Pat Gillick
Pat Gillick (born August 22, 1937) was the the general manager of four Major League Baseball teams. He guided teams to three championships in his career: 1992 and 1993 titles with the Toronto Blue Jays, and a 2008 title with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Born in Chico, California, Gillick attended USC and joined the Delta Chi Fraternity. He graduated in 1958 with a degree in business. He was also a gifted pitcher, playing on the 1958 National Title baseball team at USC and spending five years in the Baltimore Orioles minor league system, venturing as high as Triple-A.
Gillick retired from playing and began a front-office career in 1963 when he became the assistant farm director with the Houston Astros. He would eventually work his way up to the position of Director of Scouting before moving to the New York Yankees system in 1974 as a Coordinator of Player Development. In 1976 he moved again, this time to the expansion Toronto Blue Jays, becoming their Vice President of Player Personnel, and in 1977, their Vice President of Baseball Operations. In 1984 he was named Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations.
As Toronto's general manager, Gillick won five division titles (1985, 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993) and led the club to their first World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. Shortly after Gillick left, the Blue Jays went into decline, not finishing higher than 3rd place until the 2006 season.
In 1995, Gillick was named the general manager of the Baltimore Orioles organization and he guided the Orioles to the playoffs in 1996 and 1997. He left at the conclusion of his three-year contract in 1998. The Orioles have not had a winning season since.
Gillick then became the general manager of the Seattle Mariners, where he quickly turned what had been a losing ballclub into a playoff contender. The Mariners made back to back playoff appearances for the only time in franchise history in 2000 and 2001, and the 2001 team, with a 116-46 record, tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the all time Major League Baseball record for most wins in a single season. Gillick's reign with Seattle was nonetheless not without controversy. Prior to the 2000 season he traded Ken Griffey Jr. Gillick's clubs also lost the American League Championship Series in 2000 and 2001, as well as frustration from manager Lou Piniella that the team never made midseason improvements he deemed necessary to compete for a championship that led to the creation of the nickname 'Stand Pat'.
Like the Blue Jays and Orioles, the Mariners have also not reached the playoffs since his departure as GM.[1]
Gillick was inducted into the Toronto Blue Jays "Level of Excellence" on August 8, 2002.
On November 2, 2005, Gillick was named the Philadelphia Phillies' general manager. Gillick's first big move in Philadelphia was to trade Jim Thome and cash to the Chicago White Sox for Aaron Rowand and prospects Gio Gonzalez and Daniel Haigwood.
In June 2006, Gillick faced criticism from members of the media and women's groups for allowing pitcher Brett Myers to make his scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox on June 24, 2006, just one day after being arrested for assaulting his wife on a Boston street. Gillick was quoted by the New York Times as saying "I think it's in the best interest of the club; he's our best pitcher".[2]
Gillick had permanent residence in Toronto with his wife Doris, but they have since re-located to Seattle after he became the Phillies GM.
Gillick retired as a GM after leading the Phillies to a World Series Championship in 2008. Rubén Amaro, Jr. was named his successor. Although he retired from all general manager duties, he decided to remain an advisor to the team.
Executive career
Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | Position | W | L | GB | Finish | |||
1964 | Houston Colt .45s | NL | Assistant Farm Director | 66 | 96 | 27.0 | 9th | |||
1965 | Houston Colt .45s | NL | Assistant Farm Director | 65 | 97 | 32.0 | 9th | |||
1974 | Houston Astros | NL | Director of Scouting | 81 | 81 | 20.0 | 4th | |||
1975 | New York Yankees | AL | Scouting Director | 83 | 77 | 12.0 | 3rd | |||
1976 | New York Yankees | AL | Scouting Director | 97 | 62 | - [up 10.5] | 1st | Won AL Pennant | ||
1977 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | Assistant GM | 54 | 107 | 45.5 | 7th | |||
1978 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 59 | 102 | 40.0 | 7th | |||
1979 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 53 | 109 | 50.5 | 7th | |||
1980 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 67 | 95 | 36.0 | 7th | |||
1981 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 37 | 69 | 23.5 | 7th | |||
1982 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 78 | 84 | 17.0 | 7th | |||
1983 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 89 | 73 | 9.0 | 4th | |||
1984 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 89 | 73 | 15.0 | 2nd | |||
1985 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 99 | 62 | - [up 2.0] | 1st | Lost in ALCS | ||
1986 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 86 | 76 | 9.5 | 4th | |||
1987 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 96 | 66 | 2.0 | 2nd | |||
1988 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 87 | 75 | 2.0 | 3rd | |||
1989 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 89 | 73 | - [up 2.0] | 1st | Lost in ALCS | ||
1990 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 86 | 76 | 2.0 | 2nd | |||
1991 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 91 | 71 | - [up 2.0] | 1st | Lost in ALCS | ||
1992 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 96 | 66 | - [up 4.0] | 1st | Won WS | ||
1993 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 95 | 67 | - [up 7.0] | 1st | Won WS | ||
1994 | Toronto Blue Jays | AL | General Manager | 55 | 60 | 16.0 | 3rd | |||
1996 | Baltimore Orioles | AL | General Manager | 88 | 74 | 4.0 | 2nd | Lost in ALCS | ||
1997 | Baltimore Orioles | AL | General Manager | 98 | 64 | - [up 2.0] | 1st | Lost in ALCS | ||
1998 | Baltimore Orioles | AL | General Manager | 79 | 83 | 35.0 | 4th | |||
2000 | Seattle Mariners | AL | General Manager | 91 | 71 | 0.5 | 2nd | Lost in ALCS | ||
2001 | Seattle Mariners | AL | General Manager | 116 | 46 | - [up 14.0] | 1st | Lost in ALCS | ||
2002 | Seattle Mariners | AL | General Manager | 93 | 69 | 10.0 | 3rd | |||
2003 | Seattle Mariners | AL | General Manager | 93 | 69 | 2.0 | 2nd | |||
2006 | Philadelphia Phillies | NL | General Manager | 85 | 77 | 12.0 | 2nd | |||
2007 | Philadelphia Phillies | NL | General Manager | 89 | 73 | - [up 1.0] | 1st | Lost in NLDS | ||
2008 | Philadelphia Phillies | NL | General Manager | 92 | 70 | - [up 3.0] | 1st | Won WS |
References
- ^ Jake Rake, "Pat Gillick Rules," Rake Blog, December 6, 2008; [1].
- ^ Lee Jenkins, "Start Yields Boos for Myers and Criticism for Phillies," The New York Times, June 25, 2006; online version.
External links
- Baseball executives
- Major League Baseball general managers
- 1937 births
- Living people
- People from Chico, California
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Baltimore Orioles
- Seattle Mariners
- People from Toronto
- American expatriate baseball people in Canada
- Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
- Delta Chi brothers