Blue Jays are people, too

Randy Ruiz spending too much time on the bench.

Jeremy Accardo being banished to the minors.

John McDonald basically never playing. Ever.

Kevin Millar not only still being on the team (THANKS, JP), but getting a pretty significant chunk of playing time.

A complete lack of in-game management.

Just a few things that have aggravated Blue Jays fans throughout this 2009 season, even leading to some calling for the removal of Cito Gaston — something that was almost unthinkable after the team’s great 27-14 start to the season. Cito’s moves were questionable, but the team was winning, so “don’t doubt the Cito” became a bit of a refrain around these parts.

Turns out I was wrong to give the Cito the benefit of the doubt. The team’s been awful since the great start, and those things that aggravate the fans? I’m there’s a bit more to it than that, but the players are turning on Cito as well.

I don’t know what Paul Beeston’s plan is for next season. I don’t know if the payroll’s going up or down; if the team’s going to make a run for the top or the bottom of the American League East. The one thing that’s clear is that no matter which direction the team heads in, Cito shouldn’t be at the helm. And that’s too bad.

I know it’s a popular sentiment around the Jays blogosphere, but I want to like Cito. He was in charge of both World Series teams — teams that shaped my youth. I hate to see it end like this, but it must if the team has any shot at doing anything positive next year.

From the CP story:

For his part, Gaston said he has no regrets about how he’s treated his players this season.

“If guys aren’t happy with whatever happened here, then they’re looking at the wrong person,” Gaston said after the team’s final home game last Sunday.

“If they’re unhappy, they have to look at themselves, because I certainly treated everybody in a way that I’d like to be treated as a player and how I’d like my manager to treat me. If they’re grumbling, they’re grumbling because they didn’t do their jobs. They had opportunities.”

I’ve worked in places where the people in management have formerly done the jobs of the people they’re managing. I’ve had managers who have done the job recently and I’ve had managers who did the job a long, long time ago. Typically the managers who have done the job recently can relate to their employees easily. The managers who did it a long time ago generally seem to have forgotten the challenges the workers face and don’t seem to completely grasp how times have changed.

I’m no professional athlete, but I imagine that can generally hold in all jobs.

Cito last played pro ball in 1978. I’m sure there are differences in how today’s players now and the players of ’78 would prefer to be treated.

It hurts, but fire Cito. Please.