WTF is wrong with Jays' manager Gibbons?

[Big Hurtin]

Just saw on ESPN that Lily and Gibbons went at it in the tunnel following Lily being pulled. At least with Ozzie, it's only his mouth that gets him in trouble. This guy is REALLY nuts.

[SoxAce]

And Ted Lilly literally kicked his ass. f***ed up his nose.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

Think how the media would be acting if this were Ozzie.

[SoxAce]

Think how the media would be acting if this were Ozzie.

 

It would probably be even be worse if it was Torre or Francona..

[hammerhead johnson]

The Blue Jays organization has a "Get with the program or get your effing ass kicked" type feel to it. I think that it's great. They're just trying to weed out the bad element.

[jackie hayes]

He saw AJ on TNA and figured, hey, it works for the champs.

 

You always know AJ's the root cause of the problem, you just gotta figure out how.

[knightni]

Gibbons might be tossed if he doesn't finish close to Boston this year.

 

Sounds very anti-player.

Edited August 22, 2006 by knightni

[DBAHO]

The Blue Jays organization has a "Get with the program or get your effing ass kicked" type feel to it. I think that it's great. They're just trying to weed out the bad element.

They're going to have no players to weed out soon enough.

[bighurt574]

I can't imagine how Gibbons keeps his job through this. If he is back next year the Blue Jays are really clueless. If this happens once, ok, maybe it is the players fault. But twice in a season?

[Milkman delivers]

This guy sounds like a douchebag. And I hope Soxace is right that Lilly kicked his ass.

[WilliamTell]

I never thought Ted Lilly would be someone who'd get into a fight so I'd have to blame Gibbons since this has happened twice.

[juddling]

i didn't see any highlights or anything but if i understand this right....after getting an 8 run lead Lilly proceeded to give up 7 in the third. When Gibbons went to pull him, Lilly refused to give him the ball and when it was taken from him Lilly threw a temper tantrum.

 

Once in the dugout, Gibbons told Lilly to never 'show him up' on the field, Lilly started to walk away, Gibbons grabbed his arm and a punch was thrown.

 

actually....to me it sounds like Lilly was the ass who deserved the punch in the nose.

[Kalapse]

i didn't see any highlights or anything but if i understand this right....after getting an 8 run lead Lilly proceeded to give up 7 in the third. When Gibbons went to pull him, Lilly refused to give him the ball and when it was taken from him Lilly threw a temper tantrum.

 

Once in the dugout, Gibbons told Lilly to never 'show him up' on the field, Lilly started to walk away, Gibbons grabbed his arm and a punch was thrown.

 

actually....to me it sounds like Lilly was the ass who deserved the punch in the nose.

This is true, though it won't stop assclowns from jumping to conclusions regarding the confrontation. I've said it consistently over the past 2 seasons, John Gibbons is my favorite manager in baseball. If Gibbons is fired after this year it will be the Blue Jays 4th manager since 2002, Buck Martinez, Carlos Tosca, John Gibbons and Gibbons' replacement.

[RX Bandits]

I never thought Ted Lilly would be someone who'd get into a fight so I'd have to blame Gibbons since this has happened twice.

Lilly showed him up ON THE MOUND!!!!

 

To me, Lilly is more of a jackass for doing it in public after giving up seven runs and acting suprized. Sorry but Gibbons was in line to follow his player down the tunnel after showing him up.

[Milkman delivers]

The guy has had two fights with his own players in a span of a few weeks. It doesn't just seem that he's an asshole, but that his players think very little of him.

 

And when you're an over-the-hill manager, you probably shouldn't get into fist fights with professional athletes. You get your face busted up that way, and Gibbons learned the hard way.

[Kalapse]

The guy has had two fights with his own players in a span of a few weeks. It doesn't just seem that he's an asshole, but that his players think very little of him.

 

And when you're an over-the-hill manager, you probably shouldn't get into fist fights with professional athletes. You get your face busted up that way, and Gibbons learned the hard way.

He didn't start s*** with Lilly, he's trying to talk to his player but Lilly was being a little b**** about it and ended up sucker punching his manager.

[Milkman delivers]

He didn't start s*** with Lilly, he's trying to talk to his player but Lilly was being a little b**** about it and ended up sucker punching his manager.

 

Didn't someone else say he started shoving Lilly first?

 

And either way, this is two fights in a few weeks. That's a little telling.

[GoodAsGould]

So he challenges one player to a fight, actually fights another player, and the teams star position player is unhappy playing there. I think its time they have made some changes with the team.... starting with the manager.

[MHizzle85]

He didn't start s*** with Lilly, he's trying to talk to his player but Lilly was being a little b**** about it and ended up sucker punching his manager.

 

So i'm guessing you saw this happen first-hand?

[Kalapse]

So i'm guessing you saw this happen first-hand?

Find me one account that says Gibbons started the fight, there aren't any. Everything I've read describes it as Lillly's doing not Gibbons' but since Gibbons had a confrontation with Hillenbrand last month, John's going to take heat for this even though he was not in the wrong.

 

And as for Vernon Wells being unhappy playing for the Blue Jays, where has it said anywhere that Gibbons has anything to do with that? If I'm a black superstar like Wells and I'm forced to play in Canada with only 2 other minority players, I'm not so sure I'm going to be all that pleased either.

[MHizzle85]

Find me one account that says Gibbons started the fight

Gibbons says he 'overreacted' in tangle with Lilly

ESPN.com news services

 

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said he overreacted Monday night when he tangled with Toronto pitcher Ted Lilly near the dugout.

 

"I overreacted, no question about that," Gibbons said Tuesday during his weekly radio appearance on The Fan 590.

 

"That's not who I am. But I am a passionate guy," Gibbons said. "It should never get to that point, but it did happen. I can't run from that, I can't make excuses. I've got to live with it now."

 

Gibbons and Lilly exchanged words on the mound during a pitching change in the third inning of the Oakland Athletics' 12-10 victory Monday night.

 

Given an 8-0 lead, Lilly was removed after allowing five runs in the third. Gibbons chewed out his pitcher, who refused to give him the ball.

 

When Lilly left the mound for the clubhouse, Gibbons followed him. A team trainer and several players ran down the stairs. Cameramen near the dugout saw Gibbons push Lilly first.

 

"I overreacted. I wasn't proud about it," Gibbons said.

 

Gibbons and Lilly said no punches were thrown, though the trainer was shown on camera tending to Gibbons' nose in the dugout. A camera on the Oakland broadcast showed there was blood.

 

Gibbons joked the trainer was just wiping "crusty chew" off -- a reference to chewing tobacco.

 

Canadian Press photographer Aaron Harris, one of a handful of photographers to witness the skirmish, said Lilly was waiting for Gibbons in the tunnel leading to the clubhouse.

 

"Gibbons just went at him," Harris said. "It looked like Gibbons grabbed him and they disappeared. Then the whole dugout emptied back there. It was mayhem down in the tunnel."

 

Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi thinks Gibbons made a mistake in confronting Lilly.

 

"In hindsight he probably should have just went to the corner of the bench. I think he knows that too," Ricciardi said Tuesday.

 

Lilly confirmed that the situation escalated quickly.

 

"We were on the verge of something regrettable happening. We were yelling at each other face to face," he said.

 

Interviewed after the game, Gibbons declined to give details of the incident but said, "We've hashed all that out."

 

"He thought he should have been left in the game," Gibbons said of Lilly. "I didn't think so."

 

Lilly said that his manager was not happy with how he was throwing.

 

"At a time I was already upset with myself, I didn't handle it well at the time," Lilly said. "It wasn't very good, but this thing could have gone over a little better if I would have held my emotions."

 

In July, Gibbons challenged Shea Hillenbrand to a fight after the infielder wrote on the clubhouse bulletin board that the "ship is sinking." Hillenbrand declined to fight and was later traded to San Francisco.

 

Ricciardi said Gibbons' job was more secure than ever after the Hillenbrand confrontation. Asked if that is still the case, Ricciardi said it is.

 

Ricciardi, Lilly and Gibbons met after Monday night's game.

 

"Gibby is a good manager," Ricciardi said. "It's just an unfortunate incident. He went all last year and didn't have one incident. He took over the club in August the year before and didn't have one incident. It's just one of those years that a couple of things went wrong. But you take the situation and see who was involved with those incidents."

 

Team president Paul Godfrey didn't think Gibbons or Lilly needed discipline.

 

"My opinion is that it's a one-night skirmish," Godfrey said. "I don't see any need for discipline. Ted and the manager worked it out between them."

 

Ricciardi said the Hillenbrand and Lilly incidents are different because Hillenbrand didn't want to be in Toronto. He called the Lilly skirmish a heated moment sparked by a pitcher who didn't want to be taken out.

 

Ricciardi said there would be no fine or suspension levied on Lilly, who is eligible for free agency after the season

 

"Your reputation is always at stake, but I know who I am and I just try to do the right things," Gibbons said. "I've always tried to live by that. There's enough people out there who know who I am."

 

Toronto catcher Bengie Molina said it's going to be hard for the team to put it behind them.

 

"This can be a big distraction for any team. Hopefully, it doesn't get to us," Molina said.

 

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[hammerhead johnson]

"At a time I was already upset with myself, I didn't handle it well at the time," Lilly said. "It wasn't very good, but this thing could have gone over a little better if I would have held my emotions."

 

Hey dumbass, when the manager wants to take you out of a game, you are supposed to hand over the ball and leave quietly without making a scene.

 

In July, Gibbons challenged Shea Hillenbrand to a fight after the infielder wrote on the clubhouse bulletin board that the "ship is sinking." Hillenbrand declined to fight and was later traded to San Francisco.

 

Who in their right mind would write some crap like that on the clubhouse chalkboard? What good can possibly come of it?

 

I don't see how anyone can fault Gibbons for his actions. I want a firey coach who will go after guys if they're acting like douchebags.

[Kalapse]

Hey dumbass, when the manager wants to take you out of a game, you are supposed to hand over the ball and leave quietly without making a scene.

Who in their right mind would write some crap like that on the clubhouse chalkboard? What good can possibly come of it?

 

I don't see how anyone can fault Gibbons for his actions. I want a firey coach who will go after guys if they're acting like douchebags.

That is exactly why he is my favorite manager in baseball.