John Gibbons
From BR Bullpen
John Michael Gibbons
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 187 lb.
- High School Douglas MacArthur High School
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[edit] Biographical Information
Catcher John Gibbons was selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the 1980 amateur draft. After putting up unspectacular numbers in the minors in his first few years, he had a breakout season with the Jackson Mets in 1983, hitting .298 with 18 homers and 67 RBIs, being named the club's co-MVP, and being selected to the Texas League All-Star team. After beginning the next year on the disabled list with a fractured cheekbone, he made his major league debut with the Mets on April 11, 1984. However, he struggled at the plate in the majors, getting just 2 hits in 31 at bats. After another stint on the DL, he spent the remainder of the season with the AAA Tidewater Tides.
He returned to Tidewater in 1985, hitting .259 with 9 home runs and earning a spot on the International League All-Star team. He spent the majority of the next season, 1986 with the Tides again before getting a second cup of coffee in the majors while starting catcher Gary Carter was injured. He hit much better in his second stint with the Mets, hitting .474 in 8 games. However, with Carter back the following season, Gibbons found himself back at Tidewater in 1987 for a fourth straight season. After eight seasons in the Mets system, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Craig Shipley prior to the 1988 season. He never returned to the majors as a player. After one season in the Dodgers system, he spent a year in the Texas Rangers organization and another with the Philadelphia Phillies before ending his playing career.
With his playing days behind him, Gibbons returned to the Mets as a minor league coach from 1991 to 1994. He got his first managerial experience as skipper of the Kingsport Mets in 1995 and led the club to the Appalachian League championship. He moved on to the St. Lucie Mets the next year and won another league title. After several more years managing in the Mets organization, he became a Toronto Blue Jays coach in 2002. He managed the Jays for three games in 2003 in skipper Carlos Tosca's temporary absence, winning them all. Gibbons took over as manager on a full-time basis when Tosca was fired during the 2004 season. That year, the Jays finished in last place in the AL East. The following year, he led the team to a third place finish, and in 2006, the club improved to second place, their best finish since 1993. However, Gibbons also gained negative attention that year for his very public feuds with Shea Hillenbrand and Ted Lilly. Hillenbrand was eventually traded to the San Francisco Giants, and Lilly left the team as a free agent. Two years later, Gibbons got into another highly publicized dispute, this time with slugger Frank Thomas; Thomas was released.
Gibbons was fired along with three of his coaches on June 20, 2008, withe the Blue Jays in last place in the AL East, and replaced by former Blue Jay manager Cito Gaston. He was the third Major League manager fired in less than a week.
| Preceded by Carlos Tosca | Toronto Blue Jays Manager 2004-2008 | Succeeded by Cito Gaston |
[edit] Year-by-Year Playing Record
[edit] Coaching Career
- 1991 to 1993 - New York Mets minor league instructor
- 1994 - Capital City Bombers (South Atlantic League) coach
- 2002 - Toronto Blue Jays bullpen catcher
- 2002 to 2004 - Toronto Blue Jays first base coach
[edit] Year-by-Year Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Kingsport Mets | Appalachian League | 41-18 | 1st | New York Mets | League Champs | |
| 1996 | St. Lucie Mets | Florida State League | 71-62 | 5th | New York Mets | League Champs | |
| 1997 | St. Lucie Mets | Florida State League | 54-81 | 14th | New York Mets | ||
| 1998 | Binghamton Mets | Eastern League | 82-60 | 2nd | New York Mets | Lost in 1st round | |
| 1999 | Norfolk Tides | International League | 77-63 | 4th | New York Mets | ||
| 2000 | Norfolk Tides | International League | 65-79 | 10th (t) | New York Mets | ||
| 2001 | Norfolk Tides | International League | 85-57 | 2nd | New York Mets | Lost in 1st round | |
| 2004 | Toronto Blue Jays | American League | 20-30 | 5th | Toronto Blue Jays | replaced Carlos Tosca (47-64) on August 8 | |
| 2005 | Toronto Blue Jays | American League | 80-82 | 3rd | Toronto Blue Jays | ||
| 2006 | Toronto Blue Jays | American League | 87-75 | 2nd | Toronto Blue Jays | ||
| 2007 | Toronto Blue Jays | American League | 83-79 | 3rd | Toronto Blue Jays | ||
| 2008 | Toronto Blue Jays | American League | 35-39 | -- | Toronto Blue Jays | replaced by Cito Gaston on June 20 |
