</head> <body> <p>TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto Blue Jays have fired general manager J.P. Ricciardi after failing to make the post-season during his eight years in charge, the team said on Saturday.</p> <p>"This was a tough decision and a difficult one for me personally as I have enjoyed J.P.'s friendship and his perspective on the game," Blue Jays acting president and CEO Paul Beeston said in the news release.</p> <p>"J.P. has put an incredible amount of effort into improving the team and he has brought along a number of great young players.</p> <p>"However, I feel that it is time for a change, and accordingly we have decided to move on."</p> <p>The Blue Jays had just four winning seasons under Ricciardi posting a record of 642-651.</p> <p>The move comes with just two games remaining in a bitterly disappointing season with Toronto sitting 27 games out of first place in the American League East.</p> <p>Alexander Anthopoulos, vice president of baseball operations, will take over general manager duties.</p> <p>(Writing by Steve Keating; editing by Ken Ferris)</p> </body> </html> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix social-container"> <ul class="social-share-btns"> <li><g:plusone size="medium" href="http://rock947.com/news/articles/2009/oct/03/blue-jays-fire-general-manager-ricciardi/"></g:plusone></li> <li><div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=112315878855956&xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://rock947.com/news/articles/2009/oct/03/blue-jays-fire-general-manager-ricciardi/" action="recommend" send="true" layout="button_count" width="150" show_faces="false" font=""></fb:like></li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://rock947.com/news/articles/2009/oct/03/blue-jays-fire-general-manager-ricciardi/" data-text="Blue Jays fire general manager Ricciardi" data-count="horizontal">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></li> </ul> <div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style"> <a class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a class="addthis_button_print"></a> <a class="addthis_counter addthis_pill_style"></a> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js?pub=xa-4a3a7bf17b384e16"></script> </div><!-- end of addthis --> </div><!-- end of social-share-btns --> </div> </div><!-- end of article-container --> <div class="related-article-container"> <hr /> <div id="tags"> <h2 class="tags">Tags:</h2> <a href="/news/articles/tagged/fire/" title="Articles tagged with fire">fire</a>, <a href="/news/articles/tagged/general/" title="Articles tagged with general">general</a>, <a href="/news/articles/tagged/blue/" title="Articles tagged with blue">blue</a>, </div> <h2>Similar Articles</h2> <ul class="related-articles"> <li><a href="/news/articles/2010/apr/12/tampa-bay-lightning-fire-head-coach-and-general-ma/" title="Full Article: Tampa Bay Lightning fire head coach and general manager">Tampa Bay Lightning fire head coach and general manager</a></li> <li><a href="/news/articles/2012/jan/09/struggling-blue-jackets-fire-head-coach/" title="Full Article: Struggling Blue Jackets fire head coach">Struggling Blue Jackets fire head coach</a></li> <li><a href="/news/articles/2010/feb/04/struggling-blue-jackets-fire-head-coach-hitchcock/" title="Full Article: Struggling Blue Jackets fire head coach Hitchcock">Struggling Blue Jackets fire head coach Hitchcock</a></li> </ul> </div><!-- end related-article-container --> <div class="comment-container"> <hr /> <!--<h2>Comments</h2>--> <div class="comments"> <a href="/news/articles/2009/oct/03/blue-jays-fire-general-manager-ricciardi/#disqus_thread"></a> <div id="disqus_thread"></div> <script type="text/javascript"> var disqus_shortname = 'mwc-1'; 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