Phillies rebuild man MacPhail trying to apply Orioles magic

CLEARWATER, FLA. — If you need to rebuild it, Andy MacPhail will come.

The man who laid the original foundation for the Orioles’ five-year renaissance is in the midst of another renovation project, hoping as he begins his second season as Philadelphia Phillies president that his operational model will show the same kinds of results in the not-too-distant future.

You know the drill. Out with the old and in with the new. Grow the pitchers and buy the bats. Patience is the ultimate virtue.

The Phillies knew they would be getting the same guy who deconstructed a dysfunctional Orioles team and slowly, deliberately turned it into a more coherent organization with a distinct front-office philosophy and a transparent plan for the future.

But MacPhail is the first to tell you that his front-office staff simply put the Orioles on a solid footing. He gives credit to Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter for pushing the Orioles to the level that resulted in three playoff appearances and the most regularseason victories in the American League over the past five seasons.

The Phillies, who play today at Ed Smith Stadium, are not the Orioles of the mid-2000s. There are some comparable competitive circumstances, but the effort to turn the team around is taking place in a much different environment.

Phillies fans have only suffered through