Notes From Andy MacPhail’s Introductory Press Conference

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.