Notes From Andy MacPhail’s Introductory Press Conference

phils trio

The Phillies just held a press conference to announce Andy MacPhail would become president starting next season. Here are the highlights, and all quotes should be seen as paraphrasing:

John Middleton:

  • MacPhail will serve as special assistant to Pat Gillick for rest of season.
  • Gillick has complete operational control until next season.
  • They expect MacPhail to improve the farm system and ultimately the major league team.
  • Important to find someone who had worked under different owners, circumstances, financial history, and more.
  • He has a rare combination of old-school experience and new age thinking.
  • He’s important for his use of sabermetrics.
  • He greatly expanded the use of sabermetrics and statistical analysis in Baltimore.
  • MacPhail will have access to whatever resources he needs to succeed.
  • The single most important thing an ownership group does, is hire the person in charge. We own this decision because we intend to win.
  • Those reports [of me trying to take control] are erroneous. I’m not pushing for change.
  • I probably heard about Ryne resigning an hour after he announced to Pat that he was resigning.
  • We’re telling Andy and his team, that we’re giving him what he needs to win.  We’re not handing him his budget.

Andy MacPhail:

  • I am very flattered by this offer, this is the first time you’ve gone outside the org. for a position like this.
  • This game has evolved two times over since I’ve been gone.
  • My three main functions will be to read, to watch, and to listen.
  • Hopefully I’ll have a clear idea of what needs to be done in three months.
  • The Phillies’ current snapshot is “not great.”
  • If you stick with the rebuild, you’ll be rewarded.
  • Success will not be linear. [Ed. note: Almost an exact Sam Hinkie quote]
  • Today’s game sort of defies timetables.
  • What doesn’t work is if you have a change of strategy every two years.
  • Sabermetrics is something of intense interest to ownership.
  • When it comes to analytics, why would you exclude any information? Look at everything.
  • Bodies change, people grow, you need to look at everything.
  • I want to collect as much information as I possibly can.
  • You need to do everything you can to understand where that trend line can be on a player. Can you expect diminishing performance?
  • This organization has a terrific, first-class reputation in the game.
  • I’m really confident we’ll be able to get back, if we do the work.
  • Eskin: When do you think this team can contend? MacPhail: It defies timetables, and you’re being disingenuous if you try to put a timetable on this. Eskin is 0-2 on this question.
  • I’m gonna require some time to formulate philosophies for a large market franchise like this.
  • Even if you’re a skeptic, you’ve gotta use analytics to understand who your opponents are thinking.
  • I had a not very SABR friendly GM in Chicago, and I made him hire some analytics people.
  • I’ve known Ryne since he was in Chicago. I really don’t know what was going through his mind, but there are few people I know who I respect more than Ryne Sandberg.

Pat Gillick:

  • Ownership was very diligent in selecting the right person for this job.
  • He’s an information gatherer, and that’s very important.
  • You can’t shut off any area of information, it’s all crucial.
  • You have to be patient. It takes time for players to develop. You need to give MacPhail a little bit of space.

More soon.

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16 Responses

  1. “SABRmetrics is something of intense interest to ownership”

    That thing that all of the good teams have been doing for 15+ years, that sounds really interesting to us. Where do we start?

    1. They’re also willing to take a look at using these “iPad” contraptions and “smartphone” whatchmahcallits.

      1. I FUCKING USE STATS!

        Just yesterday, I took the spreadsheet I have and sorted it by RBIs!

      1. I’ll start working on the MySpace page after I pick up all the CVS prescriptions for the old executives.

  2. You want to start a new page, stop it with the dead people patches. After the All-Star Break, take the “SLB” off and start thinking about tomorrow instead of living in the past. It’s depressing and unproductive.

  3. To summarize on MacPhial – ” I haven’t done jack balls baseball related for 3 years now & baseball has now passed me by twice over……………….but I’ll be all caught up in 3 whole months by goly.”
    Jesus. How is it possible to have even less faith now in this train wreck than before?
    If they meant to show they were serious they would’ve included Ruben’s “resignation” in this press conference. It’s no secret he’s a friggin joke. Stop pussy footing around the issue & can him already.

    1. You have more faith now because its clear Assclown Amaro’s line of thinking does not match with MacPhail’s, and Ruben’s days being numbered should give you more faith in and of itself, because he’s a fucking moron. As long as his grubby fingerprints aren’t on decisions anymore, including the insanely important Hamels trade, that alone should give you more faith. Who cares if he wan’t shit canned earlier, he’s gone in 3 months.

  4. Having Middleton there is a BIG deal and I like what I’ve heard so far. Maybe, just maybe we’ll come into the 21st century now.

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