The Angels are hiring former Blue Jays supervisor John Gibbons as their bench coach beneath new supervisor Kurt Suzuki, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. They’re additionally hiring former massive league outfielder Adam Eaton as their first base coach, per the report.
Gibbons, 63, has managed 11 seasons within the majors — all with the Blue Jays. That prolonged historical past of working a dugout and clubhouse will show precious for a Suzuki, who’s not solely a rookie supervisor however has by no means even coached previous to his hiring because the Angels’ new skipper. In two separate stints as Toronto’s supervisor, Gibbons holds a 793-789 file. His Blue Jays reached the American League Championship Collection in back-to-back seasons in 2015-16 however did not advance to the World Collection both 12 months, falling to Kansas Metropolis and Cleveland in these respective seasons.
Over the previous two seasons, Gibbons has served because the bench coach for the Mets beneath one other rookie skipper: Carlos Mendoza. He’s additionally coached within the majors with the Blue Jays and Royals along with minor league managerial stints with the Mets and Padres organizations.
Eaton, 37 subsequent month, was enjoying within the majors as lately as 2021. He spent a decade within the majors between the White Sox, Nationals, Diamondbacks and — briefly on the finish of his profession — the identical Angels membership for which he’ll now be teaching. That stint with the Halos in 2021 certainly familiarized him with the group and with normal supervisor Perry Minasian. He and Suzuki have been teammates for 2 years with the Nationals as effectively, together with through the group’s 2019 World Collection victory.
Fletcher notes that Eaton has spent the previous two seasons because the director of participant growth at Michigan State College, however this shall be his first teaching project in professional ball. Along with his work as first base coach, Eaton shall be an outfield teacher. He completed his profession with sturdy defensive grades, due in no small half to some stellar early seasons within the subject — notably a 2016 marketing campaign through which he probably ought to have received a Gold Glove after posting a surprising 28 Defensive Runs Saved and 18 Outs Above Common in proper subject for the White Sox.
