Clarence Edwin "Cito" Gaston is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager.
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34 Facts About Cito Gaston
2.
Cito Gaston spent his entire managerial career with the Toronto Blue Jays, becoming the first African-American manager in Major League Baseball history to win a World Series title.
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3.
Cito Gaston managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 1989 to 1997, then again from 2008 to 2010.
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4.
Cito Gaston adopted his nickname 'Cito' in preference to his given name 'Clarence'.
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5.
Cito Gaston later told Toronto Blue Jays broadcasters the name was taken from a Mexican-American wrestler he watched as a young man in Texas.
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6.
Since 2003, Cito Gaston has been married to Lynda, both residing in Oldsmar, Florida.
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7.
Primarily a center fielder, Cito Gaston began his decade-long playing career in 1967 with the Atlanta Braves, appearing in nine games.
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8.
Cito Gaston had his best individual season in 1970, when he batted.
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9.
The rest of Cito Gaston's career did not live up to his All-Star season success.
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10.
Cito Gaston never hit more than 17 home runs or knocked in more than 61 runs in any season with the Padres or the Braves.
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11.
Cito Gaston hit 31 home runs and drove in 207 runs in 310 games.
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12.
Cito Gaston became the hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1982.
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13.
Cito Gaston remained the hitting instructor until 15 May 1989, when he took over managerial duties from Jimy Williams, when the team was suffering through an unexpectedly bad start.
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14.
Cito Gaston originally declined the offer to be manager when Williams was fired.
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15.
Cito Gaston was able to take superstars and mold them into a team.
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16.
Toronto's success under Cito Gaston was not short-lived, as they finished second in the division behind Boston the following year and won the division again in 1991,1992 and 1993.
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17.
Cito Gaston was a soft-spoken and steady influence during years that saw a large group of talented, high-salaried players grace the Blue Jays uniform.
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18.
Cito Gaston knows how to work with each individual, treating everyone like a human being.
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19.
Cito Gaston knows exactly what to say, when to say it, what to do and how to go about doing it.
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20.
Cito Gaston had worked with players at an individual level as a hitting instructor and did the same as manager.
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21.
Cito Gaston was known for his open communication with his players.
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22.
Cito Gaston was a successful game strategist, effectively handling National League rules during World Series games in Atlanta and Philadelphia.
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23.
The 1992 World Series victory was the first for a non-American team, and Cito Gaston was the first African-American manager to win a World Series.
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24.
Cito Gaston managed the American League team in the 1993 and 1994 All-Star Games, since he was the manager of the American League champions in 1992 and 1993.
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25.
Cito Gaston was criticized for selecting six Blue Jays to the 1993 roster, but was unapologetic, stating all six were World Champions and two were future Hall of Famers.
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26.
Cito Gaston's prediction proved correct, as two of those players have been voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
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27.
Cito Gaston forced Ash's hand by telling his boss that he was taking a vacation at season's end and would not be around for the usual post season evaluation process.
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28.
Cito Gaston was replaced by then-pitching coach Mel Queen on an interim basis for the last week of the 1997 season.
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29.
Cito Gaston had several offers to rejoin major league teams as a hitting instructor, namely the Kansas City Royals, but declined offers.
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30.
Cito Gaston turned down an opportunity with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004.
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31.
Cito Gaston rejoined the team as a hitting coach after the 1999 season under manager Buck Martinez but was not retained after a disappointing 2001 campaign and the sale of the franchise to Rogers Communications.
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32.
On June 20,2008, Cito Gaston was rehired as the manager of the Blue Jays to replace John Gibbons.
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33.
On September 25,2008, it was announced that Cito Gaston had signed a two-year extension that would keep him as manager until 2010.
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34.
Cito Gaston announced on October 30,2009 that he would retire after the 2010 season.
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