John Gibbons Talks Blue Jays, Baseball Stories and Canada | Full Interview
On Exit Philosophy, Griff and Mal welcome former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons for his view on the just-completed World Series, his new gig as bench coach with the Angels, and more. The former skipper, who took his Jays to consecutive ALCS in 2015-16, explains the similarities of his first playoff team that lost to the Royals and the difficulties of repeating the next year. He explains the phenomenon of playing for an entire country and hosting Jays fans compared to others around baseball. He describes his favourite memories from Winter Tours, including driving tanks in Edmonton with his head sticking out the turret and the icicles that formed. Gibby shares his thoughts on clubhouse chemistry, winning, and how talent is the overriding factor. He talks about his first stint as Jays manager in New York when he was appointed while eating a post-game sandwich, his famous dustup with Ted Lilly, and his clubhouse clash with Shea Hillenbrand. He talks about his relationship with the late Davey Johnson. It's all vintage Gibby. Index: 0:00 – Intro 0:35 – John Gibbons Joins the Show! 1:30 – How Has Gibby Been? 5:40 – Going from Manager to Bench Coach 7:25 – Relationship with Perry Minasian 11:25 – Transitioning from Player to Coaching 16:45 – Managerial Surprises 21:14 – Winning with Good Chemistry 24:00 – Ted Lily 26:00- Changes from 2015 to 2016 with the Blue Jays 29:05 – Young players on 2015 Club 31:10 – The Blue Jays Terrific Fan Base 36:40 – Blue Jays Fans in Seattle 39:00 – Clubhouse Meetings 44:22 – Boston Red Sox Attitude 45:32 – Shea Hillenbrand 47:09 – Thoughts on Starters Innings + Scherzer's Intensity 56:01 – Hitters Strike Zone Awareness and Umpires 58:50 – Thoughts on ABS Challenges 1:00:52 – Mapping out Relief Pitchers + Game Strategy 1:03:50 – Gibby's Hall of Fame Ballot Thoughts 1:10:25 – Remembering Davey Johnson ---- Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy ---- For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/
--------
1:13:36
--------
1:13:36
Does Bo Even Know?
It began with an upbeat media session starring Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, describing the joyous October journey to World Series Game 7 and Shane Bieber's surprising decision to opt in for 2026. But the Jays task of defending the AL championship title does not get any easier, as Bo Bichette heads into his free agency, as Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt potentially leave the rotation and as Don Mattingly decides to step away from the dugout. What are the various scenarios for Bo moving forward? Will he stay or will he go? The epic Vlad October and its perception of his mega-extension are discussed as well as a potential spinoff, the possibility that the run to the Fall Classic has made it easier to recruit free agents in Asia, as well as North America. Is there a new MLB emphasis when it comes to hiring major-league managers and what are going to be the major stumbling blocks when it comes to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement? All this and more on this week's Exit Philosophy podcast. INDEX: 0:00 - Intro 2:16 - Media avail for Shapiro and Atkins 8:41 - Contract extensions for Shapiro, Schneider and Atkins 12:09 - Departure of Don Mattingly 16:22 - Hall-of-Fame Veterans Committee 22:27 - Shane Bieber's surprise decision to opt in and what it means. 27:51 - Breaking down Blue Jays clubhouse chemistry and what it means to a winning team. 31:56 - Blue Jays' offseason search for more pitching 35:08 - The saga of Bo Bichette 48:22 - The real impact of Vlad Guerrero Jr. and his mega-contract 51:43 - World Series gives Jays new profile in Pacific Rim countries 54:23 - Rookie of the Year results and baseball getting younger 1:00:40 - New managerial hires don't be fit a formula. many outside the box 1:03:56 - MLB's gambling crisis 1:06:56 - NFL take by Mal on his Buffalo Bills ---- Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy ---- For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/
--------
1:09:05
--------
1:09:05
A Fall Classic For The Ages
Was this the greatest World Series story ever told? How about the most memorable Game 7? The Blue Jays, in the end, had chances to hold on to or extend the lead, then, when the Dodgers tied it, chances to win in regulation and then tie it when falling behind in the 11th. The Dodgers' comeback in Games 6-7 came mainly due to the Japanese influence of Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and superstar DH-RHP Shohei Ohtani, with rookie Roki Sasaki looming as yet another Rising Sun weapon. Griff and Mal discuss the short list of the Jays' top heroes and who wears the horns of the goat. What has this post-season run done for Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s image and his future. What happens to Bo Bichette in free agency, and is Trey Yesavage a mortal lock for stardom in 2026. All this and more in this week's Exit Philosophy. INDEX: 0:00 – Intro 0:35 – Impressions and Reactions to Game 7 10:45 – Max Scherzer is a Maniac In The Best Way 17:35 – Dodgers and Japan ..Can the Jays be Players in Pacific Rim? 25:47 – Miguel Rojas Home Run 28:52 – Jeff Hoffman 33:45 – Ernie Clement's Outstanding Postseason 37:56 – Gold Glove Snubs 39:35 – IKF's Baserunning Might Have Cost them The World Series 45:50 – Top World Series Performers 50:20 – Ohtani's Extra Warm Up Time 52:10 – Trey Yesavage - What Does 2026 Look Like? 57:29 – Greatest Game 7 Ever? 1:01:10 – When Richard Met Debbie 1:02:18 – Where Do The Jays Go with Bo Bichette? 1:07:24 – Impact on Canada of World Series Run 1:10:55 - Outro Please subscribe, like and leave a review whereever you listen! ---- Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy ---- For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/
--------
1:11:52
--------
1:11:52
The Jays Lead Heading Back to Toronto
Griff and Mal discuss Games 4 and 5 of the World Series in LA. Also, we preview games 6 and 7 to discuss what the Blue Jays have to do to bring a World Series championship back to Canada and the city of Toronto. INDEX: 0:00 – Intro 0:32 – World Series Recap – Blue Jays are Resilient 1:30 – How Can They Win It at Home? 6:15 – Bullpens are the Key 9:35 – Yesavage has All-Time Performance and Game 5 Recap 18:12 – Can they get to Yamamoto? 20:55 – 18 Inning Marathon in Game 3 + Ohtani Performance 27:50 – History of Teams Going Home with 3-2 Lead 33:00 – Global Impact of World Series 36:18 – Who Is Going to DH? Bo or George 40:18 – Kirk Gibson World Series Story 41:22 – Chris Bassitt 42:55 – Jose Berrios 45:07 – Jeff Hoffman 46:30 – Brendan Little 48:06 – Eric Lauer 50:10 – Louis Varland and Seranthony Dominguez 52:05 – Addison Barger 55:20 – John Schneider vs Dave Roberts 57:15 – Vlad or Ohtani for MVP 1:00:00 - Outro ---- Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy ---- For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/
--------
1:01:22
--------
1:01:22
World Series Game 3 Recap - An All-Time Classic
Griff's recap of an epic World Series game 3. ---- Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy ---- For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/
Richard Griffin and Mal Romanin talk baseball, sports and life. They discuss their mutual love of baseball and how it is they arrived at the point in their lives, teaming up for Exit Philosophy. A large dose of Blue Jays talk, where nothing is off limits with honest opinions and smart suggestions for making things better in sports and life.
Canada - english