbons personally, and his professional appreciation grew. Then, as the 2016 season wore on, they realized they could rely on one another.
“Respect is one thing, trust is another,” Atkins said Saturday after the Blue Jays officially announced Gibbons’ two-year contract extension. “We came in with a great deal of respect for one another, but trust is something you have to earn.”
Toronto Blue Jays on Sportsnet NOW
Want to stream every Blue Jays games this season? Sportsnet NOW has you covered. Catch every Blue Jays game, marquee MLB matchups, the 2017 Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, the playoffs and entire World Series.
If you had asked Gibbons about his job security after the 2015 season, he wouldn’t have known what to expect. Paul Beeston and Alex Anthopoulos, who brought him back to Toronto for his second stint managing the Blue Jays, were no longer running the organization. In their place were Atkins and Mark Shapiro, two executives with plenty of connections around the game.
“Going in, it wouldn’t have shocked me if they’d chosen to go in a different direction, because that’s the way the game works most of the time,” Gibbons said. “Everybody has a right to pick their own people.”
Instead, Shapiro and Atkins worked well with Gibbons, and the Blue Jays reached the ALCS for the second consecutive season. Along the way, Atkins came to appreciate Gibbons personally.
“The expertise of John Gibbons was abundantly clear very quickly,” the GM said. “Reading the resume, watching the day interactions. The values aspect is something that also became clear early on. John Gibbons is someone, not just from a values standpoint, but overall from a personal standpoint is someone we enjoy working with, so we’re excited to get to this day.”
As expected, Gibbons’ deal covers the 2018 and 2019 seasons with an option for 2020. Gibbons knows that managers are hired to be fired, but by adding two years onto his existing deal, he gets financial security beyond 2017.
“We get paid very generously in this business—sometimes overpaid,” Gibbons said. “If you want to look at it that way, it really takes care of my family. (Money) has never been the driving force behind it anyway, but it’s always nice to be rewarded. I’ve been in the right place at the right time numerous times, and I’m thankful for that.”
Gibbons’ goals for the seasons ahead? Build on those ALCS appearances and become the second manager in franchise history to win a championship, joining Cito Gaston.
Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling take fans inside the Blue Jays and around MLB with news, analysis and interviews.
“He’s got two rings,” Gibbons said of Gaston. “That’s the ultimate goal. That’s tough to top.”
Already, Gibbons has more wins than every Blue Jays manager except Gaston, but he’s not concerned about his place in history just yet.
“When it’s all said and done I’ll look back at some great memories,” he said. “I’ll consider myself somewhat a Canadian, which is never a bad thing.”
First things first, though. For now, Gibbons remains focused on making sure the 2017 season results in a third consecutive playoff appearance for the Blue Jays.
0 comments: