The Diamondbacks are under new management, between the hiring of Tony La Russa as their Chief Baseball Officer and former pitcher/agent Dave Stewart as their general manager. Kevin Towers had to be ousted in order to make room for Stewart, and now, room will be made on the bench for a new manager to work under La Russa and Stewart: the Diamondbacks have “relieved” Kirk Gibson and bench coach Alan Trammell of their duties.
Diamondbacks fire manager Kirk Gibson and coach Alan Trammell
With new bosses in town, it’s time to find some new underlings.
Christian Petersen
Gibson took over as the team’s manager after the dismissal of A.J. Hinch in 2010, and was named the permanent manager before 2011. Gibson, along with Towers, were known for a culture where grittiness and uncomfortable ideals like a willingness to bean opponents to make a point were emphasized. Getting rid of both of them, and Gibson’s lieutenant in Trammell, should at least give the appearance of a fresh start, if not an actual one in that regard.
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In five years with the Diamondbacks, Gibons’ teams went a combined 353-375, finishing in first place in the NL West in 2011. Since, though, they’ve finished in third, second, and most recently fifth, which likely -- along with the hiring of Stewart -- led to Gibson being fired with just three days to go in the season.
That, or he tried to mutiny by getting his players to bean La Russa and Stewart with pitches, and the troops didn’t rally as well as he hoped.
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