Cito Gaston
Born and raised about as far south as one could and still be in the United States, Cito Gaston gained fame for what he did north of the U.S. border. As the steady, soft-spoken manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, Gaston led the team to back-to-back World Series titles in 1992-1993. The first hispanic to lead a team to a championship, Gaston managed Toronto for nine seasons through 1997, and then returned at the age of 64 in the midst of the 2008 season. It was the second time he assumed the reins of the club in mid-season. In 1989 he ascended from hitting coach to manager and sparked the Jays to the A.L. East title. As a player, Gaston was a hard-hitting outfielder, mostly with Atlanta and San Diego.
Played For
Atlanta Braves (1967)
San Diego Padres (1969-1974)
Atlanta Braves (1975-1978)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1978)
Managed
Toronto Blue Jays (1989-1997)
As a Manager
"Toronto is like my second home," Gaston said in June 2008 when he was hired for his second stint as Blue Jay manager. "I love the city and I love the people there. I lived there over 20 years, so it's like home for me, and it's going to be nice to get home."
Twice after he was fired by the Blue Jays in 1997, Gaston was a finalist for a managerial job: in 1999 with Detroit, and in 2003 with Chicago. The Tigers chose to hire Phil Garner, and the Sox hired Ozzie Guillen. After those disappointments, Gaston proclaimed that he wouldn't accept an invitation to interview for a job, but would only manage if he was offered the job straight out.
Born
Clarence Edwin Gaston was born on March 17, 1944, in San Antonio, TX.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: OF
Primary Team: ATL
Major League Debut
September 14, 1967
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1967
Reggie Jackson
Graig Nettles
Rod Carew
Johnny Bench
Tom Seaver
Jerry Koosman
Amos Otis
Sparky Lyle
Aurelio Rodriguez
Gaston adopted the name "Cito" as a child in Corpus Christi, Texas, after seeing a Mexican-American wrestler by that name.
Related Players
Gaston was a roommate of teammate Hank Aaron with Atlanta...
Notes
In the 1993 All-Star Game held at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Gaston was criticized for not getting Orioles pitcher Mike Mussina into the game. Mussina got up in the ninth inning to warm up in the bullpen. Mussina later explained that he was simply doing a between-start workout, but some interpreted it was an attempt to force Gaston to put him into the game. As angry fans jeered in dismay, incredulous that Gaston would not use their favorite pitcher and believing Mussina had been sent to warm up for no reason, Gaston instead allowed Blue Jays pitcher Duane Ward to close out the victory for the American League. Predictably, Baltimore fans saw this as a snub, and soon T-shirts were sold outside of Camden Yards bearing the phrase, "Will Rogers never met Cito Gaston," referencing the famous line by Will Rogers, "I never met a man yet that I didn't like."
Hitting Streaks
15 games (1972)
All-Star Selections
1970 NL
Replaced
He first replaced Jimy Williams (with marvelous success) in the middle of the 1989 season. In 2008, he replaced John Gibbons.
Replaced By
Tim Johnson
Best Strength as a Player
Toronto outfielder Joe Carter said: "Cito knows how to work with each individual, treating everyone like a human being. He knows exactly what to say, when to say it, what to do and how to go about doing it. When you have a manager like that, it makes you want to play for the guy. We'd go to war for him. What Cito has done for the Blue Jays can't be taken lightly."
Largest Weakness as a Player
None as a manager. Gaston was one of the best managers of his era.
Learn More about Cito Gaston
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