“As they say, the days drag on as the years fly by. It’s hard to believe.”
That’s how Andy MacPhail responded when asked in 2011 if it seemed like 20 years had passed since he helped build the Minnesota Twins into a World Series champion in 1991, according to the Pioneer Press.
MacPhail was the Twins’ executive vice president and general manager from 1985-1994. He helped build both the 1987 and ’91 World Series teams before leaving Minnesota for a 12-year stint with the Chicago Cubs.
MacPhail was hired by the Twins in 1985 and he immediately began finding players that would help the Twins reach baseball’s pinnacle. He brought in the likes of Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Frank Viola, Kevin Tapani, Rick Aguilera, Jack Morris, Chuck Knoblauch and many others, Twins Daily notes.
He was with the Baltimore Orioles when the Pioneer Press interviewed him in 2011. Now, four years later, the 62-year-old is taking over another team in hopes of changing their fortune.
According to ESPN, MacPhail will be introduced as president of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies (27-50) own the worst record in Major League Baseball. Hall of Fame player Ryne Sandberg decided to step down from his role as manager late last week, prompting mega-changes in the team’s front office.
Information on the #Phillies hiring of Andy MacPhail: pic.twitter.com/UOAnWmAJpa
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 29, 2015
MacPhail built a team in Chicago that missed a trip to the World Series by only five outs in 2003, and he help rebuild the Orioles from 2007-2011, establishing the foundation for eventual trips to the postseason in 2012 and 2014.
He has not worked in a front office since 2011.
