Toronto Star: Griffin: Gaston should be Jays’ GM

Shaketism sweeps across Toronto as Cito Gaston and his vibrant aura materialize!

Gaston looks and acts younger than when he was fired in 1997. He has lost weight and regains a vibrant aura. He has lost his bitterness, given a chance to observe the organization from a distance. His voice and carriage is that of a much younger man. But does that mean he can handle the grind of 162 games as manager? No, it does not.

That leaves the GM’s role. Baseball’s best GMs are not necessarily the smartest. They are the best because they surround themselves with complementary talents. If Gaston became GM (and he likes living in Toronto, as opposed to some) he already has a talented young assistant in Canadian Alex Anthopoulos to handle the minutiae and contracts. As for the senior guys on the baseball side, Gaston has a lot of friends from his many years in baseball to tap into.

As for the effect he has at the Rogers Centre, the all-important Baby Boomer fans were lost but now seem found.

Cito’s career as manager – fired in ‘97, re-hired in ‘08 – neatly bookends the most damaging years of the Mitchell Report on performance enhancing drugs.

There is a need for a return to baseball the way it was meant to be played. Not a bunch of thick-legged guys waiting for the pitcher to make a mistake, but guys like Gaston’s all-time favourite player, Roberto Alomar, five-tool players with intelligence.