Gerry Hunsicker Quotations

We have a chance to do some things here that quite frankly don't exist anywhere else in baseball, ... Namely, the support of an owner that has the trust and confidence in us to say you guys tell me, you guys chart the course, you guys tell us where we need to go and how we need to get there. That's exciting. It's like having a blank canvas if you're an artist and letting your imagination run wild.

Bagwell did one interview that suggested that management did their part, now it's up to us to do our part. That's a pretty profound statement, especially here where the criticism has been that we haven't always done what we needed to do to put a winner on the field.

The challenge for teams like us is you are so dependent on your farm system for long-term success -- and yet nobody really cares about the future in this business, ... You have to balance the two. You can make some trades to jumpstart the club, but you have to be careful about it. That could really set us back long term. It is really a difficult situation to be in.

The first major step is that we need to establish operations in, primarily, the Dominican and Venezuela. So, to be able to enter into an agreement where we can begin in an existing facility, and one that is among the finest in the Dominican, gives us a head start on our plan. This allows us to be up and running immediately.

It's critical. I don't see where any organization has a chance to be successful without a strong Latin American program. Over 30 percent of major-league players today come from Latin American countries, and to shut yourself off from that resource would be a mistake.

This past year I had an opportunity to sit on the sideline and reflect on where I was in my life and my career. You really wonder what the next chapter might hold. I knew the competitive juices were still there. I knew I wanted to get back into baseball. But I wanted to make sure I got back into baseball for the right reasons.

I can't remember a year when there's been this much parity in baseball, when so many teams are still in contention. This could be one of those unique years where everyone stays in contention until the end of September. But, chances are, as we get into the middle of August, some teams will start to fall to the wayside.

I can't honestly tell you there has been a time in recent years where I've been this fired up, this excited. It's like I'm, well, 28 or 29 again,

Any pitcher you sign to a long-term contract is a risk ... You do your homework and make your decision.

With (Reiner) in place and the plans we have to establish a presence in Latin America, this will allow the Devil Rays to be a major force in acquiring and developing Latin American talent.