Earlier this afternoon, the Phillies invited the media to another press conference. This time, everyone was well-informed and the subject was one of positivity rather than one of loss and disappointment. With part-owner John Middleton to his right and current team president Pat Gillick to his left, Andy MacPhail faced the Philadelphia media as he was introduced as Gillick’s successor.
As expected, MacPhail will take over for the retiring Gillick as team president at the end of the season. He’ll use the remaining three months of the season to get his feet wet within the organization, “to learn” — his phrasing, in opposition to “to evaluate” — about the players and the front office personnel.