"First impression, I like the look in the eye, I like what he had to say," Towers said. "I think he probably deserves more time to set a foundation in spring training because it's tough on an interim basis to maybe do some of the things you'd like to do during the season. He's done a great job in a short period of time."
-- Kevin Towers' on Kirk Gibson, Introduction Press Conference, 9/22/10
General Manager Kevin Towers is expected to announce at a press conference tomorrow that he has removed the "interim" tag from Arizona Manager Kirk Gibson's title. Gibson is expected to sign 2-year deal which will give him the reigns of the Arizona Diamondbacks through the 2012 season.
Kevin Towers initally met with Gibson for two hours last Wednesday morning on his first day as General Manager. Towers has traveled with the team on their season-ending road trip to San Francisco and Los Angeles with the express purpose of better getting to know Kirk Gibson, the coaches, and the players. Towers is also expected to announce several changes to the coaching staff for next season. (Bullpen coach, pitching coach, hitting coach, and bench coach are thought to be the jobs in danger.)
Also said to be announced tomorrow is the hiring of Jerry DiPoto as Vice President of Player Personnel and Scouting. DiPoto was passed over for Towers as the General Manager, but has been in talks over the past two weeks to stay on with the team in another capacity. DiPoto was praised throughout baseball for making several key trades in the month before the non-waiver trade deadline, including sending Dan Haren to Anaheim for Joe Saunders and prospects.
Kirk Gibson was named interm manager on July 1st after the Derrick Hall and the Diamondbacks ownership fired GM Josh Byrnes and Manager A.J. Hinch. The Diamondbacks have gone 34-48 during his reign coming into the last game of the season, for a .415 winning percentage. Gibson served as bench coach for Arizona from 2007 up to July 2010, and was also the bench coach of the Detroit Tigers from 2003-2005. During Gibson's 17-year playing career, he won two World Series titles ('84 Tigers, '88 Dodgers) and won the MVP award in 1988.