By Jared Trexler
If you build it, they (championships) will come.
Whether they be of the division variety -- five spanning nine seasons in Toronto, a 116-win campaign in Seattle -- or World Series luster -- the tremors from Joe Carter's hooking homer still reverberate within this city's limits -- Pat Gillick has a knack for building championship ball clubs.
It says so on his resume, long and detailed with extensive scouting and player personnel experience and highlighted by success as head honcho in three American League cities.
His credibility and earned respect league-wide were two endearing qualities, possibly the significant reasons why David Montgomery, et al. hired Gillick as general manager on November 2, 2005.
As soon as Ed Wade was done fixing a light bulb, Gillick began his task of leading the Phillies out of the dark. He inherited a fragmented team -- tall on talent, but short on "it". That inherent quality not taught in Florida or Tuscon during the spring, but an instinctive part of every championship formula.
A team that appeared to be just a player or two away on paper looked missing to Gillick. He immediately stated it was his job to coax five more wins out of the current unit, with more tweaking here and there.
Gillick's strongest diamond allies will profess he is the ultimate baseball scientist, constantly changing the periphery in hopes of finding the perfect overall mixture. His off-season acquisitions -- Abraham Nunez, Ryan Franklin, Alex Gonzalez, Sal Fasano among others -- struck at the very essence of his beliefs.
Many of the signings brought a familiar feel, as the players had a past relationship with the general manager. However, in this situation, familiarity fed failure. Nunez, while a wizard with the glove never came close to his career year of 2005 at the plate. Franklin was sent off in a trade deadline deal, likewise with Fasano and Gonzalez retired from baseball.
The moans began. The hawks circled the heart of Old City. Phillies fans grew restless with another sorry April followed by months of catching up.
Then, Gillick shaped his Philadelphia legacy during a five-day window in late July. He first traded the popular Fasano to the Yankees then shipped third baseman David Bell, one of Wade's promising free-agent signings during the Jim Thome sweepstakes, to Milwaukee. In return, he received two marginal minor-league prospects.
The big move wasn't made until July 30 -- just one day before the non-waiver trade deadline. Bobby Abreu, the team's best overall hitter, starting right fielder and the brunt of verbal punches and praise over his distinguished career, was traded to the Yankees along with Cory Lidle for lefty relief pitcher Matt Smith, former top draft pick C.J. Henry and two lower level prospects.
The move was seen as a straight salary dump -- and Gillick said as much at the subsequent news conference, cautioning fans and the media that the club was moving toward a new era built around young players. And it could take awhile.
"We may not be able to contend until 2008," he stated.
Foreshadowing didn't sit well in a city that only looks ahead to its next cheesesteak. Gillick was ripped left and right for the deadline deal, and perhaps even more vociferously for the message he sent to the fans afterward.
Be patient.
It turned out that the players weren't all that patient, proving their GM wrong with a spirited run to the brink of a playoff berth led by the exact players Gillick defined as the future faces of the franchise. Chase Utley had an All-Star second half, Ryan Howard eventually won the MVP and Cole Hamels showed flashes of brilliance.
To give Gillick credit, he admitted his surprise at the sudden success and adapted on the fly, trading for Jamie Moyer, Jeff Conine and Jose Hernandez in the ill-fated playoff push. In the end, the Phillies won three games less than the season before, eight short of Gillick's self-imposed job responsibility.
"It falls on my shoulders," he said at the time.
Now, an offseason later, Gillick has completely retooled the base of his team around a talented core that shares work ethic and passion for the game. A starting staff that featured Gavin Floyd and Ryan Madson a season ago, now has Freddy Garcia, Adam Eaton and last season's Opening Day starter (Jon Lieber) on the outside looking in.
Shane Victornio has instilled spunk and a hint of Lenny Dykstra, while Aaron Rowand has brought the "For who? My teammates. For what? To win" personality to a clubhouse that was dying for a shot in the arm.
The club still has a glaring weakness in the bullpen unless Gillick catches lightning in a bottle with the acquisition of Antonio Alfonseca. He knows as much, and hasn't minced words in talk of rectifying the problem.
"We have some work to do in the bullpen."
Like him or not, Gillick is a straight shooter. And he's a winner, crafting his vision of the ideal champion from Toronto to Baltimore. He has his players in place for one last run at something special.
Five more wins are no longer enough. The foundation is set.
Now, fans wait to see if they (championships) will follow.
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Jared Trexler can be reached at jtrexler@phanaticmag.com
1 comment:
That and the Manuel piece, great stuff.
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