When an offseason trade sent Ben Francisco to Toronto, it allowed a Philadelphia-born minor league pitcher to move one step closer to his childhood dream of pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Frank Gailey, a 26-year-old, left-handed reliever, has been a Phillies fan since he can remember, and has wanted to pitch for them for just as long.
“I enjoyed watching all the players back then,” Gailey said. “[Playing for the Phillies] was something I dreamt about, so watching them was the closest I could get to the field and experience at that age.”
As Gailey grew up and played his teenage years at Archbishop Carroll High School, he began to realize that he might be a good enough pitcher to really chase that dream, especially if he could gain collegiate experience first.
“The age of 16 was about the time I really starting doing well in high school and realizing that hard work can make a huge difference… I wanted to go to West Chester University because it was a growing program that I wanted to be a part of,” Gailey said.
Gailey spent four years as a fixture in the starting rotation for West Chester from 2004-07, making a name for himself in 2005 when he went 7-2 with a 1.53 ERA as a sophomore.
His success continued in 2006 when he posted a 9-2 record with a 3.41 ERA and held opponents to a low .237 batting average. He also tallied 85 strikeouts to an outstanding 22 walks. Gailey was named to the PSAC EAST First Team and he helped take West Chester all the way to the National Division II Semifinals where they lost to the University of Montavello.
In his collegiate career, Gailey posted a 24-9 record, had 17 complete games, and four shutouts, in addition to holding the WCU record for strikeouts in a career (242), strikeouts in a game (15), and inning pitched in one season (103).
More importantly, he fine-tuned his game, worked hard on his pitches, and developed into a pitcher capable of moving to the next level.
“My time with the Golden Rams made me a better pitcher because of the talent level that I had to face, and the great coaches I had,” Gailey said. “I needed to work harder to step up my pitching ability a level or two, and the four years of hard work made me ready to take that next step forward in my career.”
That next step came in 2007 at the MLB entry-level draft when the Toronto Blue Jays selected Gailey in the 23rd round. Where was Gailey when he found out? Golfing.
“Well I was really nervous leading up to the draft day. I had no idea what would happen. When draft day came around I went golfing to get my mind off things. My cell phone started ringing and it was the area scout Tom Burns telling me I was selected in 23rd round by the Blue Jays. I was so happy that I could continue to play baseball at a higher level,” Gailey said.
Gailey began his professional career that year with the Blue Jays of the Gulf Coast League as a relief pitcher, very different from the ace of the rotation role he had at West Chester.
“I adjusted pretty quickly to the travel, practice and games, but it was hard to go from a starter to reliever. Not having that time before the game to get ready was a little different for me,” Gailey said.
However, the role change and the change of environment did not seem to effect him that much as he went 4-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 18 games in 2007.
The following year Gailey split time between the Auburn Doubledays and Lansing Lugnuts, where he began to put up unthinkable numbers. In 23 games, Gailey had a miniscule 1.34 ERA and allowed just .76 walks/hits per innings pitched. As a comparison, Justin Verlander led the majors last year with .92 walks/hits per innings pitched.
Gailey, who features a fastball, splitter, change-up and curve ball, also began racking up the strikeouts in 2008 punching out 45 batters in 40.1 innings of work.
Gailey continued to move up through the minor leagues from 2009-11, first with the Dunedin of the Florida State League, then finally getting the call up to AA with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. After the 2011 season, his career minor league statistics (23-14, 2.45 ERA, 293 K) impressed not only the Blue Jays, but his hometown Philadelphia Phillies as well.
In December of 2011, Gailey got a phone call saying he had been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies organization, the team he grew up watching.
“The phone call was a little bittersweet because the Jays staff and players became my family during the season,” Gailey said. “I became really close to them over the five years I was there, but to play for the Phillies has been my dream since I was a kid.”
Despite leaving the Blue Jays and his friends to head to Philadelphia, Gailey will never forget the team that gave him his first shot at professional baseball and the memories he made with the organization.
“I would have to say that two moments stand out in my mind through my years with the Jays,” Gailey said. “First I was able to throw in a big league game in spring training against the [Red] Sox, and second was last season when we won the Eastern League Championship. Both were times I will never forget.”
Gailey went on to praise his coaches and friends, who he credits with helping to push him to succeed each day.
“There were multiple people throughout the Jays organization that made me a better pitcher than I was when I first got there in 2007. It was a great staff helping along the way with baseball and in life.”
However, now that his days as a Blue Jay are over and he is closer than ever to his dream, Gailey plans on only looking forward and working hard to make the major leagues.
“I’m not heading to spring training with the big league club, but my goal does not change. I will compete with every ounce of energy I’ve got to show that I can pitch in the big leagues,” Gailey said. “I can’t wait for that day, It will be the most exciting, nervous, overwhelming day of my life.”
Hard work seems to be the motto Gailey lives by. He worked hard in high school to be able to play at college, and at college he transformed himself into a pitcher with the capability to play in the big leagues. Now, because of that hard work he has gotten himself in position to pitch in the majors in the next few years.
His advice to young, aspiring ballplayers goes by that same virtue of hard work.
“Never give up and ALWAYS work 110% towards your dream. I was always told that when you’re not working every day to get better someone else is working and they’re going to take that dream away from you. Don’t let that happen. Be that player working harder and harder everyday to win that battle and achieve that goal.”
Kenny Ayres is a second-year student majoring in communication studies. He can be reached at KA739433@wcupa.edu.