Pat Gillick

Pat Gillick
Lawrence Patrick David Gillickis an American professional baseball executive, currently serving as the president of the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. He previously served as the general manager of four MLB teams: the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, and Phillies. He guided the Blue Jays to World Series championships in 1992 and 1993, and later with the Phillies in 2008...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBusinessman
Date of Birth22 August 1937
CountryUnited States of America
The average annual value of a contract doesn't bother me as much as the length. In a 5-year contract, somebody is usually disappointed. If a player performs well, he feels he's underpaid. If he doesn't, the club feels like it got a raw deal. And, with pitchers, you're dealing with the injury factor. You need flexibility. You need to be able to change your roster around.
It's always tough to move somebody who's a professional hitter. He's hit 400 homers in the big leagues. But it's a good situation for both clubs.
Given the situation, it's really a chance for everybody to show what they can do. He's been good both offensively and defensively. It's a good opportunity for him to show what he can do.
I have to get that (judgment) from the manager. Charlie is the type of manager who can evaluate players both mentally and physically. He isn't a guy who bases his opinion of a guy on how he did the day before.
These are two key acquisitions. It's going to make them even more of a force to be dealt with in the East.
People seemed more interested in their martinis than me,
Bobby and John kind of came from the same background,
The team we have, we're going to be competitive. Are we going to win the division? No. We have to improve.
The talent in the American League is better than the National League. I had the opportunity with Seattle last year to see some National League games, and thought it overall wasn't the same.
The thing you learn over the years is to delegate a lot more. Not that you're not involved, but you delegate. If you have confidence in people around you, then you feel free to delegate.
I've always had a love for the game. I have a passion for the game. I love challenges. I was very satisfied with what I was doing. Some other club, I probably wouldn't have gone back for, not just for the job. I thought this was a good situation and good opportunity.
We're disappointed. We thought we had a competitive offer.
When you retire completely, it's almost a ticket to the funeral home. You have to keep your mind active. I still have the passion. I still love to compete. I can see myself doing this for five more years if my health holds up.
We have to keep plugging along and try to improve our club. I like our nine players on the field a whole bunch. The areas we have to shore up are the front end of our rotation and the back end of the bullpen. Those are the areas we're concentrating on. We're certainly working at it.