Kirk Gibson Fired by Diamondbacks: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

Shortly after the Arizona Diamondbacks hired Dave Stewart as their new general manager, it was clear changes were coming. The first one occurred Friday afternoon, as the team fired manager Kirk Gibson.

The Diamondbacks' official account reported the news:  

Gibson led the D-backs to a 353-375 record with just one postseason appearance. Arizona won the NL West in 2011 with a 94-68 record but was unable to string together another winning season.

Stewart was hired Thursday, as reported by The Associated Press (via ESPN), and wasted no time in relieving Gibson. Jesse Spector of Sporting News passed along his thoughts on the decision:

Stewart spoke about the upcoming manager search, per Bernie Pleskoff of MLB.com:

The Diamondbacks are currently 63-96 heading into the final weekend of the season, but they have pieces to build around for the future. Despite the struggles for Gibson, the next manager will have a team that has a chance to win.

Having the worst record in baseball also has upside, as Pleskoff notes:

Mark Trumbo and Paul Goldschmidt have shown flashes of greatness, as has Miguel Montero. If they can continue to swing good bats in the future, the next manager has weapons to help lead the team.

Unfortunately, the Diamondbacks happen to be in a division with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. Significant changes must be made in order to contend with franchises that have postseason aspirations every season.

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