Tigers Name Kirk Gibson Special Assistant To GM
The Tigers announced yesterday that they have named Kirk Gibson to a post as special assistant to general manager Al Avila. He will continue to cover the team as an analyst as well.
Gibson, now 61, will re-join the organization that originally drafted him in the first round back in 1978. He went on to turn in 17 seasons in the majors, including a dozen years in Detroit (where he began and ended his MLB career). Thereafter, Gibson served as a big league coach (including with the Tigers) and eventually became the manager of the Diamondbacks.
Everything changed with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s in 2015, but Gibson has nevertheless remained active, offering a softened version of his famously intense persona. It’s certainly good to see that he’s capable of adding to his plate. In his new role with the Tigers’ org, per the announcement, Gibson “will assist in on-field duties at both the Major League and Minor League levels, be involved in all personnel meetings, travel throughout the Minor League system and participate in community relations.”
Quick Hits: Gibson, Cuba, Astros, Alou
It’s been about six months since long-time big leaguer and former Diamondbacks skipper Kirk Gibson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, and Scott Miller of Bleacher Report paid a visit to his Michigan home for an interesting interview. Needless to say, Gibson is attacking the disease with the same gusto he’s long brought to the game of baseball. The piece offersan exceedingly deep look at one of the game’s most legendary post-season performers, and well worth your time for a full read.
Here are some more stray notes from around the game:
- The market for Cuban ballplayers is in a state of flux right now, and in the midst of that the nation is sending an interesting roster over to Asia for the “Super 12” tournament, as Ben Badler of Baseball America writes. In the post, Badler provides updates on a variety of notable players.
- It was a fun run in 2015, but the Astros‘ pending free agents are all now facing the reality that they could end up elsewhere next year, as Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. Outfielder Colby Rasmus, starter Scott Kazmir and relievers Tony Sipp, Chad Qualls, and Joe Thatcher all spoke highly of their time in Houston and expressed (to a greater or lesser extent) interest in returning. (Qualls, it should be noted, can be brought back via club option.)
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com wonders whether former big leaguer Moises Alou could become a candidate for the Padres‘ open managerial position. He currently serves as a special assistant to the organization’s player development department, and his name has “come up prominently” in internal discussions. Of course, as Heyman explains, it’s not even clear that Alou would be interested, as he’s kept a fairly low profile and spent much of his time in the Dominican in recent years.
Kirk Gibson Diagnosed With Parkinson’s Disease
Longtime big leaguer and recent Diamondbacks skipper Kirk Gibson has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, per a FOX Sports Detroit announcement.
Gibson, 57, was relieved of his duties with Arizona late last year as part of the team’s broad change in leadership. He joined the Tigers broadcast booth for this year, but had missed much of the early season.
Gibson’s relationship with Detroit stretches back to his introduction to professional baseball, which came with the Tigers organization. Over twelve seasons with the Tigers, covering the beginning and end of his career, Gibson slashed a robust .273/.354/.480.
Oddly, Gibson never made an All-Star team in spite of his excellent production, though he was tabbed the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1988 with the Dodgers — his finest overall season. Of course, that was also the year that he hit his legendary pinch-hit World Series home run on two bad legs.
After his retirement as a player, Gibson ultimately returned to the uniform as a coach and then manager. After taking over the helm for the D’backs in the middle of 2010, he led the club to a surprising 94-win campaign in the following season. After two straight .500 efforts and a rough 2014, Gibson lost his job, though he was commended for doing “an admirable job under difficult circumstances” by chief baseball officer Tony La Russa.
As both a player and manager, Gibson has always been renowned for his intensity. He cited that trait in a statement: “With the support of my family and friends, I will meet this challenge with the same determination and unwavering intensity that I have displayed in all of my endeavors in life. I look forward to being back at the ballpark as soon as possible.”
MLBTR joins all those around the game in extending its best wishes to Kirk and his family, friends, and colleagues.
Diamondbacks Fire Kirk Gibson, Alan Trammell
3:55pm: In a curious decision, the D’Backs have announced that Trammell will manage the final three games of the season.
3:22pm: The Diamondbacks announced that they have fired manager Kirk Gibson and bench coach Alan Trammell. The team will immediately begin seeking a new manager, according to the press release.
“Kirk has done an admirable job under difficult circumstances and we are grateful for his professionalism and his dedicated service to the organization over the past eight years,” said chief baseball officer Tony La Russa in a statement. “We feel like it is time for a fresh start and with our recent restructuring in Baseball Operations, we want to get started immediately moving in a new direction. We are also appreciative of Alan Trammell for all that he has done for the D-backs and have great respect for what both men have accomplished in the game of baseball.”
Gibson took over as the D’Backs manager midway through the 2010 season and has since compiled a 353-375 win-loss record. His 2011 Diamondbacks won the NL West with a 94-68 record — a season which earned him NL Manager of the Year honors. However, since that time Arizona has a pair of 81-81 finishes and is now set to pick first overall in next year’s draft, as the team is a virtual lock to finish with baseball’s worst record.
Gibson has at times drawn ire from media outlets for his old-school tactics, including an incident this season in which it’s widely believed that Randall Delgado threw at NL MVP candidate Andrew McCutchen on purpose for “retaliation” against the Pirates, who had seemingly inadvertently hit Paul Goldschmidt the night before, sending him to the DL and ending his season.
Manager Notes: Gibson, Collins, Gardenhire
Kirk Gibson’s good relationship with chief baseball officer Tony La Russa might help him keep his job with Diamondbacks, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman writes. The Diamondbacks are struggling and are in the process of replacing Kevin Towers as their general manager, but Gibson has proactively sought the advice of La Russa, a Hall of Fame manager. “They communicate a lot, and (La Russa) probably feels Gibby can improve,” notes a source of Heyman’s close to the Diamondbacks. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, however, tweets that there is little support for Gibson within the Diamondbacks’ clubhouse. Here are more notes on managers.
- La Russa says he, and not the Diamondbacks’ next GM, will make the decision on Gibson, Zach Buchanan of the Arizona Republic writes. A previous report indicated that the next GM would decide whether Gibson would stay.
- Terry Collins is “all but certain” to return to the Mets, Heyman writes. The Mets have won eight of their last ten games, and the team’s ownership appears to back Collins. Also, a number of the team’s younger players, including Lucas Duda, Travis d’Arnaud, Juan Lagares, Jacob deGrom, Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia, have had good or fairly good seasons.
- It wouldn’t be a shock if Ron Gardenhire stepped down as manager of the Twins, Anthony Castrovince of Sports On Earth writes. The Twins will likely give Gardenhire the opportunity to manage in 2015 if he wants, but Gardenhire has been on the job since 2002 and is likely on his way to a fourth straight 90-loss season. If he were to retire, it would be hard to blame him, Castrovince writes.