Tyson Gillies suspended for outburst at bus driver
Phillies prospect Tyson Gillies was suspended last week for what was only termed a "violation of team rules." The offending incident specifically involved a confrontation between double-A Reading's bus driver and Gillies, according to a team source.
Tyson Gillies suspended for outburst at bus driver
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
Phillies prospect Tyson Gillies was suspended last week for what was only termed a "violation of team rules." The offending incident specifically involved a confrontation between double-A Reading's bus driver and Gillies, according to a team source.
Gillies was emotional, the source said, because he had re-injured his troublesome hamstring just days after returning from a concussion that sidelined him for seven weeks. Gillies verbally berated the bus driver but did not physically harm him.
In an email to his hometown newspaper, The Kamloops (B.C.) Daily News, Gillies apologized for the incident.
"What I did was wrong," Gillies, 23, told the paper. "I let my emotions get the best of me and said some things to our bus driver that I shouldn't have."
The Phillies have not said how long Gillies' suspension will last. More worrisome is yet another injury to the speedster's legs.
Gillies, acquired in the much-maligned Cliff Lee trade, has played only 31 minor-league games over the past two seasons. He was hitting .291 with an .806 OPS in 44 games for Reading in 2012. His "prospect" status is waning.
Gillies was arrested for cocaine possession in 2010 while rehabbing in Clearwater, Fla., but those charges were later dropped.
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Punk and send him to another organization— shawnmac- I agree 100%. Gillies is a punk and needs to be released immediately. First was the cocaine incident, and now this. You can't send him to another organization, however. He has no trade value. No GM in his right mind would trade you anything for this punk. Outright release is required.
— Roy_Halladay 
Actually, he seems like a pretty good kid. We met him in Clearwater and he was extremely gracious and accommodating with my daughter signing autographs well after the game. I follow his Twitter feed and he never goes DeSean Jackson style. He's often taking about the game, the team, and his teammates. I think he understands this was a big year for him. He was looking to make LV before the end. The concussion set him way back, but if his hammy is now stopping him again, that's a reputation maker and he probably feels that. There's rarely an excuse for haranguing a bus driver and this isn't one of them, but sometimes young people can make mistakes. He's apologized and I hope it gets behind him so everyone moves on. - But people like the first poster come on here hiding behind a little screen name and a keyboard feeling free to type anything as stupid as they want about people they never met and wouldn't know. That's what the Internet is all about, right boys?— calm weather- @calm weather You stated "But people like the first poster come on here hiding behind a little screen name and a keyboard feeling free to type anything as stupid as they want about people they never met and wouldn't know." Are you serious? Gillies was busted for cocaine possesion and now he is suspended by the team indefinetly and you call a poster stupid for calling him a punk? I guess I am a punk too. So what. You got a signed autograph from the guy. So that makes him great. Right? Gillies is a punk because of his actions.
— Roy_Halladay - You appear to have an axe to grind with the poor kid. He WAS NOT convicted of any drug possesions and in this country, unless you forgot, your innocent until PROVEN GUILTY by a court of law. That did not happen in his case....INNOCENT PERIOD. — samtern
- shawnmac probably never made a mistake in his life.— EL Zorro
- we would all be so lucky to be as flawless as shawnmac. all you need to know about him to is glance thru his collection of "posts" on here....he is very lucky to be able to live behind his screen name and never be accountable for his invective— TheLon
- Tyson is a good guy and I would always want him on my side. He always gives 110% and sometimes that will take a toll on even the finest tuned body. He must learn to dial it back a notch or two to pace himself a little more and he will be fine. Playing baseball is more like a long distance run and Tyson is an all out sprinter in the times I have seen him play.— Dull
- I have also followed some of his tweets. Seems like a nice guy and I sure want him to succeed. He must get control of his emotions, however, and somehow overcome the injury jinx. I think he has talent and if he can put together a full season next year in the minors, he might make it to the bigs by 2014.— TennPhan
- I have also followed some of his tweets. Seems like a nice guy and I sure want him to succeed. He must get control of his emotions, however, and somehow overcome the injury jinx. I think he has talent and if he can put together a full season next year in the minors, he might make it to the bigs by 2014.— TennPhan
- get rid of this dude...the coke possession should have been a tip off...now he loses his cool at a bus driver???what did he do,run a yellow light???and for all you bleeding hearts ripping those criticizing gillies,get real!!!coddling these guys only enables them to get away with more crapola down the line...how many instances of bad behavior should the team excuse???drop the hammer on the dude and don't look back,outfielders are a dime a dozen...— jabac
- I won't pontificate on the man, because I don't know him as most of the posters don't know him personally. What I do know is that he has had too many "snafoos" in a short period of time. Even if he is emotional, why take it out on a bus driver? With that said, did the bus driver do anything to provoke Tyson? We don't know. However, this is not his first trip to the "bad boy" rodeo. At some point in time, one must take responsibility for one's own actions. Apologies are great starts, but after too many apologies, its like the boy crying wolf. Actions always speak louder than words.
— drhoffman - Hope he gets back soon and I'm glad all the narrow minded speculation about substance use has proved wrong. Gillies will be the center fielder of the future and a good one.— wo_fat
- Bring him up. Can't be worse than what we have now.— 4thand10
- This is why I don't trust Rube to deal Hamels. You know he'd only get another bag of rocks for Victorino or Blanton but he better get at least two top AAA players for Hamels. Or just sign Hamels and go with Schwimer and Stutes in the 7th and 8th next season. LOL. The step-by-step decline since 2008 is all on the GM. IMHO.— GreenWing
