The Beest is back for another three years
So much for a new president coming to Toronto and bringing in a couple of his own guys as manager and GM. Paul Beeston signed a three-year deal with the Jays this afternoon, meaning Alex “The Puppet” Anthopolous and Cito Gaston, who Beeston endorsed after it was revealed he lost the clubhouse at the end of the season, will be back in the mix next season. Unless Cito does the graceful thing and bows out, as I’m hoping he does.
So I’m wondering, what took so long? Beeston claimed today there were several able candidates, but after making the decision to fire J.P. Ricciardi last month and promote Anthopolous, he felt “invigorated” and wanted to be part of solution. Alright, so it took Ricciardi’s firing to bring him to life, but wouldn’t he have saved a lot of wasted time if he’d just let Ricciardi go when he came on to replace Paul Godfrey last year?
Aside from my concerns about Anthopolous and Gaston staying on board (note: I have nothing against Anthopolous in general. I just worry that he’s a talking head for Rogers that’s going to be more or less the same as Ricciardi, minus the embarrassing himself in public. With that said, I’d like for him to prove me wrong.), I like Beeston and think he’s a good man to have on board. Interesting side note: Beeston had dinner with Roy Halladay last week in Florida, so perhaps his hiring of himself means things went well. According to the Globe and Mail, sources say if Doc wants to re-sign, money won’t be an issue (meaning the Jays are able to dole it out).
Of course, Beeston’s signing means we’ll find out plenty more in coming weeks about what direction the Jays are heading in, mostly in regards to this coming season. Let’s see what happens!
I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens in the winter meetings with these guys…Beeston has a pretty good record in his time with the Jays
By: RJ Hatanaka on October 28, 2009
at 12:49 pm
He had a nice run his first time out, though this past year was nothing to write home about. That, of course, had a lot to do with him being the interim president. Should be interesting to see what’s in store now that he’s here for the long run.
By: Jeremy on October 28, 2009
at 1:12 pm
[...] by Jeremy Visser… More horrible news for reeling Toronto sports fans: Cito Gaston is officially back as manager next season, signing a deal last night that will have him on the bench for one more season before “retiring” into a four-year consulting role, which will give him plenty more time to sit on his hands. As frustrating as it is to have the old man back, this move was expected after Paul Beeston signed on as president earlier in the week. [...]
By: Jays Resign To Another Year Of Losing, Bring Back Gaston : T.O. Sports on October 31, 2009
at 5:30 pm