Post by tigerbait99 on Nov 3, 2004 20:39:52 GMT -5
HOUSTON -- For the last year or so, Gerry Hunsicker and his wife, Irene, began to discuss what life would be like without the everyday rigors that accompany being a general manager of a Major League Baseball team.
Beginning Monday, Hunsicker is going to find out. He announced on Monday that he is stepping down as the GM of the Houston Astros.
Hunsicker has one year remaining on his contract and will stay with the club as an adviser through next season. Assistant general manager Tim Purpura, an 11-year member of the Astros front office who just completed his seventh as the farm director, has been promoted to general manager.
The decision to resign was seemingly entirely Hunsicker's idea. He cited a desire to "take a step back, smell the roses and recharge the batteries" as reasons for his resignation.
"I talked about it on and off with my wife during the year," Hunsicker said. "We talked about an exit strategy, if you will. We talked about not wanting to do this forever and especially at this point in our lives, we were looking for a place to jump off.
"I think after the extra emotion and demands of this year, and all the major issues hanging over this organization, knowing that next year would be my last, the more we talked about it, it made some sense that this might be in the best interests for everybody."
Hunsicker emphasized that he would not have felt comfortable leaving if Purpura wasn't ready and waiting in the wings. Hunsicker expressed extreme confidence in Purpura, who will immediately absorb several major issues on the Astros' plate, including an extensive managerial search and negotiating potential contracts with Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent.
"I guess there's no perfect time when you're trying to make a decision like this," Hunsicker said. "I focus on the fact that I had one year remaining on this contract. There were a lot of things going on in the organization from a restructuring standpoint in the baseball department, and I felt with Tim having been chosen as my successor, whenever that day came, I thought in fairness to him, this was the right thing to do."
Since Hunsicker took over as GM in 1996, the Astros are 701-595, the sixth-best winning percentage (.541) in baseball. Only three GMs have been in their current post for more seasons than Hunsicker.
Hunsicker signed Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens last winter, and acquired center fielder Beltran in June. Pettitte missed most of the year because of injury, but the Astros went 36-10 down the stretch to win the National League Wild Card spot, beat Atlanta in the Division Series and came within one game of reaching the World Series before falling in seven games to St. Louis in the NLCS.
Hunsicker also traded for or signed such talents as Randy Johnson, Octavio Dotel, Moises Alou, Carl Everett, Vinny Castilla, Jose Lima, Sean Berry, Adam Everett and Mike Williams. He also re-signed Houston icons Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio to extensions, and oversaw a farm system that has produced the likes of Lance Berkman, Brad Lidge, Roy Oswalt, Wade Miller and Morgan Ensberg.
Hunsicker filled several roles for the organization from 1978 to 1981, including traveling secretary, minor league pitching coach, scout and assistant to the general manager. From 1981 to 1983, he worked for Tal Smith Enterprises in Houston and was involved in preparing salary arbitration cases.
Club owner Drayton McLane thanked Hunsicker for his contributions over the last nine years.
"You have mixed feelings when you have a discussion like this," McLane said. "Gerry has been involved in a great success to the Houston Astros, his strategy, his leadership, his experience in player development has been extremely great for our organization. I thank you for everything you've accomplished."
McLane and Purpura both admitted they were surprised when Hunsicker approached them with his resignation plan.
"He brought it up," McLane said. "He said he thought Tim was highly qualified and earned the right to the position. He said with him being an adviser for a year, this would be a great transition."
Said Purpura: "Going into last week I had no thought that this would ever happen this year. I was as surprised as you are today. I was looking for 'Candid Camera.' It absolutely blew me away."
Hunsicker called Purpura the "Jason Lane" of the front office -- ready, able, talented and prepared to take on a marquee role. Like Lane, who is still waiting for a job to open up in the Astros' outfield, Purpura just needed the opportunity to take that next step.
"I'd like to think that part of this is looking at it from the best interests of the organization," Hunsicker said. "I had one year remaining on my contract and I had not planned to seek an extension beyond that year. It just seemed fair to Tim, who has been waiting in the wings for this opportunity. With all of the major changes that are going to have to be made this year, in fairness to him, he ought to be part of it."
Houston Astros records under Hunsicker
Year Record Finish
2004 92-70 2nd * Lost to STL in NLCS
2003 87-75 2nd
2002 84-78 2nd
2001 93-69 1st Lost to ATL in NLDS
2000 72-90 4th
1999 97-65 1st Lost to ATL in NLDS
1998 102-60 1st Lost to SD in NLDS
1997 84-78 1st Lost to ATL in NLDS
1996 82-80 2nd
Beginning Monday, Hunsicker is going to find out. He announced on Monday that he is stepping down as the GM of the Houston Astros.
Hunsicker has one year remaining on his contract and will stay with the club as an adviser through next season. Assistant general manager Tim Purpura, an 11-year member of the Astros front office who just completed his seventh as the farm director, has been promoted to general manager.
The decision to resign was seemingly entirely Hunsicker's idea. He cited a desire to "take a step back, smell the roses and recharge the batteries" as reasons for his resignation.
"I talked about it on and off with my wife during the year," Hunsicker said. "We talked about an exit strategy, if you will. We talked about not wanting to do this forever and especially at this point in our lives, we were looking for a place to jump off.
"I think after the extra emotion and demands of this year, and all the major issues hanging over this organization, knowing that next year would be my last, the more we talked about it, it made some sense that this might be in the best interests for everybody."
Hunsicker emphasized that he would not have felt comfortable leaving if Purpura wasn't ready and waiting in the wings. Hunsicker expressed extreme confidence in Purpura, who will immediately absorb several major issues on the Astros' plate, including an extensive managerial search and negotiating potential contracts with Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent.
"I guess there's no perfect time when you're trying to make a decision like this," Hunsicker said. "I focus on the fact that I had one year remaining on this contract. There were a lot of things going on in the organization from a restructuring standpoint in the baseball department, and I felt with Tim having been chosen as my successor, whenever that day came, I thought in fairness to him, this was the right thing to do."
Since Hunsicker took over as GM in 1996, the Astros are 701-595, the sixth-best winning percentage (.541) in baseball. Only three GMs have been in their current post for more seasons than Hunsicker.
Hunsicker signed Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens last winter, and acquired center fielder Beltran in June. Pettitte missed most of the year because of injury, but the Astros went 36-10 down the stretch to win the National League Wild Card spot, beat Atlanta in the Division Series and came within one game of reaching the World Series before falling in seven games to St. Louis in the NLCS.
Hunsicker also traded for or signed such talents as Randy Johnson, Octavio Dotel, Moises Alou, Carl Everett, Vinny Castilla, Jose Lima, Sean Berry, Adam Everett and Mike Williams. He also re-signed Houston icons Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio to extensions, and oversaw a farm system that has produced the likes of Lance Berkman, Brad Lidge, Roy Oswalt, Wade Miller and Morgan Ensberg.
Hunsicker filled several roles for the organization from 1978 to 1981, including traveling secretary, minor league pitching coach, scout and assistant to the general manager. From 1981 to 1983, he worked for Tal Smith Enterprises in Houston and was involved in preparing salary arbitration cases.
Club owner Drayton McLane thanked Hunsicker for his contributions over the last nine years.
"You have mixed feelings when you have a discussion like this," McLane said. "Gerry has been involved in a great success to the Houston Astros, his strategy, his leadership, his experience in player development has been extremely great for our organization. I thank you for everything you've accomplished."
McLane and Purpura both admitted they were surprised when Hunsicker approached them with his resignation plan.
"He brought it up," McLane said. "He said he thought Tim was highly qualified and earned the right to the position. He said with him being an adviser for a year, this would be a great transition."
Said Purpura: "Going into last week I had no thought that this would ever happen this year. I was as surprised as you are today. I was looking for 'Candid Camera.' It absolutely blew me away."
Hunsicker called Purpura the "Jason Lane" of the front office -- ready, able, talented and prepared to take on a marquee role. Like Lane, who is still waiting for a job to open up in the Astros' outfield, Purpura just needed the opportunity to take that next step.
"I'd like to think that part of this is looking at it from the best interests of the organization," Hunsicker said. "I had one year remaining on my contract and I had not planned to seek an extension beyond that year. It just seemed fair to Tim, who has been waiting in the wings for this opportunity. With all of the major changes that are going to have to be made this year, in fairness to him, he ought to be part of it."
Houston Astros records under Hunsicker
Year Record Finish
2004 92-70 2nd * Lost to STL in NLCS
2003 87-75 2nd
2002 84-78 2nd
2001 93-69 1st Lost to ATL in NLDS
2000 72-90 4th
1999 97-65 1st Lost to ATL in NLDS
1998 102-60 1st Lost to SD in NLDS
1997 84-78 1st Lost to ATL in NLDS
1996 82-80 2nd