Pat Gillick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pat Gillick |
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Gillick at the 2008 Phillies World Series parade
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| General manager | |
| Born: August 22, 1937 Chico, California, U.S. |
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| Teams | |
As general manager
As president
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2011 |
| Vote | 81.3% |
| Election Method | Expansion Era Committee |
Pat Gillick is a famous American baseball executive. He was a general manager for four different Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. These teams were the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies.
Pat Gillick helped his teams win three World Series championships. He led the Blue Jays to victory in 1992 and 1993. Later, he guided the Phillies to win the World Series in 2008.
Before working in baseball management, he was a talented pitcher in college. He even won a national championship with the University of Southern California (USC) team. Pat Gillick has been honored in several Halls of Fame. These include the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame.
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Pat Gillick's Early Life and Baseball Start
Pat Gillick was born in Chico, California, on August 22, 1937. His father, Larry Gillick, also played baseball in the minor leagues. When Pat was young, he was very involved in the Boy Scouts of America. He earned the highest rank, Eagle Scout, in 1951.
After high school, Pat traveled to Vulcan, Alberta, Canada. He played as a pitcher for a semi-pro team called the Vulcan Elks. He even had to ask his grandmother for money to finish his trip! While playing in Canada, he showed how good he was. He once pitched a "no-hitter" game, meaning no opposing player got a hit.
College Baseball and Professional Playing
Pat Gillick went to the USC. He studied business and was a star pitcher for the USC baseball team. In 1958, his team won the National Title.
After college, Pat played professional baseball for five years. He was a left-handed pitcher in the minor leagues. He played for teams connected to the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates. He reached as high as Triple-A, which is just one step below the major leagues. During his playing career, he won 45 games and lost 32.
Pat Gillick's Career in Baseball Management
In 1963, Pat Gillick stopped playing baseball. He started a new career working in the "front office" of baseball teams. This means he worked behind the scenes, helping to build and manage teams.
His first job was with the Houston Colt .45s. He helped manage their minor league players. Later, he became the director of scouting, finding new talented players. In 1974, he moved to the New York Yankees. There, he helped develop young players.
Leading the Toronto Blue Jays
In 1976, Pat Gillick joined the new Toronto Blue Jays team. He quickly became their vice-president of baseball operations and general manager. As general manager, he was in charge of all baseball decisions for the team.
Under his leadership, the Blue Jays became a very successful team. They won five division titles between 1985 and 1993. Most famously, he led the Blue Jays to win their first two World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. This was a huge achievement for the team and for Canadian baseball.
Managing Other MLB Teams
After leaving the Blue Jays in 1994, Pat Gillick came out of retirement. In 1995, he became the general manager for the Baltimore Orioles. He helped the Orioles reach the playoffs in 1996 and 1997. He left the Orioles in 1998.
Next, Gillick became the general manager for the Seattle Mariners. He helped the Mariners make the playoffs in 2000 and 2001. The 2001 Mariners team was incredibly good. They tied the record for the most wins in a single season in MLB history, with 116 wins!
In 2005, Pat Gillick became the general manager for the Philadelphia Phillies. He made some important trades that helped the team. One big move was trading Jim Thome to make room for future star Ryan Howard. Howard went on to win the National League MVP award that year.
Pat Gillick retired from being a general manager after the Phillies won the World Series in 2008. He stayed with the Phillies as a senior advisor. In 2014, he even became the interim president of the Phillies for a short time. He later became the permanent president before returning to his advisor role.
Since 2016, Pat Gillick has also been a part-owner of some collegiate baseball teams. He helped the Chico Heat win championships in 2016 and 2018.
Pat Gillick's Awards and Honors
Pat Gillick has received many awards for his amazing career in baseball.
- In 1993, Sporting News named him and Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston as their "Sportsman of the Year."
- He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.
- In 2002, the Toronto Blue Jays added him to their "Level of Excellence."
- Baseball fans voted him the MLB "Executive of the Year" in 2008.
- Also in 2008, he was named "King of Baseball." This is a special title given to someone who has shown long-time dedication to professional baseball.
- In 2009, Sports Illustrated listed him as one of the "Top 10 GMs/Executives of the Decade" across all sports.
- On December 6, 2010, Pat Gillick was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He was only the fourth general manager ever to be inducted. He officially joined the Hall of Fame on July 24, 2011.
- In 2015, he received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America.
- In 2018, he became the first executive to be inducted into the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame.
