GaryMrMets
10-29-2005, 02:43 AM
Gillick, Hunsicker among candidates interviewed
By ROB MAADDI
.c The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Pat Gillick and Gerry Hunsicker were interviewed for the Philadelphia Phillies' vacant general manager position.
Gillick, currently an adviser in Seattle, led Toronto to consecutive World Series titles in the 1990s and also was a general manager with Baltimore and the Mariners.
Hunsicker quit as general manager of the Houston Astros after last season. He helped put together the team that went to the World Series this season, before being swept by the Chicago White Sox this week.
``Both have pretty substantial resumes,'' Phillies president David Montgomery said in a conference call Friday. ``Pat has accomplished a great deal in three situations. Gerry has a very strong resume based on his nine years in Houston.''
Montgomery fired Ed Wade on Oct. 10 after he failed to get the Phillies into the playoffs during eight years on the job.
Mike Arbuckle, an assistant under Wade, interviewed for the position earlier this week. Another assistant, Ruben Amaro Jr., could be interviewed over the weekend.
Montgomery said he's narrowed his list from more than 40 candidates and hopes to conduct more interviews next week. He doesn't have a timetable for a hiring, and it's possible a decision won't be made before the annual general managers' meetings, scheduled for Indian Wells, Calif., from Nov. 7-11.
``We'd like to do it as soon as possible,'' Montgomery said, adding that Arbuckle, Amaro and director of scouting Gordon Lakey would represent the team at the GM meetings.
The Phillies went 88-74 this season and finished one game behind NL wild-card winner Houston. It was Philadelphia's third consecutive winning season and fourth in five years, but the Phillies missed the playoffs for the 12th straight year and 21st time in 22 seasons.
Wade was heavily criticized in Philadelphia, especially after he fired manager Larry Bowa and hired Charlie Manuel. Attendance at two-year-old Citizens Bank Park dropped off by almost 600,000, down from 3.25 million in 2004.
Neither Arbuckle nor Amaro would be a popular choice among fans who want to see someone from outside the organization and with a winning pedigree take over.
Gillick won five AL East titles and consecutive championships (1992-93) in Toronto, led the Orioles to the ALCS in 1996 and 1997 and took the Mariners to the ALCS in 2000 and 2001. Seattle tied a major league record with 116 wins in 2001 and the Mariners 393 victories during Gillick's four seasons were the most in baseball.
Hunsicker led the Astros to the playoffs five times in nine years, before resigning after Houston came within one victory of winning the NLCS in 2004.
Montgomery also said the Phillies will be moving back the left-field fences at their homer-friendly ballpark. It's 329 feet down the line in left field and 369 feet in the power alley.
``We have decided there are some remedial actions we can take in left field to make the park play more fair,'' Montgomery said.
10/28/05 17:27 EDT
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
By ROB MAADDI
.c The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Pat Gillick and Gerry Hunsicker were interviewed for the Philadelphia Phillies' vacant general manager position.
Gillick, currently an adviser in Seattle, led Toronto to consecutive World Series titles in the 1990s and also was a general manager with Baltimore and the Mariners.
Hunsicker quit as general manager of the Houston Astros after last season. He helped put together the team that went to the World Series this season, before being swept by the Chicago White Sox this week.
``Both have pretty substantial resumes,'' Phillies president David Montgomery said in a conference call Friday. ``Pat has accomplished a great deal in three situations. Gerry has a very strong resume based on his nine years in Houston.''
Montgomery fired Ed Wade on Oct. 10 after he failed to get the Phillies into the playoffs during eight years on the job.
Mike Arbuckle, an assistant under Wade, interviewed for the position earlier this week. Another assistant, Ruben Amaro Jr., could be interviewed over the weekend.
Montgomery said he's narrowed his list from more than 40 candidates and hopes to conduct more interviews next week. He doesn't have a timetable for a hiring, and it's possible a decision won't be made before the annual general managers' meetings, scheduled for Indian Wells, Calif., from Nov. 7-11.
``We'd like to do it as soon as possible,'' Montgomery said, adding that Arbuckle, Amaro and director of scouting Gordon Lakey would represent the team at the GM meetings.
The Phillies went 88-74 this season and finished one game behind NL wild-card winner Houston. It was Philadelphia's third consecutive winning season and fourth in five years, but the Phillies missed the playoffs for the 12th straight year and 21st time in 22 seasons.
Wade was heavily criticized in Philadelphia, especially after he fired manager Larry Bowa and hired Charlie Manuel. Attendance at two-year-old Citizens Bank Park dropped off by almost 600,000, down from 3.25 million in 2004.
Neither Arbuckle nor Amaro would be a popular choice among fans who want to see someone from outside the organization and with a winning pedigree take over.
Gillick won five AL East titles and consecutive championships (1992-93) in Toronto, led the Orioles to the ALCS in 1996 and 1997 and took the Mariners to the ALCS in 2000 and 2001. Seattle tied a major league record with 116 wins in 2001 and the Mariners 393 victories during Gillick's four seasons were the most in baseball.
Hunsicker led the Astros to the playoffs five times in nine years, before resigning after Houston came within one victory of winning the NLCS in 2004.
Montgomery also said the Phillies will be moving back the left-field fences at their homer-friendly ballpark. It's 329 feet down the line in left field and 369 feet in the power alley.
``We have decided there are some remedial actions we can take in left field to make the park play more fair,'' Montgomery said.
10/28/05 17:27 EDT
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.