Gibbons, 63, has played 11 seasons in the Majors, all with the Blue Jays. That long history of running a dugout and a clubhouse will prove valuable to a Suzuki, who is not only a rookie manager but never even coached before being hired as the Angels’ new skipper. In two separate stints as Toronto’s manager, Gibbons has a record of 793-789. His Blue Jays reached the American League Championship Series in back-to-back seasons in 2015-16, but failed to advance to the World Series each year, falling to Kansas City and Cleveland in those respective seasons.
For the past two seasons, Gibbons was the bench coach for the Mets under another starting skipper: Carlos Mendoza. He has also coached in the majors with the Blue Jays and Royals, in addition to minor league management positions with the Mets and Padres organizations.
Eaton, 37 next month, didn’t play in the majors until 2021. He spent a decade in the majors among the White Sox, Nationals, Diamondbacks and — shortly toward the end of his career — the same Angels club he now coaches for. That stint with the Halos in 2021 certainly familiarized him with the organization and general manager Perry Minasian. He and Suzuki were also teammates on the Nationals for two years, including during the team’s 2019 World Series victory.
Fletcher notes that Eaton has been director of player development at Michigan State University for the past two seasons, but this will be his first coaching assignment in pro ball. In addition to his work as a first base coach, Eaton will be an outfield instructor. He finished his career with strong defensive numbers, thanks in no small part to some stellar early seasons in the field – particularly a 2016 season in which he probably should have won a Gold Glove after scoring an astonishing 28 defensive runs and 18 outs above average in right field for the White Sox.
#Angels #add #John #Gibbons #Adam #Eaton #coaching #staff