Cone deal Gillick's best: former Blue Jays GM

Pat Gillick's acquisition of outfielder Joe Carter and slick infielder Robbie Alomar in 1990 is regarded as the blockbuster move that turned the Toronto Blue Jays into legitimate World Series contenders.

Alomar and Gillick will be forever linked for their roles in helping Toronto win two World Series titles and for being inducted together into baseball's Hall of Fame on July 24. But for Gillick, his most gratifying deal was landing veteran pitcher David Cone from the New York Mets in August 1992.

"Getting David Cone in '92, he kind of put us over the hump and got us to where we had to go," Gillick said during a conference call Friday. "Once in a while, a guy will slip through waivers and he slipped through."

Gillick created a huge stir at the baseball winter meetings in Rosemont, Ill., on Dec. 5, 1990 when he sent infielders Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez to the San Diego Padres for a veteran slugger in Carter and an up-and-coming talent in Alomar. Carter and Alomar justified Gillick's faith by becoming become integral parts of Toronto teams that won consecutive World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.

Alomar was a 12-time all-star and 10 times captured a Gold Glove at second base, while Carter's dramatic walk-off homer off Philadelphia reliever Mitch Williams secured Toronto its second straight world championship.

But Gillick said acquiring Cone on Aug. 27, 1992, for Jeff Kent and Ryan Thompson did more than bolster Toronto's run to its first World Series title.

Cone put Jays over hump

"We thought about it and said, 'David Cone is a guy we think can put us over the hump,"' he said. "At the same time it kind of deflates your competition if you can do something like that."

Cone was just 4-3 with Toronto but sported a 2.55 earned-run average and had 47 strikeouts to boost his overall total to a major league-leading 261. In the playoffs, Cone went 1-1 with a 3.22 ERA.

For Alomar, it's only fitting he and Gillick be inducted together, along with pitcher Bert Blyleven, in Cooperstown.

"When I was 16 years old he wanted to sign me but I already had an agreement with the San Diego Padres," Alomar said on another conference call Friday. "Pat has become close to me and my family and is someone I respect as a person and sportsman.

"I'm looking forward to that day. I think Pat Gillick deserves to be there."

Alomar, 43, enjoyed a brilliant 17-year major league career with eight different teams. He registered 2,724 hits, 210 homers, 1,134 RBIs and 474 steals in 2,379 games.

The native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, had a .300 career average and was named the American League Championship Series MVP in '92. His dramatic ninth-inning homer off Oakland's Dennis Eckersley after the reliever stared down the Toronto bench earlier in the contest was a pivotal hit in Blue Jays' history.

Alomar was selected for induction into the Hall of Fame on 90 per cent of ballots after being named on 73.7 per cent last year in his first try.

Daunting experience

Alomar said he will begin his acceptance speech in Spanish in honour of his Puerto Rican roots before switching to English. Regardless of language, Alomar admits standing before the masses in Cooperstown will be a daunting experience.

"The nerves are going to be there, your heart is going to be pumping and your knees are going to be shaking," Alomar said when asked about the induction ceremony. "But at the same time it's something I'm looking forward to.

"It's like Lou Gehrig said, I'm going to be the happiest man on the face of the earth. It's been like a dream come true."

But Alomar was also involved in one of baseball's darkest moments. In 1996, he was suspended after spitting on umpire John Hirschbeck during a dispute, although the two did make up.

Alomar will become only the third Puerto Rican-born player to go into the Hall of Fame, joining former greats Orlando Cepeda and Roberto Clemente.

"I can humbly say I feel proud to be Puerto Rican," Alomar said. "I feel very honoured."

Alomar came from a baseball family. His father, Sandy Alomar Sr., was an all-star second baseman who spent 15 seasons in the majors. His older brother, Sandy Jr., was a six-time all-star catcher who played for nine teams from 1988 to 2007.

Roberto and Sandy were teammates with the Cleveland Indians in 1999-2000, a memory the younger Alomar says he'll always cherish.

"My brother has always been my best friend and a mentor to me from Little League all the way to the big leagues," Roberto Alomar said. "As a little boy you always wanted to be able to play in the major leagues with your brother and thank you to the Cleveland Indians and [former GM] John Hart for giving me that opportunity."

Gillick presently serves as senior adviser with the Philadelphia Phillies and has spent nearly 50 years in the majors, 27 of which as a GM.

He built playoff teams with Toronto, Baltimore, Seattle and Philadelphia, helping the Phillies capture the 2008 World Series title. Gillick retired as Philadelphia's GM following that championship.

Gillick joined the expansion Blue Jays in 1977, building five division-winning clubs and two World Series winners from 1985 to '93. But when it comes to building winners, Gillick has a Midas touch as from 1983, teams where served as the GM posted winning records in 20 of 22 seasons.

Gillick was added to the Blue Jays Level of Excellence on Aug. 8, 2002. Toronto bestowed the same honour to Alomar in April 2008.