PITTSBURGH – The Toronto Blue Jays dipped back into their past to shake up a last-place team that has looked overmatched at times in the competitive AL East, firing manager John Gibbons on Friday and replacing him with two-time World Series winner Cito Gaston.

The Blue Jays, as the Mets and Mariners did earlier in the week, decided it’s far easier to fire the manager than it is to overhaul a disappointing team close to midseason. Despite having five players making $10 million or more on its opening day roster, Toronto was 35-39 with five consecutive losses and was 101/2 games behind AL East leader Boston going into a three-game series in Pittsburgh.

“We’ve underachieved at this point with a good club,” general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. “There’s a lot of the season left and we’ve got a chance to turn things around.”

Gaston said the Blue Jays’ season “starts over again tonight – we’ve got to get to where we should be. There’s a good club here.”

Gaston will manage the rest of the season and then be evaluated, Ricciardi said.

The move was not especially popular in the clubhouse, where Gibbons was respected despite the club’s on-field failings.

While Gaston managed the Blue Jays to World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, he hasn’t managed since being fired by Toronto in 1997 and, as the team’s special assistant to the president and chief executive since 2002, had little more than a nodding relationship with most players.

“Obviously, the organization thought it was time to make a change,” third baseman Scott Rolen said. “I have nothing but the highest regard and the best things to say about my time with Gibby.”

Rolen and several other players are unhappy Gibbons and coaches Marty Pevey, Ernie Whitt and Gary Denbo took the blame for their failings.

Orono native Brian Butterfield retained his position as the Jays’ bench coach. Pitching coach Brad Arnsberg and bullpen coach Bruce Walton were also retained.