As it the case with most 30-minute press conferences, there was a lot of information to digest on Monday morning in the bowels of Citizens Bank Park. Here are a few quotes that didn’t make it into any of our main stories on new Phillies general manager Matt Klentak:
1. John Middleton on past mistakes: “One of the criticisms the fans have leveled on the Phillies and I think it’s justifiable is that we didn’t recognize early enough and act upon that recognition that the window had closed and we needed to move on. That we were trying to extend guys that were older and trying to create a bridge and we needed to realize that the bridge didn’t exist and we needed to move on.”
2. Matt Klentak on what the organization is lacking: “Not to call it a deficit [within the organization], but if you can pitch, you have a chance to win every single night. The New York Mets are demonstrating that right now. They’re riding it all the way to the World Series and perhaps to a championship. If you can pitch, you have a chance. That will absolutely become an organizational focus for us, to add pitching at every turn. In trades, through waiver claims, in the draft, internationally, free agency.”
3. Andy MacPhail on who makes the final decision: “I’ve been in this spot for 12 years in Chicago where for ten and a half I had a general manager and, you know, it's important that he has some autonomy and authority. If it's done correctly, there isn't a decision that is made that is not sort of vetted on its way up. Any sort of decision that needs to be asked needs to be asked before we get to the yes-no part.”
4. MacPhail on the search he conducted: “There are a lot of very talented people in the game. I actually got to a point where I was thinking what a waste that the Americans are investing this much brainpower in sports. There are high quality people. And it was not a foregone conclusion [Klentak would land the job], and that’s where I relied on ownership to make sure that we had everybody invested in this decision.”
5. Klentak on if his age helps him relate to players: “I respect the clubhouse, that’s their workplace and I don’t go down and hang out and sit on the couch. I respect that that’s there place to do that, but I’ve had really good relationships with players. My phone has been blowing up the last few days from Shane Victorino, who I got to know the last couple of months after we traded for him with the Angels.”
BONUS: Has SHANF asked for a job? “He has not asked for a job.”
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