Elliott: Ex-Jays Pat Gillick, Chris Buckley honoured by scouts -- updated

Pat Gillick and Chris Buckley have been honoured by the Scouts Association.

December 10, 2024

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

DALLAS _ When Pat Gillick, an emotional man, gave his speech on induction day in Cooperstown in 2011, he sailed on through as if he was speaking to the Variety Club Blue Jays monthly luncheon in 1987.

The only time his lower lip quivered was when he thanked his friends and his trusted scouts such as “Bob Engle, Bobby Mattick, Wayne Morgan, Don Welke, Wayne Norton, Epy Guerrero and Charlie Kerfeld.” Gillick was a scout who became a Hall of Fame general manager. A GM who scouted sneaking away from spring training to wear a cap, sit down the left line and watch B games in other parks.

He’s been given dozens of honours and has been appreciative of each one. But the one he received Tuesday in the Chantilly Ballroom at the Hilton Anatole had to be special -- even if Gillick was home in Michigan and not in attendance.

At the annual scouts banquet inside the Anatole Hilton’s Chantilly Ballroom, Charlie Kerfeld, Philadelphia Phillies, special assistant to the general manager was introduced. Kerfeld, the former Houston Astros reliever, accepted the director’s award for Gillick.

When he started out he was a scout and the profession that he admires so much has honoured him.

Former Jays scouting director Chris Buckley, now Cincinnati Reds, assistant to the GM, was honored as the East Coast scout Tuesday in Dallas.

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One of the Jays’ string of successful scouting directors was honoured as well. Bob Engle was in charge when the Jays drafted Roy Halladay, Pat Hentgen and Chris Carpenter. Next came Tim Wilken, who had seen all of Engle’s successes as a cross checker. And when Wilken was promoted, Chris Buckley took over as scouting director.

Now, a special assistant to Cincinnati Reds GM Nick Krall, Buckley was named East Coast Scout of the Year for a lifetime of scouting excellence.

Among the players Buckley drafted were 2B Aaron Hill, RHP Shaun Marcum, INF Ryan Roberts, RHP Dave Bush, INF Russ Adams, C Erik Kratz, OF Gabe Gross, RHP Brandon League, RHP Dustin McGowan and RHP Vinnie Chulk. His first rounders were Hill, Adams, Gross and McGowan.

A Jays area scout from Florida from 1989 to 1995, he also scouted and signed Jays’ first rounders OF Shannon Stewart and INF Kevin Witt, as well as RHP Gary Glover, LHP Mark Lukasiewicz, SS Alex Gonzalez, INF Chris Stynes and LHP Ricardo Jordan. In all, he spent 17 seasons with the Jays, including time as a national cross checker and special assistant to the GM. Buckley served as an assistant coach at Pace (1983-86), Duke (1987) and Seton Hall (1987-89?) before being hired by the Jays.

Before joining the Reds in 2006, Buckley had a brief stint with the Chicago Cubs as special assistant to the GM. Now Buckley is in his 20th season with the Reds organization.

He is in his second season as special assistant to the GM after five years as vice president, player personnel. Buckley was one of former GM Wayne Krivsky’s first hires in February 2006.

With the Blue Jays as scouting director:

2001: Gross (1st), Brandon League (2nd), Tyrell Godwin (3rd), Mike Rouse (5th) and Dave Gassner (24th).

2002: Adams (1st), Bush (2nd), Adam Peterson (4th), Jason Perry (6th), future manager John Schneider (13th), Jordan DeJong (18th), Dewon Day (26th) and Kratz (29th).

2003: Hill (1st), Josh Banks (2nd), Marcum (3rd), Justin James (5th), Jamie Vermilyea (9th), Jayce Tingler (10th), Tom Mastny (11th) and Roberts (18th).

With the Reds year by year as scouting director:

2006: Drew Stubbs (1st), Chris Valaika (3rd), Josh Ravin (5th), Jordan Smith (6th), Justin Turner (7th), Josh Roenicke (10th), Chris Heisey (17th), Eddy Rodriguez (20th), and Danny Dorn (32nd).

2007: Devin Mesoraco (1st), Todd Frazier (supp 1st), Zack Cozart (2nd), Scott Carroll (3rd), Neftali Soto (4th), Jeremy Horst (21st) and Curtis Partch (26th).

2008: Yonder Alonso (1st), Zach Stewart (3rd), Pedro Villareal (7th), Dave Sappelt (9th) and Justin Freeman (32nd).

2009: Mike Leake (1st), Brad Boxberger (supp 1st), Billy Hamilton (2nd), Donnie Joseph (3rd), Tucker Barnhart (10th) and Nick Christiani (13th).

2010: Yasmani Grandal (1st), Ryan LaMarre (2nd), Drew Hayes (11th), Kyle Waldrop (12th), and Josh Smith (21st).

2011: Robert Stephenson (1st), Tony Cingrani (3rd), Amir Garrett (22nd), Sal Romano (23rd) and Steve Selsky (33rd).

2012: Jesse Winker (supp 1st), Jon Moscot (4th), Joe Hudson (6th), Seth Mejias-Brean (8th), Jackson Stephens (18th) and Zach Vicnej (37th)

2013: Phil Ervin (1st), Michael Lorenzen (supp 1st), Ben Lively (4th), Zack Weiss (6th), Tyler Mahle (7th), Daniel Wright (10th), Shed Long (12th), Layne Somsen (22nd) and Narcisco Crook (23rd).

2014: Alex Blandino (1st), Tejay Antone (5th), Brian O’Grady (8th) and Brennan Berardino (26th).

2015: Tyler Stephenson (1st), Tony Santillan (2nd), Tanner Rainey (2nd), Blake Trahan (3rd), Jimmy Herget (6th), Alexis Diaz (12th) and Alejo Lopez (22nd).

2016: Nick Senzel (1st), Taylor Trammell (supp 1st), Chris Okey (2nd), Ryan Hendrix (5th) and Joel Kuhnel (11th).

2017: Hunter Greene (1st), Jeter Downs (supp 1st), Stuart Fairchild (2nd), Mac Sceroler (5th), Mark Kolozsvary (7th), Packy Naughton (9th), Jared Solomon (11th), and Ricky Karcher (13th).

2018: Jonathan India (1st), Lyon Richardson (2nd), Josiah Gray (2nd), Michael Siani (4th), and Noah Davis (11th).

On the international front, while overseeing Reds scouting he was heavily involved:

Aroldis Chapman (2010) and Jose (Garcia) Barrero (2017).

Former Blue Jays general manager Pat Gillick, now a minority owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, was honoured with the Director’s Award at a scouts gathering in Dallas.

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When Jane Forbes Clark phoned to inform Gillick he had been elected to the Hall of Fame in December of 2010 the chairman of the hall called on Kerfeld’s cell. Kerfeld said, “Well if this is Cooperstown calling — you are not looking for me” and he handed the phone to Gillick.

Gillick started out as a minor-league lefty with the Baltimore Orioles, became assistant farm director for the Houston Colt 45’s, scouted for the Astros, was hired as the New York Yankees’ scouting director and then became the Blue Jays assistant general manager.

He took over as the Blue Jays GM in 1978, building the Jays into a powerhouse as the Jays won the American League East in 1985, then two more division crowns in 1989 and 1991 plus back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.

Gillick was made GM of the Orioles in 1996 and led Baltimore to two straight American League Championship Series appearances. He left Baltimore following the 1998 season before landing with the Mariners in 2000, orchestrating four winning seasons and ALCS appearances in both 2000 and 2001. He then joined the Phillies in 2006, winning his third World Series two years later.

In 27 seasons Gillick’s teams advanced to the postseason 11 times and finished with 20 winning records.

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The other winners were: Midwest -- Tim Kelly of the New York Yankees, West Coast – RJ Harrison, Tampa Bay Rays, International Recipient – Eddy Toledo, Phillies and distinguished woman recipient, Sandy Dengler, Rays.