John Gibbons

Template:Short description Template:Other people Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox baseball biography John Michael Gibbons (born June 8, 1962<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) is an American professional baseball coach, manager and former player who is the bench coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played professionally as a catcher with the New York Mets in 1984 and 1986.

Gibbons became a coach for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002 and then became manager in 2004. He was fired during the 2008 season. He coached for the Kansas City Royals from 2009 to 2011 and managed in the minor leagues in 2012 before managing the Blue Jays again from 2013 to 2018. He last served as the bench coach for the New York Mets from 2024 to 2025.

Early life

Gibbons was born in Great Falls, Montana, and raised in San Antonio, Texas, where he attended Douglas MacArthur High School.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=gibbons/> The son of United States Air Force colonel William Gibbons, he had his first Little League Baseball at-bat while playing in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada, where the family lived temporarily.<ref name="Sun">Template:Cite news</ref>

Playing career

Gibbons was selected by the New York Mets with the 24th overall pick of the 1980 amateur draft. He spent the next three years moving up through the Mets minor-league system.<ref name="sabr">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1984, he was considered to be the Mets' top catching prospect, and was set to start the season in the majors.<ref name="NYT">Template:Cite news</ref> However, a collision with the Phillies' Joe Lefebvre in late March landed him on the 15-day disabled list.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He eventually started six games at catcher in April 1984, but batted only .040 in that stretch.<ref name="sabr" /> He went back on the disabled list with a sore arm at the end of April, and was sent back to AAA Tidewater after that.<ref name="sabr" />

Gibbons was next called up to the majors in the 1986 Mets season. He appeared in 8 games and batted .474 (9 for 19), but the Mets already had the majors' best catcher in Gary Carter and an established backup in Ed Hearn. Gibbons served as the Mets' bullpen catcher during the 1986 postseason, and earned a World Series ring when the Mets won the World Series.<ref name="gibbons">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gibbons spent the next four seasons on five different AAA teams. He retired as a player after the 1990 season.<ref name="sabr" />

Coaching and managerial career

Minor leagues

Gibbons began his coaching career with the Mets in 1990 as a minor league roving catching instructor.<ref name="Fangraphs">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1994, he joined the Mets' South Atlantic League franchise, the Capital City Bombers, as a hitting coach.

Gibbons began his minor-league managing career in the Mets' organization with the Kingsport Mets, guiding them to the Appalachian League championship in 1995.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He followed that by guiding the St. Lucie Mets to the Florida State League title the next season. In 1998, he led the Eastern League's Binghamton Mets to the playoffs, and then followed that with three seasons as manager of the Norfolk Tides. He led the Tides to the International League playoffs in 2001.Template:Cn

Toronto Blue Jays (2002–2008)

Gibbons in 2007 with the Blue Jays

Hired by the Toronto Blue Jays' former general manager J. P. Ricciardi in 2002, as a bullpen catcher, Gibbons worked his way up to first base coach in June 2002. Ricciardi was his former roommate in the minor leagues.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

After Ricciardi fired manager Carlos Tosca in 2004, Gibbons was promoted to the manager position. The Blue Jays went 20–30 with Gibbons at the helm.<ref name="managerial record" />

At the end of the 2004 regular season, Gibbons signed a one-year contract as the manager for the 2005 season. He was later given a two-year contract extension just a week into the 2005 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gibbons went on to lead the Jays to an 80–82 record in his first full season as a big league manager.<ref name="managerial record" />

Expectations were higher in 2006, after the Blue Jays acquired A. J. Burnett, Troy Glaus, Lyle Overbay, B. J. Ryan, and Bengie Molina. Toronto ended the season in second place in the American League East division with an 87–75 record, one game ahead of the Boston Red Sox.<ref name="managerial record" /> Although they finished 10 games out of first, it was the first time the Jays had finished higher than third since 1993, when they won their second of two consecutive World Series titles.

With the Blue Jays mired in a slump that put them five games below .500, Gibbons was fired on June 20, 2008. He was replaced by former Jays manager Cito Gaston.<ref name=gibbons/> He finished with a record of 305 wins and 305 losses.<ref name="managerial record">Template:Cite web</ref>

Kansas City Royals and San Antonio Missions (2009–2012)

On October 10, 2008, Gibbons was hired as the bench coach by the Kansas City Royals, replacing Dave Owen, who became the third base coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gibbons was hired at the end of the 2011 season to manage the San Diego Padres' Double-A affiliate, the San Antonio Missions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Second stint with Toronto (2013–2018)

Gibbons in 2014

On November 20, 2012, the Blue Jays re-hired Gibbons as their manager<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> on a two–year rolling contract.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gibbons was named to the 2013 American League All-Star coaching staff by Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Blue Jays finished the 2013 season with a 74–88 record, putting them last in the AL East.<ref name="managerial record"/>

The Blue Jays were six games up in the AL East title race on June 6, 2014, but posted a 45–54 record from that point on, including a 9–17 record in August. They would finish the season with a record of 83–79,<ref name="managerial record"/> good enough for third place in the AL East,<ref name="managerial record"/> and five games back of a wild card spot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On June 22, 2015, the Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 8–5 for Gibbons' 500th managerial win.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On August 2, Gibbons was ejected for the third time in the 2015 season, for arguing with umpire Jim Wolf. Gibbons returned to the field later in the game during a bench-clearing incident, and was subsequently suspended for one game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On September 25, Gibbons and the Blue Jays ended the team's 22-year playoff drought by clinching a playoff berth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Five days later, the Blue Jays defeated the Baltimore Orioles 15–2, and clinched the American League East.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On October 14, 2015, the Blue Jays defeated the Texas Rangers to win the American League Division Series after losing the first two games of the series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Blue Jays moved on to play in their first American League Championship Series since 1993. They were defeated by the eventual World Series champions, the Kansas City Royals, in six games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On April 5, 2016, after a 3–2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays ended on a questionable slide by José Bautista which was ruled as a double play, Gibbons stated, "Maybe we'll come out and wear dresses tomorrow. Maybe that's what everybody's looking for." A day later, after he received criticism for his initial comment, he said that "the world needs to lighten up a little bit".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On May 17, Gibbons was suspended three games by Major League Baseball for his role in a benches-clearing incident between the Blue Jays and Texas Rangers on May 15 involving Rangers infielder Rougned Odor and Blue Jays outfielder José Bautista.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> On September 11, Gibbons was ejected for the eighth time in the 2016 season, tying the team's single-season record set by Bobby Cox; he led the major leagues in 2016.<ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2016, he was successful on a lower percentage of replay challenges than any other MLB manager with 10 or more challenges, at 38.8%.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The Blue Jays made the playoffs for the second consecutive season, and defeated Baltimore in the Wild Card Game to advance. In the Division Series, the Blue Jays swept the Texas Rangers in three games. Toronto was eliminated by the Cleveland Indians in the Championship Series, four games to one.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On April 1, 2017, Gibbons signed a two-year extension with the Blue Jays, that also included an option for the 2020 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, he was again successful on a lower percentage of replay challenges than any other MLB manager with 10 or more challenges, at 26.7%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On September 26, 2018, it was confirmed by the Blue Jays that Gibbons would not return for the 2019 season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Toronto mayor John Tory proclaimed the 26th as "John Gibbons Day" in Toronto, noting Gibbons' "tremendous contributions to the Toronto Blue Jays franchise."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His final game was a 9–4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.<ref name="Blue Jays finish down season on down note with loss to Rays">Template:Cite news</ref> The Blue Jays finished the 2018 season with a 73–89 record.<ref name="Blue Jays finish down season on down note with loss to Rays"/> In 2018 he was ejected seven times, more than any other manager in the major leagues.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During his second stint as Blue Jays manager, he finished with a record of 488 wins and 484 losses.<ref name="managerial record"/> Overall, Gibbons has a 793–789 record from both stints as Blue Jays manager.<ref name="Blue Jays finish down season on down note with loss to Rays"/>

New York Mets

On November 22, 2023, it was announced that Gibbons was expected to be hired as the bench coach of the New York Mets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gibbons announced his departure from the Mets in 2025, after two seasons in the role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Managerial record

Team	Year	Regular season					Postseason
		Games	Won	Lost	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
TOR	Template:Mlby	50	Template:WinLossPct	5th in AL East	–	–	–	–
TOR	Template:Mlby	162	Template:WinLossPct	3rd in AL East	–	–	–	–
TOR	Template:Mlby	162	Template:WinLossPct	2nd in AL East	–	–	–	–
TOR	Template:Mlby	162	Template:WinLossPct	3rd in AL East	–	–	–	–
TOR	Template:Mlby	74	Template:WinLossPct	fired	–	–	–	–
TOR	Template:Mlby	162	Template:WinLossPct	5th in AL East	–	–	–	–
TOR	Template:Mlby	162	Template:WinLossPct	3rd in AL East	–	–	–	–
TOR	Template:Mlby	162	Template:WinLossPct	1st in AL East	Template:WinLossPct	Lost ALCS (KC)
TOR	Template:Mlby	162	Template:WinLossPct	2nd in AL East	Template:WinLossPct	Lost ALCS (CLE)
TOR	Template:Mlby	162	Template:WinLossPct	4th in AL East	–	–	–	–
TOR	Template:Mlby	162	Template:WinLossPct	4th in AL East	–	–	–	–
Total<ref name="managerial record"/>		1582	Template:WinLossPct		Template:WinLossPct

External links

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• Toronto Blue Jays page Template:Webarchive
• John Gibbons addressing a school assembly with a motivational speech
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