Los Angeles Dodgers Interview Kirk Gibson
The Los Angeles Dodgers are manager-less. With Don Mattingly having left last week, the wheels started in motion to find his replacement for the three-time defending National West Champions.
Major League Baseball attracts rumors as does every other sport. However, when the manager’s spot is up for grabs on one of the most high profile clubs in baseball, the rumor mills spins even faster than normal.
The latest rumor is that Kirk Gibson the former hero for the Dodgers in the World Series was interviewed by Dodgers management on Monday.
Gibson played for the Dodgers for three seasons and his Game 1 walk off home run in the 1988 World Series, helped the Dodgers to the organization’s last World Series title. The home run and trot or semi-limp around the bases is still considered one of the all-time best.
Gibson was the manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks between 2010 and 2014 and was named the National League’s top manager for the 2011 season after the Diamondbacks won 94 games.
He was fired during September of 2014 only days before Arizona finished its season 64-98.
This past April, the former player and manager revealed that he has Parkinson’s disease.
In a statement at the time, Gibson said he faced a number of obstacles during his lifetime and has always maintained the belief that regardless of the circumstances he would be able to overcome. He added that while the diagnosis posed a new challenge, he would remain true to his beliefs.
Gibson is 58 and has called games for Detroit this past season and was not available for comments regarding his possible interview with the Dodgers.
Sources have said the Dodgers want to interview up to 10 people for the job.
Former bench coach for the San Diego Padres, Dave Roberts has already interviewed and this week Darin Erstad the coach for the University of Nebraska is expected to interview.
Tim Wallach, Ron Roenicke and Gabe Kapler are also expected to interview for the job, with all of them already with the Dodgers organization.
Dave Martinez the bench coach for the Chicago Cubs and Bob Geren the bench coach for the New York Mets are expected to interview as well.
Bud Black, who was on a short list of candidates for the Washington Capitals managerial position prior to the Nationals hiring Dusty Baker, also is reportedly preparing to interview with Dodgers executives.
