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'I'll always be a Blue Jay': 5 takeaways from Gibbons' goodbye presser

Richard Lautens / Toronto Star / Getty

TORONTO - Hours before their final home game in a second successive season nobody will remember, the Toronto Blue Jays announced that John Gibbons won't return as manager in 2019, notarizing in a half-hour press conference the handwriting that had adorned the Rogers Centre walls for months.

Reasonable people can debate whether the move was necessary, but nobody can dispute that it was an amicable parting of ways. Amiability, after all, was Gibbons' central organizing principle - that famous dustup with Ted Lilly notwithstanding. Too often, his unflappable good nature obscured the other attributes that kept him in charge as long as he was - that compelled then-general manager Alex Anthopoulos to bring him back in 2013 despite a dearth of on-field success in his first run as manager, and that compelled the current front office to keep him around past the logical closure point in his much-more-successful second stint.

"When Ross (Atkins) first came in (following the 2015 campaign), to be honest with you, I thought I was probably gone then," Gibbons admitted Wednesday.

"I've learned a great deal from him," Atkins said. "And I've enjoyed every step of the way."

Nevertheless, with the Blue Jays on the precipice of a new era, slogging their way through the early-ish stages of a youth movement that, if successful, will position the organization for sustained, long-term success, the front office felt it was time for a "new voice" and "new approach" in the clubhouse, as Atkins put it. Gibbons, for his part, obfuscated a bit when asked if that decision was mutual, but eventually did concede "it's probably time for a change."

With both parties bracing for a potentially transformative offseason, here are five takeaways from Wednesday's press conference:

#GibbyTheBest

Even in the face of a rapidly-evolving set of expectations of what a big-league manager should and shouldn't be, Gibbons had few disqualifying tendencies. First and foremost, he was a deft manager of people, a point Atkins stressed Wednesday. And though his most successful teams were decidedly veteran-heavy, Gibbons had a knack for developing a rapport with younger players, too.

"Gibby and I meet with every player at the start of the season, at the end of the season," said Atkins. "And in those interactions, there's a lot of emotion, a lot of different things happen.

"Yesterday, with Lourdes Gurriel, we actually had one of those moments that I'll always remember: he stopped the meeting with a gesture towards Gibby, and he said, 'I just want to thank you for this opportunity. But more than that. I was really struggling. I was having a hard time offensively, defensively, just physically, (and) where I was, mentally. And you pulled me aside - you looked at me while I was sitting on the bench - and you said, "Hey, remember to smile, and remember to enjoy this."' And (Gurriel) said, 'I will never forget that.'"

Moreover, Gibbons was a better tactician than many gave him credit for. He understood his players' strengths and weaknesses very well, and rarely put them in situations in which they were likely to fail. That, in truth, is why he so infrequently asked his players to attempt to steal over the years. And, in a similar vein, he didn't try to appease "small-ball" proponents by giving up outs, either: under his stewardship, the Blue Jays attempted nine sacrifice bunts in 2018, tying them with the Boston Red Sox for the fewest in the majors. He was a perfectly adequate bullpen manager, too.

The point, ultimately, is that Gibbons didn't really do anything to lose his job. His team just didn't win. And in 2018, at least, that was pretty much by design.

"It's just one of those things that happens in baseball," said Gibbons. "It's not surprising. It's pretty common."

Blue Jays mum on ideal replacement

If the Blue Jays do know what they're looking for in Gibbons' successor, Atkins wasn't prepared to share it publicly Wednesday, offering a non-answer in response to an inquiry about what qualities a replacement candidate may have.

"As it relates to moving forward, I'd be glad to talk to you about that in the future," Atkins said.

Gibbons, however, provided a little bit of insight, intimating that the Blue Jays would probably be looking for a someone a bit younger to take his job - after pointing out he'd actually be a pretty good fit, of course.

"Actually, I think I'm the perfect guy for a rebuild," he said. "But I don't know if I have the energy ... You bring in a lot of young kids - and some of them have the chance to be really good - it's probably best if you bring in a guy that can last a while with those guys. I'm not old, but I'm not young, either."

Beyond finding someone younger - and presumably progressive and data-driven - it would also behoove the Blue Jays to hire a manager who can at least speak a little bit of Spanish, with youngsters like Gurriel and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. figuring to be fixtures in Toronto for the foreseeable future.

At the moment, though, it's anybody's guess:

Gibbons not ready to call it quits

Even after 11 (non-consecutive) years of managing in the big leagues, Gibbons hasn't grown tired of the daily grind, and the 56-year-old would be amenable to other jobs, too, if he can't find another managerial gig.

"I'd like still to keep managing in the game, even though these jobs are tough to come by," Gibbons said. "If not, I'd like to stay in the game in some capacity because I'm not ready to retire yet."

Following his first stint with the Blue Jays, which ended unceremoniously less than halfway through the 2008 campaign, Gibbons spent three years as bench coach for the Kansas City Royals, but at this point in his career, a cushy front-office position may have more appeal than returning to coaching.

"Got some buddies that got those special assignment jobs," he quipped, winking at the undefined nature of those jobs. "Those have always sounded good to me."

Blue Jays could retain Gibbons for 2019

Though he won't return as manager, Gibbons technically remains under contract for 2019, and Atkins didn't dismiss the possibility of bringing him back in a different role next year.

"I'm glad that money is guaranteed for him," said Atkins. "We'll talk about something beyond that, that he's paid for. We're not looking to take advantage of that in a way that is financial. But what we'd like to take advantage of is his experiences, his skill set, his leadership. We will obviously have those conversations. We've just talked about that on the surface level and we'll continue to have those discussions."

Presumably, however, even if they're serious about retaining him for another year, the Blue Jays would still give Gibbons the freedom this winter to pursue opportunities outside the organization, to manage or otherwise.

Gibbons an indelible part of Blue Jays history

After Cito Gaston, who helped guide the Blue Jays to successive World Series titles during the halcyon days of the early '90s, and maybe Bobby Cox, no manager left a more indelible mark on franchise history than Gibbons.

"I've had so many memories in this place," he said. "In good times and bad."

The Blue Jays were mostly irrelevant for much of his time in Toronto, but Gibbons' calm demeanor, approachability, and managerial competence never wavered. The throng of media members who flocked to pat him on the back after Wednesday's presser adjourned evinced that.

In terms of sheer longevity, only Gaston sat through more games as Blue Jays manager than Gibbons, who should primarily be remembered as the leader of the team that snapped Toronto's 22-year playoff drought in 2015 and presided over two of the most prosperous years in franchise history.

"I'll always be a Blue Jay," he said.

Jonah Birenbaum is theScore's senior MLB writer. He steams a good ham. You can find him on Twitter @birenball.

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