Life's a beach for Gillies

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Outfielder Tyson Gillies was among 14 players assigned Saturday by the Philadelphia Phillies to their minor league camp.
Gillies, who is from Kamloops, had been in the Phillies’ major league training camp in Clearwater, Fla.
So how did Gillies take the news? By going to the beach, of course.
“I’m with my family sitting on Clearwater Beach,” Gillies said Sunday afternoon. “They’ve been down here for almost two weeks. They’re going to be leaving in a couple of days. They’ve had a great time . . . we’ve had some great times.”
Gillies also had a great time in camp with the Phillies. He got into six games, going 2-for-7 (.286) with two runs, two RBI, a double, a home run and a stolen base. He also walked twice and, most importantly, only struck out once.
“Camp was amazing . . . unbelievable,” Gillies said. “It was such a good time.”
Gillies, 21, was acquired by the Phillies from Seattle in a deal that had left-hander Cliff Lee, a former Cy Young Award winner, move to the Mariners. Pitchers Phillippe Aumont and Juan Ramirez, who also were acquired by Philadelphia in that deal, also were sent to the Phillies’ minor league camp on Saturday. Aumont, a 6-foot-7 right-hander who is from Gatineau, Que., is one of Gillies’ best friends.
Gillies had a big 2009 season with the Class A High Desert Mavericks in California and there are those in the Philadelphia organization who feel he may some day replace centre- fielder Shane Victorino, who is 29. In a couple of exhibition games last week, Gillies was a late-inning replacement for the Flying Hawaiian and the two developed something of a relationship.
“He joked around with me a lot so it was awesome,” Gillies said. “He was good to me.”
As for his own play, Gillies felt he “did pretty well.”
As he said, though, “It’s not easy going in and pinch-hitting . . . going in after sitting for a while. But I felt I did some good things.”
Gillies also pointed out that, while he feels he is swinging the bat “pretty well,” the season still is awfully early for him.
“Coming from Canada, we don’t get to swing all that much in the offseason, especially outside,” he explained. “I’m still adjusting, getting used to things.”
Gillies, who bats from the left side, swung just fine on March 5 when he was 2-for-2 with a home run to right-centre off Toronto left-hander David Purcey in a 14-9 loss to the Blue Jays.
But it was what happened after Gillies hit the ball that drew attention. Gillies sprinted around the bases — some scouts clocked him at 4.1 seconds to first base and 16.5 seconds to home plate.
Even Phillies manager Charlie Manuel commented on it.
“He plays like Pete Rose,” Manuel said. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”
“I went at a fast jog around the bases. I’ve never been a big trotter,” Gillies explained, adding that people were asking him if he does anything slow. “I said, ‘I’d rather just hurry up and score the run so we can move forward in the game.’
“In my opinion, I’m just trying to show respect to the pitcher. He knows he gave up a home run. He doesn’t need you to take about five minutes to run around the bases.”
As for the long ball itself, Gillies said, “It felt pretty good. I felt I was getting too quick and too antsy at the plate. I settled down . . . I came in and got three at-bats and felt really comfortable.”
Now, Gillies feels he could be in the minor league camp for something approaching three weeks. If, as expected, he ends up with the AA Reading, Pa., Phillies, they open their season at home to the Portland, Maine, Sea Dogs on April 8.
For now, though, he’ll be in the Phillies’ minor league camp in Clearwater, working out early every day. The Phillies’ prospects also will start playing games today.
“I’m hoping to go to Reading,” Gillies said, “but we’ll have to see what their plans are for me. It’s something I can’t control . . . what they have in mind for me. So I’m not going to worry about it.”
Should the Phillies choose to send him to AAA, which is unlikely, he would play for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, who are based in Allentown, Pa.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com