Sep 16, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks manager
Kirk Gibson(23) looks on before facing the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
The Arizona Diamondbacks have announced that Kirk Gibson has been relieved of his duties as manager. Bench coach Alan Trammell was also fired.
Yesterday, the Diamondbacks announced that they were hiring Dave Stewart as the franchise’s new general manager. It was only a matter of time before a decision on Gibson would come.
Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa announced the move Friday. Stewart, and senior VP of baseball operations De Jon Watson will have a major role in determining the teams next’s manager. The process will begin immediately, and a short list is currently being complied.
Gibson joined the Dbacks in 2007 as the bench coach under then manager Bob Melvin. He became interim manager after A.J. Hinch was fired in July of 2010. In his first full season he led the team to a National League Western Division title, and he was named the N.L. Manager of the Year.
However, the Dbacks were just a .500 team for 2012 and 2013, and have completely collapsed this season. Coming into play today the Dbacks were 63-96 which is the worst record in Major League Baseball. Overall, he complied a 353-375 record over four seasons.
Sources told Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal a couple of weeks ago that Gibson had lost the clubhouse and the players. At that point, he had to go. The bottom line is that the Dbacks needed to start over and clean house. If you hire La Russa, and you fire Towers, than Gibson has to go. Trammel had to go because he was Gibson’s bench coach.
This is what La Russa said in a statement following the firing:
“Kirk has done an admirable job under difficult circumstances and we are grateful for his professionalism and his dedicated service to the organization over the past eight years,” La Russa said in a news release. “We feel like it is time for a fresh start, and with our recent restructuring in baseball operations, we want to get started immediately moving in a new direction.
“We are also appreciative of Alan Trammell for all that he has done for the D-backs and have great respect for what both men have accomplished in the game of baseball.”
The Diamondbacks announced that Trammel will manage the final three games of the season at Chase Field against the Cardinals beginning tonight.