List of Toronto Blue Jays managers

The Toronto Blue Jays are members of the American League (AL) East Division in Major League Baseball (MLB). There have been 14 different managers of the Blue Jays, the only Canadian baseball franchise in Major League Baseball. In baseball, the head coach of a team is called the manager (or more formally, the field manager). They are the first and only team outside the United States to win a World Series, and the first team to win a World Series in Canada. [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/alltime/worldseries|title=MLB World Series Winners|publisher=ESPN.com|accessdate=2008-07-08]

Cito Gaston, the current manager of the Blue Jays, managed the most games and wins of any Blue Jays manager, with 1,334 games and 690 wins. He is followed by Bobby Cox in both categories, with 648 games and 355 wins. Gaston is the only Blue Jays manager to win a World Series in 1992 and 1993, the fourth African-American manager in MLB history, and was the first African-American manager to win a World Series. [cite news |first = Marty |last = York |title = Activist applauds Jay appointment |work = The Globe and Mail |page = A25 |date =1989-05-16] [cite journal |last = Leavy |first = Walter |coauthors = Vandell Cob |year = 1993 |month = May |title = Taking charge on the field |journal = Ebony |volume = 48 |issue = 7 |pages = 110] Cox is the only Blue Jays manager to be awarded the AL Manager of the Year Award in 1985. Mel Queen has the best winning percentage by winning 80 percent of his 5 games coached.

Overview

The first manager of the Blue Jays was Roy Hartsfield. While his tenure was marked by conflict between players and last place finishes, Hartsfield was supported by general manager Pat Gillick as they worked on the same long term management strategy: developing young players around which to build a team. [cite news |first= Neil |last= Campbell |title= Hartsfield's job secure, Jay bosses say |work= The Globe and Mail |page =S3 |date= 1978-04-17] Following the by|1979 season, the Blue Jays opted not to renew his contract but offered him a position within the organization, which he declined. [cite news |first= Paul |last= Patton |title= Out of baseball, wishing he was back Hartsfield: 'Sure it was frustrating' |work= The Globe and Mail |page =S4 |date= 1980-07-07] Bobby Mattick served as manager on subsequent one-year contracts until Bobby Cox became available. [cite news |first= Neil |last= Campbell |title= Clues point to Mattick as Jays' next skipper |work= The Globe and Mail |page =55 |date= 1979-10-18] As Mattick accepted an executive position in the Blue Jays organization, Cox signed a one-year contract, [cite news |title= Sports People; Blue Jays Name Cox |work= The New York Times |page =A29 |date=1981-10-16] which was extended until to the by|1985 season as he led the team out of last place for the first time, and into the playoffs in 1985. Shortly after Cox unexpectedly left the Blue Jays organization for the general manager position with the Atlanta Braves, third base coach Jimy Williams took over as manager. [cite news |first= Neil |last= MacCarl |title= Bobby Cox quits as Jays' manager takes top job with Atlanta Braves |work= Toronto Star |page =A1 |date=1985-10-22] [cite news |first= Allan |last= Ryan |title= Continuity figured in choice of Williams |work= Toronto Star |page =C1 |date=1985-10-26] Following late-season collapses in by|1987 and by|1988, and a poor start to the by|1989 season, Williams was fired and hitting coach Cito Gaston took over. [cite news |first= John |last= Robertson |title= Jays Fire Jimy Williams, Batting coach named interim manager |work= Toronto Star |page =A1 |date=1989-05-15] Gaston managed the team for nine seasons, including two World Series wins, though batting coach Gene Tenace did substitute for him for several weeks in by|1991 when Gaston was hospitalized with back pains. [cite news |first= Tom |last= Slater |title= Cito hospitalized; Tenace takes helm |work= Toronto Star |page =C2 |date=1991-08-22] In by|1997, with the team in last place, Gaston was fired by general manager Gord Ash with 5 games remaining; pitching coach Mel Queen finished the season as manager. [cite news |first= Tom |last= Maloney |title= Blue Jays make Gaston walk plank: Two World Series crowns can't save club's beleaguered veteran field boss |work= Calgary Herald |page =F1 |date=1997-09-25] Ash, seeking a more aggressive management style, hired Tim Johnson for his breadth of experience and communication skills. [cite news |first= Larry |last= Millson |title= Tim Johnson next Jays manager Baseball journeyman's breadth of experience, communication skills keys to landing Toronto job |work= The Globe and Mail |page =S1 |date=1997-11-24] Following an admission to lying about aspects of his military experience, a tactic he used to motivate players, [cite news |title= Johnson admits 'I lied' about Vietnam tour |work= Toronto Star |page =1 |date=1998-11-24] he was fired during spring training in by|1999 and Jim Fregosi was signed to a two-year contract. When Rogers Communications acquired the Blue Jays organization, among other management changes, Fregosi was replaced with Buck Martinez. [cite news |first= Tom |last= Maloney |title= 'We are family,' Jays say with Martinez hiring: New manager to patiently teach the little thingsv |work= National Post |page =B16 |date=2000-11-03] In June by|2002, as the team was struggling, new general manager J. P. Ricciardi fired Martinez and replaced him with third base coach Carlos Tosca. [cite news |first= Richard |last= Griffin |title= Managing history for Blue Jays |work= Toronto Star |page =C06 |date=2002-06-04] Tosca, and his successor John Gibbons, each managed the team for several seasons but both were fired mid-season as the team struggled: Tosca in August by|2004 replaced by first base coach Gibbons, and Gibbons in June by|2008 replaced by former manager Gaston.

Key

Managers

"Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2008 Major League Baseball season."

Notes

*note label|Note1|a|aA running total of the number of managers of the Blue Jays. Thus any manager who has two or more separate terms as manager is only counted once.
*note label|Note2|b|bIn 1978, Harry Warner managed as a interim for Roy Hartsfield for 12 games in the middle of the season because of Hartsfield spending 10 days in Atlanta with his ailing wife. [cite news |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=Hartsfield back again to manage Blue Jays while wife recovers |url= |format= |work= The Globe and Mail |publisher= |location= |id= |page=34 |date=1978-05-31|accessdate=2008-07-31 ]
*note label|Note3|c|cGene Tenace coached until the end of the 1991 Toronto Blue Jays season; however, he did not coach in the playoffs, as he was only a interim manager for Cito Gaston.
*note label|Note4|d|dCookie Rojas managed as a interim for Buck Martinez for 3 games in the middle of the season because of Martinez attending the preparation of his mother-in-law's funeral plus the funeral itself. [cite web|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20010525.wbato/BNStory/Sports/|title=Jays can't beat the other Wells|work=The Globe and Mail |accessdate=2008-07-31]

References

;General
*cite web|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/history/managers.jsp|title=Blue Jays All-time Managers|publisher=MLB.com|accessdate=2008-07-30
*cite web|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/history/year_by_year_results.jsp|title=Blue Jays Year-by-year Results|publisher=MLB.com|accessdate=2008-07-31

;Specific