Sports Radio Interviews

Kirk Gibson Cautions Arizona Diamondbacks to Keep their Guard Up

As spring training opens, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson is doing his best to make sure his team is mentally ready. Perhaps that seems a little bit odd right now as pitchers and catchers report, as this time of year is typically all about getting physically ready for the season. But Gibson, last year’s manager of the year in the National League, wants to make sure the Diamondbacks don’t let their success be dangerous.

Arizona won 94 games last season and finished eight games clear of the pack in the NL West. The Diamondbacks went on to lose to Milwaukee in the NLDS, but their run to the playoffs left them with a decent amount of deserved publicity. Gibson’s immediately making sure that doesn’t go to his players’ heads.

Kirk Gibson joined KTAR in Phoenix with Doug and Wolf to discuss what he said to his team to open camp, the saying that success can be dangerous, the team’s mentality heading into the season and undefinable baseball terms.

What’s the first thing you say to the guys on the first day of camp?:

“I can’t tell you. … No, you know, the first context of my initial comments were reflecting on last year. It was exciting and it was fun. Though it helps us to come into this season with maybe some confidence, it doesn’t win us any ballgames. We put the work in last year; we invested ourselves together. … Unless we do that again, we won’t be able to have a fun year like we did last year. And the banquet season is over. Now it’s time for a new season to start.”

You’ve said success can be dangerous. What does that mean?:

“We all want to do good and you read a lot of good articles about yourself and sometimes it just can work the opposite way and you can let your guard down. You can maybe change the routine from what got you there to one that’s less productive and less team-oriented. You can’t be looking for credit. … I went through it as a player. We’ve been through it here as a team and as a bench coach here. It’s just important to understand that you’ve got to keep your guard up. … When you have success and you’ve earned certain things, it doesn’t mean you’ve earned the right to quit working and trying to get better.”

More on the philosophy heading into the season:

“I think what I try and do with the team is lay out our goals very clearly and then kind of lay out the mechanism of how we’re going to get there and then challenge them to be prepared to pay attention to what’s going on. … You’re always trying to make sure they keep on their toes and make sure you’re covering all aspects of games. … We talked to them about baseball IQ, and today was baserunning IQ and how are we going to get a higher IQ at this game? You do it through conversation and engagement.”

How do you view the term “ace” when it comes to a staff?:

“I think … it’s cheesy. I think Ian [Kennedy's] way too humble to acknowledge that. Deep down inside, I think, by the media’s definition of an ace, Ian Kennedy, the way he works, the way he operates … I think it all adds up to something that certainly defines you as an ace. It’s funny that all these terms we have in baseball, they have no definition really. What does an ace mean? What is a Cy Young Award winner? There’s really no definition. … It’s not important who our ace is because our No. 5 starter is as important as our No. 1 starter.”

Listen to Kirk Gibson on KTAR in Phoenix here

Tags: Arizona Diamondbacks, Ian Kennedy, Kirk Gibson, MLB, MLB Spring Training, NL West