For Lexington Legends Program 2004
The Long Road to Becoming a Major League GM
By Rich Herles
LEXINGTON, KY. – The Houston Astros have one of the best General Managers in all of baseball, Gerry Hunsicker. In his eight years, as the Astros General Manager, very few teams in Major League Baseball have enjoyed as much success. Since1996, the Houston Astros are ranked sixth in all of the major league in both wins and winning percentage.
It has been a long road to Houston’s GM. Gerry’s interest in excelling in sports dates back to his high school days, when he was his high school’s three-sport captain in baseball, basketball and football. His went to St. Joseph’s University (PA) on a baseball scholarship and again, he excelled and was named to the All Mid-Atlantic Conference Team in two positions, as both a pitcher and a outfielder. Scholastically, he graduated from St. Joe’s in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science degree. For the next five years, Hunsicker was the assistant athletic director and the pitching coach for Florida International University, as well as earning his Masters of Science Degree.
In 1978, Gerry began to learn the business of Major League Baseball. For the next three years, he held many positions with the Houston Astros. Jobs that ran the gambit from Traveling Secretary to Minor League Pitching Coach to Scout to Assistant to the General Manager. From 1981-1983, he was involved in preparing players arbitration cases, while working for Tal Smith Enterprises in Houston. Paine Webber lured Hunsicker away from baseball and for the next five years, he worked in the securities industry.
In November of 1988, he returned to baseball, as the Director of Minor League Operations for the New York Mets. The next step up the ladder was when the Mets named him the Director of Baseball Operations on October 14th, 1990. His meteoric rise continued when on September 27th, 1991, he was promoted to the position of Assistant Vice-President of Baseball Operations. In his new position, as the number 2 man in the baseball department, he assisted GM Al Harazin overseeing the major league Mets and was responsible for New York’s scouting, and their minor league operations, as well as, handling the majority of the contract negotiations for the big league club.
Then in 1996, the Astros offered Gerry Hunsicker the chance to return to Houston, as their Number 1 man. The same position that he still holds today. As Houston’s GM, he is in charge of the baseball club, which means overseeing the major league club, player development, minor league operations, and scouting. It took him only two years to make the Astros National League Central Division Champions. Over the next six years, Houston won four more National League Central Division Championships. By the way, the other four years that Gerry Hunsicker has been the Astros GM the team finished second.
The past off-season was inarguably the most exciting in the team’s history. Hunsicker has literally built the 2004 from every aspect of his job and the 40-man Spring Training Roster is a prime example. Starting with player development and minor league operations, out of the 40 players 24 have come up through the ranks of the Astros farm system (pitchers-Jimmy Barrett, Mike Gallo, Carlos Hernandez, Brad Lidge, Wade Miller, Fernando Nieve, Roy Oswalt, Chad Qualls, Santiago Ramerez, Tin Redding, Jerome Robertson, and Kirk Saarloos; catchers- John Buck, and Hector Gimenez; infielders- Eric Bruntlett, Chris Burke, Morgan Ensberg, and Tommy Whiteman; and outfielders- Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio, Richard Hidalgo, Charlton Jimerson, Jason Lane, and Willy Taveras). Scouting, player negotiations and overseeing the major league team has resulted in the acquisition of the other 16 players. The Astros GM was instrumental in the signing of the free agents (pitchers- Roger Clemens-2004, Andy Pettitte-2004; infielder- Jeff Kent-2002 and Jose Vizcaino-2000; and outfielder- Orlando Palmeiro-2004). He went out and acquired two out right (pitchers- Dan Miceli-2003 and Rick Stone-2000 minor league contract). Eight of the remaining nine players made their way to Houston via Hunsicker trades (pitchers- Ezequiel Astacio-2004, Brandon Backe-2004, Taylor Buchholz-2004, Octavio Dotel-2000, and Brandon Duckworth-2004; catchers- Brad Ausmus-2000, and Raul Chavez-2000; and infielders- Adam Everett-1999). In fact the only player on the 40-man Spring Training Roster that Gerry Hunsicker hasn’t been involved with bringing to Houston is Jeff Bagwell, who came to the Astros by way of trade in 1990. Although he may not have brought Bagwell to Houston, he did re-sign him, so that he would stay a member of the Astros.
A mark of just how big a difference Gerry Hunsicker has been to the Houston Astros is how the baseball industry has honored him. In 1998, he was named the Sporting News’ Executive of the Year, after assembling what had been called the best team in Houston’s history. That year, he was also honored by his alma mater, when he was inducted into the St. Joseph’s University Baseball Hall of Fame. Then in 2000, he was named to St. Joseph’s University Athletic Hall of Fame. The Texas Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed him into their ranks in November of 2002.
This year’s roster from top to bottom ranks up there with some of the great teams through out history and with just a little luck this may be the year that the Astros make their first appearance in the Fall Classic. Whether or not they do make it to the World Series, all of Houston’s fans owe a big debt of gratitude to Gerry Hunsicker’s hard work.
Remember keep your eye on the ball and swing for the stars!
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Copyright @ 2004 by Richard G. Herles
All Rights Reserved!
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