Toronto fires Gibbons
The Toronto Blue Jays dipped back into their past to shake up a last-place team that has looked overmatched at times in the competitive A.L. East, firing manager John Gibbons on Friday and replacing him with two-time World Series winner Cito Gaston.
The Blue Jays, as the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners did earlier in the week, decided it’s far easier to fire the manager than it is to overhaul a disappointing team close to midseason. Despite having five players making $10 million or more on its opening day roster, Toronto was 35-39 with five consecutive losses and was 10 1/2 games behind A.L. East leader Boston going into a three-game series in Pittsburgh.
“We’ve underachieved at this point with a good club,” general manager J.P. Ricciardi said.
Schilling faces surgery
Even if he never pitches again, Curt Schilling has left his mark on the Boston Red Sox by helping them win two World Series titles. That’s a distinct possibility now that he faces shoulder surgery.
The 41-year-old right-hander, one of the best postseason pitchers in baseball history, will have the season-ending operation Monday after the rehabilitation program preferred by the club didn’t work.
“Coming back from this surgery at 31 would be an enormous challenge, at 41 more so,” Schilling wrote on his blog, 38pitches.com. “BUT, if that is an option at least I’ll be able to make that decision with all the cards on the table, and it will end on terms I choose.”
Clearing the bases
Their ace’s shoulder pain might not be a big problem for the Chicago Cubs. Star right-hander Carlos Zambrano has a minor strain in his right shoulder but no major structural damage, a team spokesman said. … Bert Shepard, a left-handed pitcher who lost part of his right leg in World War II but went on to play one game in the major leagues, has died in Highland, Calif. He was 87. … The New York Yankees’ first trip to Pittsburgh in 48 years will resemble their last one in 1960. Bill Mazeroski, whose ninth-inning home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series gave the Pirates a surprise championship, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Yankees-Pirates game on Tuesday night.