Former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons charming fans on Twitter

When John Gibbons managed the Blue Jays, he charmed the lots along with his thick Texas accent, self-deprecating manner and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Again-to-back appearances within the American League Championship Sequence most likely helped, too.

Now, the person who impressed the Twitter hashtag “#GibbyTheBest” has lastly taken his act to social media, having began up accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Fb final week as a part of a technique to advertise his upcoming tasks.

“It was by no means my intention, proper?” stated Gibbons about his enterprise into the Twittersphere on the present episode of the Toronto Star’s Deep Left Area podcast.

“However I’ve acquired a guide popping out and a podcast that’s going to start out up in a couple of weeks, so the individuals placing all of it collectively stated ‘you want a social media presence.’ I stated ‘I do?’ ”

He did, Gibbons was informed, to make it simpler to persuade potential sponsors to again his new ventures, so he signed up, albeit reluctantly.

“That’s the very last thing I need to do,” stated the newly-christened @johngibbons05, who has but to get the sought-after blue test mark on Twitter that reveals an account is verified.

“I’m slightly bit older and (Twitter) can type of trigger some bother on the market, particularly whenever you’re opinionated,” there was that mischievous twinkle coming by means of, “however anyway, I jumped in and I’m attempting to learn to do it.”

Thus far, so good for the 60-year-old, who’s closing in on 30,000 Twitter followers after solely every week on the platform. In his first couple of days, he supplied encouragement to former cost Kevin Pillar, who’s rehabbing a shoulder harm, shared some nation knowledge, tweeting “Can’t soar with eagles whenever you hoot with the owls” (mockingly, at about two o’clock within the morning), and acquired blocked by his former ace.

“I pulled up Stro’s title,” stated Gibbons, “and I despatched him one thing — I don’t know what you name all that — and he blocked me!”

Gibbons commented on a tweet Marcus Stroman had despatched out selling his Shugo shoe line and Stroman, ostensibly believing it was an impostor (no blue test mark, in any case), blocked the account, one thing that stunned Gibbons, although he didn’t take it to coronary heart.

“(Stroman) knew good and effectively I’m most likely not going to be on Twitter,” stated Gibbons, who managed Stroman from 2014-18, “however little did he know, ?”

Gibby texted the pitcher to say it was actually him and never solely did Stroman unblock the account, he supplied to pay for his ex-skipper’s flight and lodge if he needed to return as much as Toronto to look at Stroman pitch for the Cubs in opposition to the Jays this week.

“I stated ‘I’m not getting you to pay for it,’ ” Gibbons laughed, “however no, I’m not coming. I’m going to look at it on TV, it’s a lot simpler.”

The previous big-league catcher additionally shares his opinions on the present state of baseball, and with the Jays having performed back-to-back further inning video games in Boston final week, Gibby weighed in on the “Manfred Man” — the free runner at second base that now begins each further body.

“After I was with the Mets in ’86, the sport in opposition to Houston that went 16 innings,” stated Gibbons, recalling Sport 6 of that 12 months’s Nationwide League Championship Sequence.

“The Mets used 4 pitchers. Astros used 5. You don’t should be only a one-inning man on a regular basis. So what occurs now, they go one inning, they burn this man, burn the following and the following factor you’re working out of (pitchers). It reveals how a lot the sport has modified.”

In case it was unclear, Gibbons shouldn’t be a fan.

“We used to try this in little league,” stated the Jays’ second-winningest supervisor of all-time. “The historical past of baseball, it’s all about numbers and statistics, so now we’re going to start out with a man (at second base)?”

And no, you’ll by no means see John Gibbons on social media extolling the virtues of superior statistics like weighted runs created plus or fielding-independent pitching.

“I can’t even spell analytics.”

That stated, he does really feel as if he’s been wrongly painted as an old-school zealot.

“Let me inform you one thing,” Gibbons stated, “I acquired a nasty fame. (Me) being anti-analytics is so fallacious. I simply don’t get carried away or take it to the acute the place I (change into) Mr. Roboto. Don’t neglect, we hit Bautista lead off, we performed Troy Glaus at shortstop with a fly ball pitcher, we did quite a bit.”

Quickly he’ll have a podcast of his personal on which to share his tales and opinions. “The Gibby Present” will launch in a couple of weeks and his guide will hit the cabinets subsequent 12 months. Till then, we’ll be capable of take pleasure in studying his ideas as he watches Jays video games together with us and engages in some back-and-forth with followers.

Possibly sometime he’ll even get that blue test mark.

Mike Wilner is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star and host of the baseball podcast “Deep Left Area.” Comply with him on Twitter: @wilnerness

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