Blue Jays Legend Cito Gaston Inducted Into Negro Leagues Hall of Game

Cito Gaston’s career was one of the most impactful in Toronto Blue Jays history.

Toronto Blue Jays former manager Cito Gaston waves to the crowd before throwing out a ceremonial first pitch before a game against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays look like a team that could follow in the footsteps of the 1992 and 1993 World Series champions. If the 2025 edition follows suit, they’ll walk in the footsteps of the legendary Cito Gaston.

Gaston was the manager of those 1992 and 1993 teams, and over the weekend he was inducted into the Negro Leagues Hall of Game at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. The Hall of Game celebrates black managerial excellence in baseball. Gaston was a trailblazer in the dugout.

Cito Gaston’s MLB Career

Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Gaston’s playing career lasted 11 years, as he played for the Atlanta Braves across two stints, the San Diego Padres and the Pittsburgh Pirates. With Atlanta he played with Dusty Baker and Hank Aaron, the latter of which was his roommate on the road. He batted .256 for his career with 91 home runs and 387 RBI. He was a National League All-Star in 1970.

Gaston moved into coaching in 1982 when he became the Blue Jays’ hitting coach. He was part of the staff that helped Toronto win its first division title in 1985. When manager Jimy Williams was fired in May of 1989, Gaston was elevated to manager. A few years later, the Blue Jays reached the pinnacle of the sport for the first time.

Alongside general manager Pat Gillick, the Blue Jays won the American League East in Gaston’s first season. In a five-year stretch, Toronto won four AL East crowns and reached the World Series in 1992 and 1993.

In 1992 the Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves to win the franchise’s first title and the first for an MLB franchise north of the border. The following season Toronto defended its title, beating the Philadelphia Phillies. The series ended with the first walk-off World Series winner, the legendary home run by Joe Carter. The victories made Gaston the first African American manager in MLB history to win a World Series title.

Gaston remained with the franchise until 1997 when he was fired late in the season. He returned as manager in 2008 and guided the franchise for two more seasons. Overall, he was 894-837 with an 18-16 record in the postseason.

His No. 43 is part of the Blue Jays’ Level of Excellence at Rogers Centre. He is a member of the San Antonio (Texas) Sports Hall of Fame, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2023, he was on the Baseball Hall of Fame’s contemporary baseball era ballot but did not get the votes necessary for induction.

The other inductees included World Series championship manager Dusty Baker, last of the Houston Astros; long-time player, manager and coach Jerry Manuel; long-time player, coach, manager and five-time World Series champion Willie Randolph; and longtime Los Angeles Angels front office employee and general manager Tony Reagins, who helped build their 2002 World Series champion.