You said before you were trying to figure out some of his trades. Why Rowand for Thome, why Abreu and not Burrell, and such? There really isn’t much to figure out. I don’t think there was or is any overriding plan he’s trying to follow. He’s just making the best deal he can, depending on the circumstances at the time, hoping to improve the ballclub.

Why Rowand for Thome? Chicago obviously had what Gillick felt was the best deal available for Thome. At the end of 2005 we didn’t have a centerfielder. Kenny Lofton wasn’t coming back. The only truly solid outfielder we had was Abreu. Burrell was still dealing with foot injuries and still battling his offensive demons, so we didn’t know if we could count on him. We also had Jason Michaels and Shane Victorino, neither of whom were at the level of an everyday outfielder.

Why Abreu and not Burrell? Abreu had much more value. Like I said before, Abreu had consistently put up “Moneyball” numbers for years. On the other hand, Burrell had awful years in 2003 and 2004. He bounced back in 2005, but I’m sure many wondered if he would be able to continue it or if he would fall again. Also, he had those foot problems so I’m sure his questionable health scared people off as well. Why trade Abreu for prospects? In was a salary dump plain and simple. Both Abreu and Burrell had big contracts and the team was looking to free up some money. The best offer they got was for Abreu, so off he went.

So, I’m left with what I said in the previous post. There really isn’t a system we can call “Gillickball”. You can call the way he goes about his business “Gillickball” if you want, but it’s not very different from what most other GMs do and I don’t think it really can be copied or handed down. He uses his knowledge, instincts, and insights just like everybody else, except his are a little better than most, allowing him to enjoy more success than most of his counterparts.

One thing that’s very obvious from the list – some of his big successes were a result of him going for the same players over and over again, that’s gotta be one tenet of Gillickball – STICK TO WHAT YOU KNOW… Like Jayson Werth – I did NOT know he was a Gillick draftee – cool!

Before we embark on this exploration, a few caveats:
1) Remember, you asked for this.
2) This will most likely take several posts, as I am frequently interrupted both at work and at home. In that case we may need to continue this under the next baseball topic posted on the site.
3) I am picking when Gillick became the general manager of the Blue Jays as a starting point, which means we are talking about a 30 year body of work. That covers a lot of ground.
4) I will do my best to distill my voluminous, meandering thoughts on the subject into a cogent, semi-concise discussion.
5) Lastly, I offer my thanks to our hosts on this blog for their patient indulgence.

At the risk of letting the air out of the balloon so soon, I will say that I don’t think “Gillickball” as a system of building a baseball team really exists. Looking back over the last 30 years, I feel I’ve discovered a common thread but it’s really nothing that can be taught or copied. Believe me, I wish it did exist and that, as you said, he could pass it on to Amaro. I’m not looking forward to the day when Amaro takes over. I have nothing against him specifically, it’s just that I don’t want the ballclub to pay the price for the organization’s unfailing loyalty. I’m not saying that Ed Wade’s tenure was a failure, only that Gillick, with a fresh pair of outsider’s eyes, was able to take us beyond Wade’s limits. I just can’t shake the feeling that by going with Amaro we’d be taking a step backwards again. He has interviewed for other GM jobs over the last few years and hasn’t gotten any, right? Maybe there’s something to that.

I found a detailed bio of Gillick’s career including a list of draft picks, trades, and significant free agent signings at http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Pat_Gillick. After looking it over, I don’t see anything revolutionary about his approach. He does what everybody else does, he just does it a little better. For as stupid as that sounds, I think it’s true.

Without listing all the specifics, I’ll look at the different areas used to build a team. He did well through the draft for Toronto. The list of draft picks is a who’s who of the best players in franchise history, but that’s how teams were built back then. Free agency just started in the late 70s so everyone built through drafts and trades. He has not done nearly as well with the Orioles, Mariners, and Phillies. He’s had his share of early round busts and late round surprises like everyone else. As far as trades, he’s gotten the better end of many deals, but many others haven’t worked out. He’s had big deal busts and minor deal successes, again, like everyone else. The same goes for free agent pickups. They run the gamut from fantastic to horrible. Plus, we are only talking about the deals he made. We can’t forget the saying that sometimes the best deal is the one you don’t make. It is quite possible he’s also done some good work by not pulling the trigger on occasion.

I truly believe that he has just been a little bit better at doing the same things everyone else does. A little bit better in the draft, a little bit better making(or not making) deals, a little bit better picking up free agents(or parting ways with your own). When you add up all those little bits, it explains why Gillick has been so successful for so long. Doing this has made me realize that I’ve sold Gillick a bit short. I still believe that, for everybody, luck plays a big part in all of this. That being said, it’s got to be more than luck when a guy does what Gillick has done with four different clubs over 30 years.

This seems like a good place to break. We can get up, walk around, stretch our legs, etc…You were right. I can’t finish this in one post. When I come back I will try to explain what I’ve found about Gillick, answer some of the questions you’ve posed, and possibly wrap this thing up.

PETE: You’re welcome to jump in at any time.

- His teams scored lots of runs.
- He went for home run hitters.
- He shied away from “payday” guys, both hitters and pitchers.
- The Adam Eaton signing was very unlike him; those 3 AL teams had no one like him on the roster.
- If he couldn’t find that one guy for a position, he went with a very strong platoon; he was able to find talented guys who were willing to platoon.

Some questions (that I asked myself) I couldn’t answer: for the Jim Thome trade, why Aaron Rowand? I was thinking he did it for Aaron’s character, but Gillick also went after Albert Belle. Why did he choose a platoon of good young players over a solid player in Abreu? Is that platoon necessary for roster and payroll flexibility? Why Abreu, not Burrell?

How did Gillick put this team together? What is “Gillick-ball”? Are there similarities between the playoff teams he put together in Toronto, Seattle, Baltimore and here? I’ll tell you one thing all those AL teams have in common – all those teams went into a decline after he left…

You could even answer that with: “I don’t think there is a ‘Gillick-ball’ approach.”

I feel like we should construct some sort of Gillick manifesto and leave it for Amaro.

Another big thing is that these are games in our division. We are now 5-1 against Atlanta. Hopefully we can stay on this roll and knock the Marlins further back next. What we are doing right now is special. I’m going to sit back, enjoy it, and hope it lasts a long time.

As far as trades, I don’t know. I mean, sure, you’ve always got to have your eyes and ears open for any improvement, but I don’t see much happening. Like I said before, where are we looking to improve? The lineup is solid. The bench is fantastic. The bullpen is outstanding. That leaves the rotation. While it would be great to upgrade there, the cost is very high. Just think back over the last few years. Teams were trying to outbid each other for Kris Benson, Sidney Ponson, and other mediocre pitchers that were supposedly going to somehow put them over the top. Looking at it that way, we’d be better off just giving either Durbin or Happ a shot.

Like I said in my last post, we are trying to build up our farm system so, unless it’s clearly a no-brainer upgrade, I don’t see us depleting it by taking a flier at a run of the mill guy who might possibly help us. With that in mind, our best candidate to involve in a trade would be Burrell. Since his contract is up at the end of the year and he will most likely walk, it would be nice to get something now. I don’t really see moving any of the bench guys. The chemistry you mentioned is a big part of my thinking, as is their productivity. Also, moving a bench guy is not going to get us much. Think back to 2004. We had Ricky Ledee who, at the time, was among the best pinch hitters in the league and a valuable piece off the bench as a spot starter. He was much like Dobbs is now. Well, we were desperate for bullpen help so we dealt him to the Giants for Felix Rodriguez. Even though he pitched well for us, we only had him for the remainder of 2004. Very short term help that we don’t necessarily need now.

You’re right about the Zo Zone. It makes me concerned about what type of fans we have. Most of them are chuckleheads over there. There are a couple you can actually converse with, a couple who are just semi-blind homers, and the rest who just want to complain about the salaries and dump guys after any poor performance. I much prefer it here where I can have a good back and forth, so please don’t leave me.

But with trading guys, I have the same philosopy that I do with basketball – trade guys when they’re playing well, when their value is at their highest, IF another team is willing to overpay for that guy. Ideally, the guy you trade for upgrades your team, and you get rid of a guy playing well just before his production starts to decline.

For the Sixers, I think this is Sam – I think he’s worth a TON right now and if we put him out there I think we’d get a ridiculous offer or two. For the Phils, I this could be a couple of players, like Greg Dobbs, Bret Myers, Adam Eaton.

But unlike the Sixers, I think the Phils have tremendous team chemistry – you must’ve loved it how Pat Burrell won us that one game right after you mentioned how everyone was playing well except for him! I would be very careful adding and subtracting to this team. That little list I made above should include Chris Coste, but he seems like such an important part of their chemistry that his value goes past his numbers, and getting rid of him would be a huge mistake. These guys are playing with a purpose this year, it’s too bad they have fans like the ones posting on Zo Zone…

You’re right there’s not much to complain about. I was just saying that very thing to my older son earlier today. I was talking about the fans booing Tom Gordon a few days ago for giving up a couple runs. I felt it was absolutely ridiculous and way out of line. He had a bad night. He gave up a few hits and a couple runs. He didn’t cost us the game or anything. It’s absurd to expect every player to be perfect every night. We know that everyone is going to have a bad night here and there and, if that’s all it is, they deserve the benefit of the doubt and our support.

The main thing with me is that the benefit of the doubt has to be EARNED by the player through consistent performance. Take Greg Dobbs, for example. He is really getting the job done as a pinch hitter. If he doesn’t get the job done once in a while, there’s no way he should be booed. I get ticked off at players who expect unconditional support. If Dobbs only got 1 pinch hit for every 10 at bats, I certainly won’t be jumping up and down for that one hit. You’ve got to give me more than that for me to get behind you.

As far as any Pau Gasol type stuff out there for the Phils, I don’t see it.

First of all, I don’t know that the Phils are even looking to deal for a position player. There’s really nowhere to put anyone right now. A pitcher, well everyone is always looking for a pitcher but who is out there and what do they want in return. There are always a few guys out there at the trade deadline offered by teams who are out of the race, but many times the asking price is too high. I can’t see the Phils giving up much for help. We’re not going to be giving up any minor league pitchers because Moyer and Gordon can’t go forever and Eaton can’t leave soon enough. We’re counting on some of our young pitchers developing and helping us. Also, such a big deal is being made about this year’s draft because we need to restock our farm system, so I can’t see us depleting it by picking up a guy we might not really need.

On top of that, you need to consider where we are. We’re playing very well. Myers seems to be coming around and even Eaton has pitched better. The bullpen has been lights out. The bench has been clutch. There’s not really any room to add anybody.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to be loaded to the gills but, unless the Padres do a repeat of 1993 and dismantle their entire team, the chances of a Fred McGriff (major impact player falling in our lap for next to nothing) is pretty slim.