Keith Stein, co-owner and CEO of the Intercounty Baseball League鈥檚 海角社区官网Maple Leafs, can’t believe Cito Gaston was a free agent.
Gaston hasn鈥檛 managed in a decade and a half, since he was brought back by the Blue Jays for three seasons between 2008 and 2010. But he was a special adviser to the team when president Paul Beeston was in charge until 2015, when Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins took over.
Since then, he鈥檇 been out of the game. At 80 years old, Gaston 鈥 who led the Jays to back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993 and remains the winningest manager in franchise history 鈥 spends his time golfing, travelling and taking walks to stay in shape.
That鈥檚 despite an offer from Atkins around 2018 to rejoin the Jays as a special adviser.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 feel that I wanted to do what they wanted me to do,鈥 Gaston told the Star. 鈥淚 just said: I鈥檒l just go play golf.鈥
With Gaston on the market, the Maple Leafs 鈥 an independent, semi-pro ball club that plays at Koreatown鈥檚 Christie Pits park 鈥 have signed him.
A new group now owns the storied Christie Pits franchise for a price tag north of $1 million. They think the team is worth way more to the community.
A new group now owns the storied Christie Pits franchise for a price tag north of $1 million. They think the team is worth way more to the community.
Gaston is joining the聽Leafs as a special adviser, providing insight to manager Rob Butler and attending a handful of games next season.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe the Jays haven鈥檛 beaten us to the punch,鈥 said Stein, who bought the Leafs last year for more than $1 million. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the smartest baseball mind that we鈥檝e ever had in this country. For us to be able to pick his brain, that鈥檚 something.鈥
For his part, Gaston is happy to be involved. He worked occasionally with Jack Dominico, who founded the Leafs in 1969 and owned the team聽until his death in 2022. Gaston once watched a Jays wives game at Christie Pits 鈥 a loss to the wives of the NHL鈥檚 Leafs.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 too happy about it,鈥 Gaston recalled.
He is also familiar with Butler, a former Blue Jay.
鈥淲hen I heard he鈥檚 managing the team, I got excited,鈥 Gaston said. 鈥(I鈥檒l) see if I can help him out a little bit, that鈥檚 all.鈥
Butler, from East York, first met Gaston in 1988, when he went to hit as an 18-year-old at Toronto鈥檚 old Exhibition Stadium. He took swings in front of general manager Pat Gillick, as well as Beeston and Gaston.
鈥淐ito was everyone鈥檚 hero,鈥 Butler said. 鈥淎s much as the players were, everyone knew who Cito was.鈥
Butler played under Gaston in 1993 and 1994. In that brief period, Butler saw Gaston’s quiet leadership 鈥 a necessary tack with stars such as Dave Winfield, Joe Carter and Devon White on the roster 鈥 and says that knowledge helps in his current managerial role.聽聽
鈥淗e really did have a way of making the players play to their ability without getting in the way,鈥 Butler said. 鈥淲hen the team was winning, he was the right guy.鈥
Gaston鈥檚 biggest piece of advice is to think ahead. The game moves quickly, he said, and if you aren鈥檛 mapping out decisions two or three innings in advance, you won鈥檛 have time to react.
Gaston still keeps up with the Jays. He said he loves 海角社区官网and tries to spend three months a year in the city 鈥 something he wasn鈥檛 able to do this past summer because of a recent knee replacement. But he plans to be at Christie Pits for seven to 10 games next year.
鈥淧eople love to see Cito,鈥 Butler said. 鈥淚 mean, he鈥檚 as tall as the lights in the park, so you can鈥檛 miss him.鈥
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