The 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame class includes both the architect of the Toronto Blue Jays that won World Series titles in the 1990s and one of the cornerstones of that team. But the architect, general manager Pat Gillick, got to be inducted first at Cooperstown.
Baseball Hall Of Fame Inductions 2011: Pat Gillick Enshrined, Gives Humble Speech
Gillick got the customary pre-speech video tribute from former Atlanta Braves general manager John Scheurholz. Praising Gillick as a “smart man” and a “good forward-thinker,” Scheurholz also lauded Gillick’s use of the Rule V Draft and clever work in building his teams in Toronto, Baltimore, Seattle, and Philadelphia, saying, “He did his job well and he did it right.” (Gillick, in his speech, joked, “John narrated it just as I wrote it.”)
Gillick’s speech traced his career in baseball from his time as a Caribbean scout to tenures as the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies. Naming and thanking dozens of clubhouse personnel as well as his front office co-workers, Gillick made his speech a humble one, one mostly about the places he has been and the life he has had because of baseball.
Quoting late Mariners announcer and Hall of Famer Dave Niehaus, Gillick told the crowd, “I may not be the most deserving, but I am the most appreciative.”
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