J.P. Ricciardi opens his big mouth again, this time at ex-1st base coach

[Halladay_is_God]

Canned Jays coach at Whitt's end - Sportsnet.ca

He once was known as Mr. Blue Jay. There was a time when he was the manager-in-waiting. And yesterday morning, Ernie Whitt cleaned out his locker at the Rogers Centre, loaded his car and headed home to Michigan.

Roughly 25 hours earlier, with the Jays having just arrived in Pittsburgh, Whitt was fired, along with manager John Gibbons. There was not room for the first base coach on new manager Cito Gaston's reshuffled staff. "The word 'disappointment' doesn't fit. The word 'shock' doesn't accurately describe how I feel," Whitt said from his car. He had spent a sleepless night after flying in from Pittsburgh. He had cried. "I understand that, when a team is not performing, the manager's job is on the line," Whitt said. "When we're not hitting, the hitting instructor's job is on the line. "Usually, if the manager is fired, the bench takes over or the bench coach is fired. "This is difficult to accept or to understand."

Sportsnet.ca spoke to Ricciardi Sunday morning, and he said "People have forgotten the fact that I put Ernie in the big leagues. He got a big league job because of me. I'm the one who pushed him to be on this staff. I don't know what his comments were I just know that Ernie was a big league coach because of me"

Team president Paul Godfrey planned to call Whitt, but said Sunday that "I read Ernie's comments in the paper and I'm not surprised Ernie feels a little beaten up by this. When changes are made there's always a group that's not very happy and those that come in that are a little happier."

when will Ricciardi just shut up? Twice in one week, great job J.P.

Maybe if he doesn't he will finally get fired and I can finally get behind this team 100% again.

Ernie Whitt has been nothing but great in Toronto as a coach, fan favourite and a link to history with the Blue Jays teams from the 80's.

Ricciardi just can't shut up lately

[NYgiantsfan5689]

wow. talk about loyalty......NOT. you gotta feel bad for the guy. driven to tears by his own employer. what a bunch of bullcrap. IT'S ALL THE 1ST BASE COACH'S FAULT THE JAYS ARE LOSING! My god, talk about the blame game. just goes to show you where the game is headed these days. I hope this kind of thing doesn't start to happen more often.