TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays fired general manager J.P. Ricciardi yesterday, ending an eight-year tenure marked by an inability to get past the Yankees and Red Sox and into the playoffs.
“This was a tough decision and a difficult one for me personally as I have enjoyed J.P.’s friendship and his perspective on the game,’’ said Paul Beeston, Toronto’s acting president and CEO.
“J.P. has put an incredible amount of effort into improving the team and he has brought along a number of great young players. However, I feel that it is time for a change and accordingly we have decided to move on.’’
Ricciardi, who joined the Jays in 2001, had one year left on his contract. The Blue Jays (75-86 after a 6-3 loss last night) are finishing off a mediocre season this weekend in Baltimore, with the team embroiled in locker-room unrest with manager Cito Gaston.
The Blue Jays said assistant general manager Alexander Anthopoulos will assume Ricciardi’s duties until a permanent replacement is found.
Referring to Gaston, Beeston said: “He’s under contract and I would expect him to be back.’’
Beeston, Anthopoulos, and team president Tony Viner addressed a players-only meeting before yesterday’s game at Camden Yards.
“[The players] raised the issues with us and [we] met with them,’’ said Beeston. “Were they addressed? They were listened to. They’ve not been addressed at the present time. It’s the end of the season. . . . I had my ears open and I kept my mouth shut.’’
The 2009 campaign was a microcosm of Ricciardi’s tenure as GM: There was a hopeful start, a sudden collapse, a lack of resources to turn things around, a spate of injuries, some painful decisions related to bad contracts, and ultimately, pessimism for the future.
