Insider: Gibbons works to hold temper, job with Blue Jays

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Weeks had gone by since John Gibbons had gotten into a dustup with any of his players. The Toronto Blue Jays manager had managed to hang onto his job, so not long ago I wandered into his office to inquire about it.

I waited until the moment was right -- when I was wired on coffee and my reflexes were jumping, in case I had to duck in a hurry.

John Gibbons says he has some regrets from this season, but don't expect many changes. (AP)

"I'm not really a psycho," Gibbons said. "There were a couple of things. (Shea) Hillenbrand, I can't go into details, but he wanted out the last couple of years. The (Ted) Lilly incident ...

"In a lot of ways, I'm probably viewed as a hothead, or a loose cannon, but that's not me."

Gibbons will be back as manager in 2007, according to Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi, which puts him ahead of a whole list of other skippers on the job security list, including Dusty Baker (Cubs), Mike Hargrove (Mariners), Frank Robinson (Nationals), Joe Girardi (Marlins), possibly Buck Showalter (Rangers) ... I'll get to that dirty laundry list in a moment.

First, Gibbons.

No, he's really not a psycho -- though he often has played one on TV this summer.

Yes, he did challenge Hillenbrand to a fight after the now ex-Blue Jay called the team a sinking ship on a clubhouse bulletin board in July.

Yes, he did angrily follow Lilly down the runway behind the dugout when the two had angry words on the mound after Gibbons removed the pitcher from a game in August, and yes, the two had to be separated and some say Lilly bloodied Gibbons' nose.

But once the pot is removed from the burner and the boiling stops, here's the thing: Taken individually, those incidents portray Gibbons as a lunatic just this side of Jack Nicholson in The Shining. But those who either play for him or have played for him remain staunchly in the category of having his back.

Lilly and Gibbons quickly kissed and made up. Former Jays reliever Scott Schoeneweis, now with Cincinnati, says that Gibbons remains universally respected and well-liked in the clubhouse. Former Jays second baseman Orlando Hudson says Gibbons ranks among the best managers he has ever had.

"I've got just as much respect for him as I do for Bob Melvin," Hudson said, referring to his current manager in Arizona. "He's a great guy. He's great to play for.

"It may not seem like it with the things that have happened this year, but I'll tell you this: If he's in a foxhole, I'll be right there in the foxhole with him."