Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Still a Two Horse Race?

Even with Theo Epstein quitting his post as GM of the Boston Red Sox it still looks like the Phillies are picking between Pat Gillick or Gerry Hunsicker. Both are proven winners but would mean different things to the Phillies. Now it’s just up to Phillies president David Montgomery to pick which direction to go.

The front runner seems to be Gillick, with one rumor out there already that Montgomery has already made an offer, and that an announcement could come as soon as today. One line of thinking is that Gillick, who is 68, would only be on for a few years and then step aside for Ruben Amaro Jr., who some think is who Montgomery would have hired if it wouldn’t of caused a huge media and fan backlash. Under Gillick, Amaro’s duties would increase more with Gillick doing the job mostly from his home in Toronto. Given Montgomery’s loyalty to the members of the Phillies organization that seems to be the safe bet, but would it turn out to be more businesses as usual for the Phillies than the change in the organization’s approach that many want?

With Hunsicker it would be a different story. He lives in the area which in my book would be a plus since he would have a better feel for the fan base. Hunsicker would more likely provide the shake up and changes the Phillies the fans and media seem to crave. He’s a bit more aggressive in his style and wants things done his way, as seen in Houston. With Philly being his dream job as well you would think he wouldn’t just want to be a bridge to Amaro and he would want to stay around for a while.

I for one am still hoping for Hunsicker but unless the Dodgers some how swoop in for Gillick I think it’s only a matter of time before he’s named GM

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