In his season ending press conference on Thursday, it was announced that Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore had relieved pitching coach Bob McClure and bench coach John Gibbons of their duties. All other coaches on the major league staff are expected to be returning for 2012.
McClure, 59, had been the senior member of the Royals coaching staff having just finished his sixth year as pitching coach. He took over for Guy Hansen following the 2005 season. McClure was formely a major league pitcher from 1975-93, including time with the Royals in 1975 and 1976. Prior to coming over to the Royals as a staff member, he had worked at various levels in the Rockies system as a pitching coach.
John Gibbons will also not be returning. Formerly the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, Gibbons had been on the staff since 2008. It is imagined that the Royals will be wanting a new bench coach who is able to work closely with the Latin catchers on the major league roster.
In another move made on Wednesday, it was announced that the Royals had hired Rick Knapp as the minor league pitching coordinator. Knapp comes to the organization from the Detroit Tigers, whom let him go on July 3rd as pitching coach of the major league team. Previously he had served as the pitching coordinator of the Twins farm system from 1997-2008. Mark Davis, who previously held the job for Kansas City, has been reassigned within the organization.