Baseball Guru
11-02-2005, 06:39 PM
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AgH4.dipo.mYMZEYb5OArcoRvLYF?slug=ap-phillies-gillick&prov=ap&type=lgns
By ROB MAADDI, AP Sports Writer
November 2, 2005
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Pat Gillick has turned losing teams into winners everywhere he's been. His job now is to build a champion from a team that hasn't been able to get over the top.
Gillick, whose resume includes two World Series titles and nine playoff appearances with three teams, signed a three-year contract Wednesday to become the Philadelphia Phillies' new general manager. He replaces Ed Wade, fired after failing to get the team into the playoffs in eight years on the job.
``We found the right person,'' Phillies president David Montgomery said. ``He's an outstanding leader.''
Gillick is joining an organization that has lost more games (8,831) than any U.S. major professional team and hasn't been to the playoffs since 1993 -- when the Phillies lost the World Series to Gillick's Toronto Blue Jays.
Philadelphia went 88-74 this season and finished one game behind NL wild-card winner Houston. It was the Phillies' third consecutive winning season and fourth in five years, but they missed the playoffs for the 12th straight year and 21st time in 22 seasons.
``The challenge here is to win five more games than last year,'' Gillick said. ``Ed Wade put together a good foundation, and they've been winning in the 80s the last four years. Usually you come to a club that needs major rebuilding, reconstructing, remodeling, whatever you want call it. That's not the case here.''
The 68-year-old Gillick was chosen over former Houston Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker, Phillies assistant general managers Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle, and Cleveland Indians assistant general manager Chris Antonetti.
Amaro and Arbuckle will remain in their roles along with manager Charlie Manuel and the rest of the baseball staff.
``Charlie's a good baseball man and he's been around the game for a long time,'' Gillick said. ``He can evaluate players mentally and physically. A lot of managers can't do that.''
Though he said he wouldn't make any immediate changes to his staff, Gillick said he'd reevaluate everyone's status after one year.
A special consultant in the Mariners' front office the past two seasons, Gillick led Toronto to consecutive championships in 1992-93. He took Baltimore and Seattle to the AL championship series twice each and helped his teams compile a record of 2,010-1,773 during 24 seasons as a GM.
``I've been lucky,'' Gillick said. ``I'm a good listener. I'm an all-inclusive guy. I try to listen to everyone and get input from everyone.''
Montgomery fired Wade one week after the season ended under heavy pressure from a fan base that soured on the Phillies in just their second season at Citizens Bank Park.
Wade was heavily criticized in Philadelphia, especially after he fired manager Larry Bowa and hired Manuel. Even though the Phillies were in the playoff race the entire season, attendance dropped off by almost 600,000, from 3.25 million in 2004.
``Fans here are rabid,'' Gillick said. ``It's important that you connect to them.''
Once given the flexibility to increase payroll, Wade brought in Jim Thome, Kevin Millwood, Billy Wagner and Jon Lieber. Millwood was a bust in two seasons, Wagner is a free agent and Thome could be traded. However, young stars Chase Utley and Ryan Howard emerged under Wade's watch.
Once nicknamed ``Stand Pat'' for his reluctance to make trades, Gillick made deals to get David Cone and Rickey Henderson, helping Toronto win its championships. He also acquired Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter in the same trade in 1990.
Gillick started his front-office career in 1963 with the Astros, spending 10 years there. He joined the New York Yankees in 1974 as coordinator of player development.
In 1976, he joined the expansion Blue Jays, handling all baseball-related activities. He went to Baltimore in 1996 and took over in Seattle in 2000.
Gillick has a difficult task in Philadelphia, even though the Phillies came close to reaching the playoffs. The team has nearly $78 million committed to 11 players for next year, and Montgomery already said the payroll will stay around $95 million.
A tough decision must be made at first base involving Thome and Howard. Thome is owed at least $43.5 million over the next three seasons and the Phillies probably will have to pay some of his salary to make a trade. If Wagner doesn't return, the Phillies will have to replace the All-Star closer.
Gillick comes to the Phillies in time to attend the annual general managers' meetings, scheduled for next week in Indian Wells, Calif.
He said he's in a better position to lead the Phillies to the playoffs than his previous two jobs, in which he took Baltimore and Seattle to the ALCS in his first year.
``We have a very generous budget,'' Gillick said. ``We have sufficient money to do the things we need to do. We have to be imaginative and allocate the money properly.''
By ROB MAADDI, AP Sports Writer
November 2, 2005
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Pat Gillick has turned losing teams into winners everywhere he's been. His job now is to build a champion from a team that hasn't been able to get over the top.
Gillick, whose resume includes two World Series titles and nine playoff appearances with three teams, signed a three-year contract Wednesday to become the Philadelphia Phillies' new general manager. He replaces Ed Wade, fired after failing to get the team into the playoffs in eight years on the job.
``We found the right person,'' Phillies president David Montgomery said. ``He's an outstanding leader.''
Gillick is joining an organization that has lost more games (8,831) than any U.S. major professional team and hasn't been to the playoffs since 1993 -- when the Phillies lost the World Series to Gillick's Toronto Blue Jays.
Philadelphia went 88-74 this season and finished one game behind NL wild-card winner Houston. It was the Phillies' third consecutive winning season and fourth in five years, but they missed the playoffs for the 12th straight year and 21st time in 22 seasons.
``The challenge here is to win five more games than last year,'' Gillick said. ``Ed Wade put together a good foundation, and they've been winning in the 80s the last four years. Usually you come to a club that needs major rebuilding, reconstructing, remodeling, whatever you want call it. That's not the case here.''
The 68-year-old Gillick was chosen over former Houston Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker, Phillies assistant general managers Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle, and Cleveland Indians assistant general manager Chris Antonetti.
Amaro and Arbuckle will remain in their roles along with manager Charlie Manuel and the rest of the baseball staff.
``Charlie's a good baseball man and he's been around the game for a long time,'' Gillick said. ``He can evaluate players mentally and physically. A lot of managers can't do that.''
Though he said he wouldn't make any immediate changes to his staff, Gillick said he'd reevaluate everyone's status after one year.
A special consultant in the Mariners' front office the past two seasons, Gillick led Toronto to consecutive championships in 1992-93. He took Baltimore and Seattle to the AL championship series twice each and helped his teams compile a record of 2,010-1,773 during 24 seasons as a GM.
``I've been lucky,'' Gillick said. ``I'm a good listener. I'm an all-inclusive guy. I try to listen to everyone and get input from everyone.''
Montgomery fired Wade one week after the season ended under heavy pressure from a fan base that soured on the Phillies in just their second season at Citizens Bank Park.
Wade was heavily criticized in Philadelphia, especially after he fired manager Larry Bowa and hired Manuel. Even though the Phillies were in the playoff race the entire season, attendance dropped off by almost 600,000, from 3.25 million in 2004.
``Fans here are rabid,'' Gillick said. ``It's important that you connect to them.''
Once given the flexibility to increase payroll, Wade brought in Jim Thome, Kevin Millwood, Billy Wagner and Jon Lieber. Millwood was a bust in two seasons, Wagner is a free agent and Thome could be traded. However, young stars Chase Utley and Ryan Howard emerged under Wade's watch.
Once nicknamed ``Stand Pat'' for his reluctance to make trades, Gillick made deals to get David Cone and Rickey Henderson, helping Toronto win its championships. He also acquired Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter in the same trade in 1990.
Gillick started his front-office career in 1963 with the Astros, spending 10 years there. He joined the New York Yankees in 1974 as coordinator of player development.
In 1976, he joined the expansion Blue Jays, handling all baseball-related activities. He went to Baltimore in 1996 and took over in Seattle in 2000.
Gillick has a difficult task in Philadelphia, even though the Phillies came close to reaching the playoffs. The team has nearly $78 million committed to 11 players for next year, and Montgomery already said the payroll will stay around $95 million.
A tough decision must be made at first base involving Thome and Howard. Thome is owed at least $43.5 million over the next three seasons and the Phillies probably will have to pay some of his salary to make a trade. If Wagner doesn't return, the Phillies will have to replace the All-Star closer.
Gillick comes to the Phillies in time to attend the annual general managers' meetings, scheduled for next week in Indian Wells, Calif.
He said he's in a better position to lead the Phillies to the playoffs than his previous two jobs, in which he took Baltimore and Seattle to the ALCS in his first year.
``We have a very generous budget,'' Gillick said. ``We have sufficient money to do the things we need to do. We have to be imaginative and allocate the money properly.''