Lawrence Patrick David Gillick (born (1937-08-22)August 22, 1937) is a retired American professional baseball executive. He was the general manager of four Major League Baseball teams, and guided two teams to three World Series championships in his career: 1992 and 1993 titles with the Toronto Blue Jays, and a 2008 title with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Gillick was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.
Gillick was born to former minor league baseball player Larry Gillick in Chico, California. In 1951, he earned his Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America. He continued to stay involved in Scouting and received the Order of the Arrow's Vigil Honor mere months after winning the College World Series at USC. After graduating from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, Pat attended USC and joined the Delta Chi Fraternity. He graduated in 1958 with a degree in business. He was also a gifted pitcher, playing on the 1958 National Title baseball team at USC and spending five years in the minor league systems of the Baltimore Orioles and the Pittsburgh Pirates, venturing as high as Triple-A. A left-hander, Gillick posted a won/lost record of 45–32 with an earned run average of 3.42 in 164 minor league games.
Robert "Bob" O'Billovich, nicknamed "Obie", (b. June 30, 1940, Butte, Montana) is the Vice President of Football Operations of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.
A former NCAA college basketball player, Obie has been involved with the CFL since 1963 in the roles of player, coach, general manager, scout, and several front-office positions. He has a wife, Judy; and three children: Tracy, Jodi, and Coy.
After graduating from high school in Butte, Montana, O'Billovich went to Missoula, Montana to attend college. O'Billovich is a former NCAA college basketball player for the University of Montana, playing from 1960 to 1962. He was named University of Montana Athlete of the Decade for 1960–1970, and inducted to the University of Montana Grizzly Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.
Bob O'Billovich was coach of the Carleton University Ravens CIAU men's basketball team from 1971 to 1973. From 1973 to 1974, O'Billovich served as head coach for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees men's basketball team.
Charles Fuqua Manuel, Jr. (born January 4, 1944 in Northfork, West Virginia) is a former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder and current Major League Baseball manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. His team won the 2008 World Series in five games over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Although he was born in West Virginia, his family was actually living in Virginia at that time, and he lived in Virginia throughout his childhood. He was born in an automobile while his mother, June, was visiting her mother. His father, Charles Sr., was a Pentecostal preacher, and the family lived in Wythe and Grayson Counties until they settled in Buena Vista when Charlie, the third of 11 children and the oldest son, was 12.
He became a four-sport star at Parry McCluer High School in Buena Vista, playing baseball, football, basketball and track and field, captaining the baseball and basketball teams. His first love was basketball and he had received scholarship offers in that sport, but his plans and his life would dramatically change just before his high school graduation.
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez (/ˈæləmɑr/; Spanish pronunciation: [aloˈmar]; born February 5, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball player (1988–2004), regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves (10) than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards (4) for a second baseman. On January 5, 2011, Alomar was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, in his second year of eligibility.
Alomar was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. He is the son of Sandy Alomar, Sr., a former All-Star second baseman with a 15-year MLB career. His older brother, Sandy Alomar, Jr., was a Major League All-Star catcher and currently serves as bench coach for the Cleveland Indians.
Alomar was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico and was raised in Salinas, Puerto Rico.
In 1985, Alomar signed with the San Diego Padres at age 17, and joined the team's Class-A affiliate in Charleston. The following year, playing in Reno, he won the California League batting championship with a .346 average.
Bert Blyleven (born Rik Aalbert Blijleven, April 6, 1951 in Zeist, Netherlands) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1970 to 1992, and was best known for his curveball. Blyleven was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. He is currently the color commentator for the Minnesota Twins on Fox Sports North.
Blyleven was born in the Netherlands, but raised in Garden Grove, California. His father moved the family to Canada when he was 2, and then to Southern California when he was 5. He became interested in baseball as a young boy watching Sandy Koufax pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers and listening to Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett announce the Dodgers' radio broadcasts. Blyleven was quoted as saying, “My dad built me a mound in the backyard with a canvas backdrop over our horseshoe pits, and I would go back there and just throw and throw and throw until I developed it, and it became my curveball. And I could throw it over at any time, any count.”
Blyleven starred on the Santiago High School baseball team, also running cross country to build up his stamina and leg strength. He was drafted straight out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in the third round in 1969, where after only 21 minor league starts he found himself called up to the Majors at age 19 on June 2, 1970. In his first season, his sharp curveball helped him to ten victories and he was named AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News. In 1973 he pitched the most shutouts of any AL pitcher, with 9.