The Phillies rolled out a new face of the organization yesterday.
Actually, two of them.
Sure, everyone was expecting the announcement that longtime baseball exec Andy MacPhail would replace Pat Gillick as team president. MacPhail plans to spend three months analyzing the entire Phillies organization before he takes the reins from Gillick in October. One of his biggest decisions will be the fate of embattled General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr.
But maybe just as important was the other guy who dominated yesterday's afternoon press conference.
That would be John Middleton, the cigar biz baron who clearly stepped out of the shadows to take a much bigger role with the team.
For years the Phillies' ownership has been for the most part anonymous, preferring to stay out of the limelight - and headlines. But times have changed. So has ownership. For the most part, the team is now controlled by Middleton and the Buck family.
Now Middleton appears ready to put his stamp on the team.
Yesterday's announcement of MacPhail, the first time the team has gone outside the organization in anyone's memory, was step one.
Here's columnist Jack McCaffery's take on a very interesting day for the Phillies.
Oh, and other thing. Some things don't change. The Phillies and Sean O'Sullivan blew a lead last night and lost their series opener to the Brewers.
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