Mariners’ GM picks up award

Published 9:00 pm Monday, November 12, 2001

Herald staff

SEATTLE – The flow of postseason awards has reached the Seattle Mariners’ front office.

General manager Pat Gillick was named Executive of the Year by Baseball America Magazine.

The magazine noted that 13 of the 25 players on the Mariners’ 2001 postseason roster were obtained during Gillick’s two years with the Mariners.

“No general manager in baseball has more shrewdly exploited so many avenues for talent, from trades to the farm system to free agency overseas,” the magazine wrote.

Gillick said it’s an award that should be shared with others in the front office, particularly assistant GM Lee Pelekoudas, scouting director Roger Jongewaard and player development director Benny Looper.

“Even though this is an individual award, what we accomplish here we accomplish as an organization,” he said.

While he was with the Toronto Blue Jays, Gillick won the major league Executive of the Year award in 1985 and was the AL Executive of the Year in 1993.