TORONTO – A.J. Hinch is very familiar with the way John Gibbons ambles out of the dugout to the mound for a pitching change, and each time he sees it, a note of concern strikes the Houston Astros manager.
“I worry about if I’m going to go through that when I’m his age,” Hinch says of his friend’s strolls during his team’s visit to Toronto this week. “I joke about being younger than him (56-44), he always pokes fun at me when I run the stadium or stay active, but I let him know I’m proud of him, I’m glad our careers have crossed paths – and that I hope I don’t walk out to the mound like that.”
Barbs aside Hinch, like many other managers and coaches around the game, is a fan of Gibbons. The two worked together in 2012 when Hinch was an assistant general manager for the San Diego Padres and Gibbons managed the club’s double-A affiliate in San Antonio but the two have “a long history” predating that.
“One of my greatest compliments to him is how relatable he is and the consistency he brings to the ballpark every day. He loves baseball. He loves people. He’s comfortable in his own skin,” says Hinch. “He’s just really genuine and it’s never been about him, he never puts himself in front of his team, or in front of his coaches or in front of his organization.
“He’s always just been the good guy. But he’s got a great competitive fire, and he’s got a way about him that resonates with every single person that comes across him.”
In conversations with rival managers in recent weeks, Gibbons’ handling of people is a trait that gets praised over and over. Two others are his dugout presence and tactical awareness. Here are some thoughts on all three from men running the dugout across the diamond.
People Skills
KEVIN CASH, Tampa Bay Rays: “Gibby lets his players play, he lets them be themselves, he gives them the opportunity to go play, gets the best they have and doesn’t interfere, doesn’t get in the way. At the same time, I remember when he took over (as Blue Jays manager in 2004), I was at a point in my career where I wasn’t deserving to play and he was very forthcoming and honest with me. He said, ‘Look, we’ve got some young guys we want to give some reps, you’re not going to play that much. But let’s keep your attitude in check and any time you do get an opportunity, make the most of it.’ I was still young at the time and he didn’t have to do that. He went out of his way to communicate with me and I really valued that and still value managing against him.”
BUCK SHOWALTER, Baltimore Orioles: “His substance is his style, not his style being his substance. John’s got so much substance. You talk to people. I guarantee you John is a purveyor of reality.”
AARON BOONE, New York Yankees: “He’s one of the real good guys in the game, someone I always had a lot of respect for. There’s a good-natured, light-hearted way in how he goes about things, but you understand the intensity and the toughness that he brings to the table as well. He’s someone I really appreciate and have a lot of respect for.”
TERRY FRANCONA, Cleveland Indians: “I have a lot of respect for him and how he carries himself. DeMarlo (Hale, the Blue Jays bench coach) raves about him and DeMarlo is one of my best friends. He’s good. He’s always been good. Sometimes you move on – it happens to everybody – but that doesn’t mean he’s not good.”
Dugout Presence
SHOWALTER: “I always felt like John would figure out a way to take his and beat yours. John plays good cards well and he plays bad cards well. That’s a really big compliment. I’ve seen a lot of guys who are good at managing a good hand and that’s hard to do, too. John never gets caught with his pants down and there’s a very quiet efficiency with the way he goes about things that people don’t get unless you know what you’re looking for.”
CASH: “We all kid with him about the persona he gives sitting during a game, but he doesn’t miss a beat, he doesn’t miss a pitch, he’s very well prepared. He was like in that in 2004 and he’s only gotten more and more comfortable with that.”
ALEX CORA, Boston Red Sox: “He’s a good one. You see what he’s done when they’re healthy and he’s done a good job. They weren’t healthy throughout the season. Before the season if you looked at it (you’d think) this is a team that’s going to compete in this division and has a chance to win.”
FRANCONA: “He’s extremely respectful of the game. I remember when (Trevor) Bauer’s hand was bleeding (on the mound in Game 3 of the 2016 ALCS). He called me after the game and goes, ‘Man, we had to do it,’ and I said, ‘He’s bleeding all over the field, I don’t blame you. Shit, I would have done it, too.’ It was respectful. I appreciated it. I think a lot of him.”
Tactical Awareness
HINCH: “He’s always trying to find an advantage. He’s very big on platoon advantages, he loves pressure, he’s very bold in trying to win the game. He doesn’t care what that takes, he’s always trying to win the game. You are at the mercy of your roster when you make moves, but he will make the moves that give his roster the best chance to win a particular part of the game. He’s going to try to find the leverage parts of the game and exploit them. He obviously believes in starters, he believes in matchups, he believes in letting his players play and when players have the backing of the manager, they will be at their best. None of us are perfect in this job. We can all go back to moves we wish we would or wouldn’t have made. But I think Gibby never has a game where he has a lot of regrets.”
CASH: “He’ll go to the bullpen, he’ll match up a little earlier and it will make me make a decision. As a manager you’re at the disposal of your roster or who’s fresh on your pitching staff in a given day, but Gibby is always thinking.”
SHOWALTER: “You don’t survive without having some flexibility to do different things. If I was managing next year I wouldn’t want John over there. John is always proactive, he’s never reactive. He understands pitchers, he’s tough to manage against, nothing slips by him.”
BOONE: “Especially with his experience, nothing really speeds up on him, he understands situations, certainly, you know he’s going to be on top of it as far as matchups when his roster allows him to match his pitchers against your hitters. You’re not going to slip anything past him. It’s been fun to look across at him because he’s someone I’ve enjoyed and admired over the years.”
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