One month from now, as another summer ends and a chill begins to bite the autumn air, Cito Gaston plans on finding comfort on the beaches of Hawaii. Across the ocean, baseball will be holding its annual postseason party.
It seems a fitting first step for Gaston, who knows the time is right for welcoming retirement. He felt forced onto that island more than a decade ago, but things are different now. Gaston is stepping aside as manager of the Blue Jays, and he is doing so on his terms.
That includes, before anything else, a week spent surrounded by palm trees, sunshine and, most importantly, some close friends.
"We've been planning it for a while," said Blue Jays bench coach Nick Leyva, who paused before offering a smirk. "He finally came through with his word."
Leyva paused and quickly took a grateful tone.
"He's such a generous man," Leyva said.
All Gaston has brought to Toronto are a pair of World Series championships and more than 900 victories over two stints as the manager of the ballclub. His reputation has been built around those two titles in 1992-93, but his contributions to the Blue Jays' organization extend beyond those glory years.
His name has become synonymous with Blue Jays baseball, and he has made a home in Toronto for years, often referring to Canada as his second home. Gaston has worked as a coach or manager with the team for parts of 21 seasons, but simply serving as a teacher is something that has brought him much pride.
"The one thing I'll miss in this game is teaching," said the 66-year-old Gaston. "I still like to teach. I like to see guys be successful with what we're trying to teach them."
Gaston made it known before this season that it would be his last as manager of the Blue Jays, choosing to move into an advisory role with the club next year. Under those circumstances, Gaston viewed his role this year primarily as a teacher, helping usher Toronto into a new era in the franchise's history.
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