The Toronto Blue Jays have a new manager… sort of.
According to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, departing manager John Gibbons is handing the reigns to veteran catcher Russell Martin for Sunday’s season finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Martin will handle all managerial duties for game No. 162 — even dealing with the media. He has been making the rounds on the diamond at various points of the season, straying from his usual position behind home plate to start at third base and left field, and live out his childhood dream of playing short stop in the major leagues.
On Wednesday, Toronto faithful gave the longtime manager a proper sendoff during the team’s home finale. Gibbons manned the dugout for nearly 1600 games over two stints, most notably guiding the club to back-to-back thrilling playoff appearances in 2015 and 2016.
The team announced earlier this week that it will be parting ways with Gibbons at the end of this season, confirming the move that many believed was coming as the team officially transitions into rebuild territory.
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