Gil Kim

{{Short description|American baseball executive and coach (born 1981)}}

{{Infobox MLB player

|name=Gil Kim

|image=

|width=

|caption=

|team=Dunedin Blue Jays

|number=

|position=Manager

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1981|12|20|mf=yes}}

|birth_place=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

|bats=Both

|throws=Right

|teams=

Toronto Blue Jays ({{mlby|2020}}–{{mlby|2024}})

}}

Gil Kim (born December 20, 1981) is an American baseball executive and coach who is the manager of the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Single-A Florida State League.

Kim played college baseball at Middlebury College and Vanderbilt University before embarking on a professional baseball career in the Netherlands, China, Australia, Spain, and Venezuela. In 2010, Kim became a scout for the Texas Rangers of MLB in Mexico, and later in the Dominican Republic. He was promoted to their director of international scouting in 2014, before being hired as the director of player development for the Blue Jays in 2016. He became a coach in 2020.

Playing career

Kim attended Pottsville Area High School in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and played for the school's baseball, soccer, and basketball teams. He played in an international tournament in Puerto Rico during his sophomore year.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108657390/pottsville-player-gets-taste-of-internat/ |title=Pottsville player gets taste of international baseball|work=Pottsville Republican |first=Matt|last=Hudock|page=9|via=Newspapers.com |date=1998-08-03 |accessdate=2022-08-31}} Kim transferred to Lawrenceville School after his sophomore year, which he repeated. He was named All-State in baseball for three years at Lawrenceville.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108677402/climbing-the-ladder/ |title=Climbing the ladder: New position with Toronto Blue Jays keeps Pottsville's Kim in the game|first=Chuck|last=Curley|work=Republican and Herald|via=Newspapers.com |pages=A15, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108677580/ A16]|date=February 16, 2016 |accessdate=August 31, 2022}} Kim attended Middlebury College for one year, and played college baseball for the Middlebury Panthers, and then transferred to Vanderbilt University. He played for the Vanderbilt Commodores, receiving 21 at bats in three seasons, recording one single. He graduated from Vanderbilt with a Bachelor of Arts in history in 2006.{{cite web|url=https://newberg.mlblogs.com/the-singular-travels-of-gil-kim-877fe3e2cd5e|title=The singular travels of Gil Kim|authorlink=Jamey Newberg|first=Jamey|last=Newberg|work=MLB.com|date=January 15, 2016|accessdate=August 31, 2022}}{{cite web|first=Ben |last=Nicholson-Smith|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-hire-kim-as-director-of-player-development/ |title=Blue Jays hire Kim as director of player development |publisher=Sportsnet.ca |date=January 13, 2016 |accessdate=August 31, 2022}}

Kim began his professional baseball career for the Omron Pioneers in a Dutch baseball league. He then played for the Beijing Tigers of the China Baseball League and the Western Districts Bulldogs in the Greater Brisbane League in Australia. In 2008, he played for FC Barcelona's baseball team in Spain, and then joined his manager with the Tiburones de La Guaira of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.

Executive and coaching career

Kim interned for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball in 2009 for three months before he was hired by the Texas Rangers as an area scout covering Mexico in 2010. He and Tony LaCava scouted Roberto Osuna. He also scouted for the Rangers in the Dominican Republic. In 2014, the Rangers promoted Kim to director of international scouting.{{cite web|first=Gerry |last=Fraley |authorlink=Gerry Fraley |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/rangers/2014/01/14/texas-rangers-promote-international-scouts-gil-kim-rafic-saab/ |title=Texas Rangers promote international scouts Gil Kim, Rafic Saab |publisher=Dallasnews.com |date=January 14, 2014 |accessdate=August 31, 2022}}

In January 2016, the Blue Jays hired Kim to be their first director of player development.{{Cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/sports/baseball/mlb/how-gil-kim-went-from-sleeping-on-a-bathroom-floor-in-venezuela-to-a-front-office-job-with-the-toronto-blue-jays|title=How Toronto Blue Jays' Gil Kim went from sleeping on a bathroom floor in Venezuela to earning a front-office job|first=John|last=Lott|date=January 30, 2016|work=The National Post|accessdate=August 31, 2022}} In 2020, the Blue Jays promoted Kim to the major league coaching staff, while keeping his role as director of player development.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-gil-kim-named-to-blue-jays-coaching-staff|title=Gil Kim to join Major League coaching staff|website=MLB.com|accessdate=August 31, 2022}} In 2022, the Blue Jays named Kim the field coordinator.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-blue-jays-announce-2022-major-league-coaching-staff|title=Blue Jays announce 2022 Major League coaching staff|website=MLB.com|accessdate=August 31, 2022}}

On February 13, 2025, Kim was announced as the new manager of the Dunedin Blue Jays of the single-A Florida State League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/dunedin/news/dunedin-blue-jays-announce-2025-coaching-staff|title=Dunedin Blue Jays Announce 2025 Coaching Staff|website=MILB.com|accessdate=February 13, 2025}}