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Phils' MacPhail To Observe For Rest Of '15 Season; Middleton Now Face Of Ownership

It is expected that Andy MacPhail, who yesterday was formally introduced as the "first Phillies president hired from outside the organization," will "participate in trade conversations and offer his input, but ultimately the decisions will be left to" current President Pat Gillick and GM Ruben Amaro, according to a front-page piece by Jake Kaplan of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. MacPhail will succeed Gillick after the season, and over the next three months "will serve as a special assistant to Gillick while familiarizing himself with the organization and discerning the changes that will be needed." MacPhail said, "I think my three main functions are going to be to read, to watch and to listen." Phillies investor John Middleton said he and fellow investors Pete and Jim Buck will give MacPhail "access to whatever resources" he needs. Middleton added that Gillick "will have 'full, complete operational control'" until MacPhail takes over. Middleton: "The mandate is to win. We're telling Andy and his team that you need to tell us what you need to win." He added MacPhail's interest in sabermetrics was "hugely important" in his selection. Kaplan notes the organization has been "developing its own sabermetric-based computer system, which will be ready for implementation in September." MacPhail, who "has a reputation for being patient," yesterday made clear that he is "not one for timetables" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 6/30).

BIG MAC: ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick wrote MacPhail's arrival "comes at a particularly challenging time for the organization." MacPhail said, "This organization has a terrific reputation doing things first class. I'm confident we're going to be able to get back. It's just a question of when and how efficient we can be to make it happen sooner rather than later." Crasnick noted the Phillies' "in-season shake-up is reminiscent of events" with the D-backs last season, when Tony La Russa joined the team as Chief Baseball Officer. A source said that Amaro "will remain with the Phillies' organization while MacPhail assesses the state of the franchise moving forward" (ESPN.com, 6/29). CBSSPORTS.com's Jon Heyman said of MacPhail, "They found a guy with a good résumé, a very solid guy, a sound guy, a guy with a clear baseball pedigree, so right move for the Phillies” ("MLB Now," MLB Network, 6/29). In Delaware, Meghan Montemurro notes the Phillies "represent the fourth organization MacPhail has worked for during his baseball career." Aside from his roles with the Orioles, Cubs and Twins, MacPhail "served on MLB's negotiating committees" during the '02 and '06 seasons, helping to work out new CBAs with the MLBPA (Wilmington NEWS JOURNAL, 6/30). ESPN's Eric Wedge said, "This is going to be Andy's footprint on this thing, and that's why they did it now, 30 days prior to the (trade) deadline. ... But the commitment and discipline has to be there because you have to be all in with the rebuild" (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN2, 6/30). The AP's Rob Maaddi noted MacPhail "chose to leave the game for a few years to spend time with family and travel around the world." MacPhail: "I'm better for it. It's been an eye-opener. ... I'm happy I did it" (AP, 6/29).

PATIENCE IN PHILLY? CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury said of MacPhail, “He’s a real builder. He’s a guy who surrounds himself with quality people and always has made pretty good hires, and he has a lot of patience and I think that’s not a real popular word these days, especially in pro sports and especially in Philadelphia. But I think it’s really needed in baseball, especially, because it takes some time to turn things around." CSN Chicago's David Kaplan said, "You’re getting a guy that’s exceptionally deliberate. When you want him to make a move, he’s going to be more deliberate than any executive you’ve ever seen in the history of Philadelphia sports. He will not be swayed by the intense fervor that your fan base has" (CSNPHILLY.com, 6/30).

MIDDLE MAN: CSNPHILLY.com's Corey Seidman wrote yesterday's news conference "served as the public unveiling" of Middleton, who "made a series of sharp, authoritative statements about his visibility and his commitment to financing a winner." When asked if his presence signified a plan to be more visible, Middleton said, "I think it's safe to say you're on to something." He added, "The Bucks and my family have had an increasingly larger position and with that comes a level of responsibility that's very different than it was 25 years ago. So I think you have to acknowledge that and step up." Seidman noted there have been reports that Middleton is seeking a "controlling stake" in the team. But Middleton said, "I would tell you those reports are erroneous. ... I'm not pushing for change." Middleton said of hiring MacPhail, "We owned this decision. And that's an important part of the accountability that we think we have to the fan base, that they understand that we own this, because we intend to win" (CSNPHILLY.com, 6/29). In Philadelphia, Sam Donnellon in a front-page piece writes Middleton "didn't just attend this function," he "opened it up with a long statement, answered questions thoroughly and respectfully, was glib, irreverent, funny." In short, he "was its star." But he also "made it clear he would be no George Steinbrenner going forward" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 6/30). Also in Philadelphia, Bob Ford writes for the first time since '81, someone with a "significant ownership stake in the team was out front and visible." If fans "have been waiting years for the old money to finally have a new idea, this might well have been their day." That Middleton was "on the dais" along with MacPhail and Gillick was "easily more significant than the passing of the presidential reins from one steady baseball lifer to another" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 6/30).

GRILLED RUBEN? In Newark, Eliot Shorr-Parks wrote one of the biggest decisions MacPhail has to make "starts -- and stops -- with Amaro." The GM "has had his good and bad moments" since taking the position in '09, but things "[fell] apart due to a flurry of moves that have backfired" (NJ.com, 6/29). ESPN's Jim Bowden said of opposing GMs dealing with Amaro, "You are going to respect that he is the guy that’s going to be the front guy and be the GM, but Andy MacPhail's fingerprints are going to be all over what happens in the next month” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN, 6/29). The INQUIRER's Kaplan writes although he would "never say it publicly on the day he was hired, it's likely MacPhail would target a GM with whom he is more familiar and who closely subscribes to his methods of running a major-league organization" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 6/30). ESPN.com's Crasnick wrote if the Phillies want to "pacify a disgruntled fan base and sell season tickets" for '16, it is "virtually impossible to foresee MacPhail conducting an exhaustive, three-month review and then committing to Amaro as the long-term answer." The team is "committed to making moves with an emphasis on the long-term, even if those moves require some short-term pain." But for the moment, MacPhail "isn't dropping any breadcrumbs about his vision for the organization" (ESPN.com, 6/29). 

GETTING WITH THE TIMES: ESPN.com's Crasnick wrote the Phillies "starting immediately" will do "everything in their power to combat the perception that they're a horse-and-buggy-driven, trust-in-the-scouts, sabermetrically hostile organization" (ESPN.com, 6/29). In Philadelphia, Marcus Hayes wrote being "perceived as a backward old man running a laughingstock ballclub pokes Gillick right in the gizzard," and his "stiff upper lip trembled yesterday when he challenged that perception." Gillick said, "There's a lot going on behind the scenes people don't know about. They think we're living in the Dark Ages. I don't think that's the case." Hayes writes MacPhail's hiring "is a Renaissance move" that "could lead the Phillies into the Age of Enlightenment." MacPhail said that he "might keep all or parts of the Phillies' analytics staff." But Hayes writes he also "might just scrap the entire department and start from scratch" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 6/30).

HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN: GRANTLAND's Michael Baumann wrote it "hasn’t been this good to be a Phillies fan in three years," as the past three and a half seasons have been "one PR disaster after another." It is "easy to look at the state of the Phillies now and crack jokes, but rock bottom has come and gone; all you need to understand that is a little optimism and a little patience" (GRANTLAND.com, 6/29). However, ESPN's John Kruk said of MacPhail’s comments about the team's rebuild going in the right direction, “I don't understand what the rebuild has been. They still have aging veteran players that are still under contract for a few more years. Can you get rid of those guys?" ("Baseball Tonight," ESPN2, 6/29).

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