Tyson Gillies Arrested

Gillies, Tyson

UPDATE: The Phillies have released a statement that reads, “The Phillies have confirmed today that Tyson Gillies was arrested on a drug possesion charge arising out of an alleged incident that was alleged to have occurred in June. Because this is an open case, we will not comment further at this time”. 

In what is certainly a new twist to the Tyson Gillies injury saga this year, Gillies was apparantly arrested early this morning by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on a felony cocaine charge.  According to the St. Petersburg Times, Gillies was released on $2,000 bond at 10:52 this morning, after being arrested at 1:10 a.m.

Gillies was rehabbing his injured hamstring in Clearwater and had appeared in two Rookie League Games last week for the Gulf Coast League Phillies.  Gillies has missed a good portion of the season dealing with the hamstring issues and was recently shut down for the remainder of the season with a trip to Dr. James Andrews expected in order to look at the hamstring.

NOTE: While noting the obvious news worthy nature of this story to Phillies fans, please use respect in commenting.

Update —> James here. Matt Gelb has another article up with more information. So bizarre.

107 thoughts on “Tyson Gillies Arrested”

  1. Wow. Certainly a surprise to say the least. I know him and Cosart are really good friends and it’s a good thing he wasn’t involved too. It’s a shame he had such a rough year because it does appear he has considerable potential, but at this point, whatever happens to him is now his fault. I hope everything works out but I really hope Phillies fans don’t find some way to connect this to Cliff Lee, although I am sure that will happen regardless

    Like

  4. I hope that he is able to learn from this, put it behind him, and concentrate on baseball. I was, and still am rooting for Gillies to put it together, and become the prospect that I feel he can be. Hopefully this is not a start of trend with him.

    Like

  5. (only say it like that because we all had written off Aumont.. and Ramirez has been soso.. so Gilles was the best hope to get something out of the Lee deal .. and now this)

    well at least we have Jiwan as a good OF prospect

    Like

  6. From all indications, Tyson seemed to be a well-adjusted, respectful young man. I am extremely disappointed that he chose this path and I can only hope that he receives the help he desperately needs.

    Like

  8. So, this season was a lost year for him and he gets to start next season with a 50-game suspension, assuming he gets lucky and avoids jail. Plus, his character is now called into serious question. Very, very bad. Next question …. do the Phillies just cut him loose?

    Like

  9. dave,

    Writing off Aumont is stupid. Granted, he is less likely than we thought to be a front of the rotation ace, but at this point he is probably as good a prospect as May, with similar strengths and weaknesses. And May is still (rightly) pretty highly regarded around here.

    Like

  10. Highly disappointing. I was never overwhelmed with what the Phillies got back in the Lee deal, but I “trusted” Gillies ultimate development as a MLB player the most…even if I didn’t think he had the pure upside potential of Aumont and JC Ramirez.

    After what happened to Kevin Angelle, this is probably not a good development for the farm system. No doubt the Phillies will not be so quick to cut the cord with Gillies, so whatever “statement” was made with Angelle’s release could be reduced by Gillies issue.

    Like

  12. Chill, everyone. I know that it sounds bad, and yes he might have been charged. But until the facts are known and the justice system has had a chance to take it’s course, RELAX. I see notes saying 50 game suspension, and his character is ruined, and the Phillies should cut him loose….just calm down. We don’t know what he did, who he was with or what the nature of the arrest was. I understand the sense of disappointment, but please try to temper that with the reality that there is quite a bit from this story that none of us knows. Until that happens either speak encouragingly for the young man or just be quiet. I believe this is the respect that PP was referencing in the post.

    Like

  16. Hey guys, I realize I’m going to be in the minority here, but if we can manage to get past the last two presidents of the United States having a little youthful familiarity with the white line, I think we can forgive a 22-year-old kid who may simply have made a stupid mistake. I’m not going to say “one-time” mistake, I’m not naive, but a possession bust does not necessarily mean the guy is a junkie, or has a deep character defect, or deserves to be cut loose. He did not hurt anybody except himself–unlike, say, Brett Myers–and if I’m reading the timing right and the incident was in June, it happened when he was on the DL, not that there’s ever a proper time to be snorting blow, but it’s not like he was playing at the time.

    Anyway, feel free to pillory me for my permissive attitude. I’m sure no one on this message board ever broke drug laws when they were 22.

    It does, however, give me a new appreciation for all that energy Gillies has in the field. He’s so peppy! I guess we know why.

    Like

  17. Terrible news. It also made me think of Josh Hamilton. Gogo, become that good Gillies, then I’ll forgive you.

    Like

  18. Just another bad twist for the Lee deal. I met him and thought he was great, especially for how he treated all the young fans. Drugs are hard to kick and even being disabled(partially deaf) this could be harder for him if it is a crutch. God Speed Gillies!!!

    Like

  19. Gilles was thought to be a high character guy. I suppose it could be said that he’s still a kid – and even good kids do stupid things.

    The Phillies let a pretty promising lefty go earlier this year for an undisclosed infraction. I wonder what they do if Gilles is convicted or takes a plea deal?

    Like

  20. Speaking for myself, aside from other obvious reasons why this is an inappropriate time to yet again bash the Lee deal, the biggest problem is that, worst case, even assuming that NONE of the prospects amount to anything, all they would have lost would have been one year of Lee and the draft picks. Which is significant, but it’s not like they traded a future HOF 2B who they would have controlled for several years for a mediocre prematurely over the hill SS. Which makes the continuing, tiresome reaction over the top at best.

    That said, I’ll make a deal with you guys. If the Phillies either (a) miss the playoffs by less than 4 games, or (b) lose a close post season series in which Oswalt pitches poorly, feel free to bash the trade once again, even more loudly. Otherwise, can we agree that in retrospect at least it wasn’t that big a deal?

    Like

  21. Awful news.

    I won’t jump to too many conclusions, but its tough to be optimistic about this.

    That said, all of the inappropriate comments will be removed, and anyone else who makes one after this will have his/her comments marked as spam, and none of your “real” comments will show up after that. Don’t be stupid. He’s a kid, he apparently did something dumb, but there’s no need to go over the top.

    Like

  22. All of the sudden D’Arby Myers is moving quickly up the prospect ladder in center with Gose gone and Gillies’ several problems. D’A is hitting .341 in his last 10 games at A+ . Now he has a shot to be the opening day 2011 AA starter in center.

    Like

  23. The visa issue is a good point, but if this is a first offense I have a hard time believing this won’t get pleaded down to a misdemeanor. The timing is weird though. The Phillies says the incident happened in June but he just got arrested Friday night? I wonder if he was in some kind of pre-trial intervention program and got in some sort of subsequent trouble on Friday which resulted in his being charged with the earlier offense?

    Like

  24. When I saw this on my fantasy baseball page, I right away figured it was pot….but COKE!!!!!!! Who does he think he is Keith Hernandez???????

    Like

  25. Just arresting him now on a June incident? That’s not unprecedented by any means, but is still odd, and I think further complicates any attempt to draw conclusions at this point.

    I’m not an expert, but I don’t think the visa issue will be a problem without a conviction. I guessing – yes, guessing, but an educated guess – that this is not the kind of thing that will result in a felony conviction. Would a misdemeanor conviction result in visa problems? Don’t know. Anyone out there with the relevant expertise?

    Like

  26. I didn’t know you could block posters as spam. Is that why I haven’t seen anything from Nowheels for a while?

    That idea that his work visa could be revoked is some serious business. Immigration concerns didn’t even cross my mind.

    Like

  28. I can’t figure out why now they arrest him for a june incident, knowing a little about kids with this stuff, there might be more to this story, a lot more. If its what I think he will be release by the phillies, just very crazy but right now its just a guess>

    Like

  29. If this is some kind of large scale investigation, like a sting of sorts, he might have been busted in June but not arrested/charged because they didn’t want the case to come to light.

    At least thats what happens on the cop shows I’ve watched since I was a kid.

    Anyway, its too early to judge. We don’t have the details. I’m not asking anyone to give him the benefit of the doubt, but just be respectful of what is a pretty crappy situation.

    Like

  31. The Phillies really take a dim view of these sort of behavioral situations. There must be a least a dozen player who over the years, involved themselves in questionable behavior and are no longer around. The only player I can remember who wasn’t let go was Hamels. Will Gillies survive? I doubt it.

    Like

  33. If your the Phillies I’d hope you do right by the kid and help him get his life back on track. I can’t see how releasing him would be the right thing to do. Who among us is in the position to judge him with so little facts available.

    Ron Washington, Josh Hamilton etc…a drug addiction does not make him a bad person if thats what this amounts to.

    Like

  35. I don’t think a failed drug test is required for the 50-game suspension. Being caught with the drug in your possession is adequate. It seems the best Gillies can hope for is a plea and probation on a possession misdemeanor and that would trigger the suspension. I don’t know how this impacts visa, but haven’t musicians been barred from US for foreign drug convictions? Yes, this is poor kid, but yes it is also a character issue. Using drugs while engaged in a business where you know you will be periodically drug tested is beyond stupid.

    Like

  36. That unfortunately, further complicates the matter. The fact that cocaine leaves yours system relatively quickly would only make it more attractive for people who are randomly tested.

    Like

  38. In no way am I trying to make light of the situation (it was a serious lapse in judgement), but Gillies is a 22 year old kid. I’m not too far removed from college myself and this stuff was pretty prevalent, with a large number of kids doing it recreationally without ill-advised affects. Now, Gillies is a professional and seems to be tempting fate messing with this stuff when players are constantly drug tested, but I’m not ready to write this guy off. Hopefully he’s learned a hard lesson here and will come back stronger next season once he gets that hammy right.

    Like

  39. I’m not interested in agreeing to LarryM’s proposal w/ regard to the Cliff Lee trade. I also disagree w/ the analysis.

    This is a shame about Gillies. I hope he gets himself straightened out eventually.

    On the bright side, Worley continues to pitch well…

    Like

  40. 1. Personal use amounts are usually filed as possession cases: a maximum of five years in Florida prison. Drug rehabilitation is offered to first time arrestees with no prior felony convictions.

    2. Sale or Delivery of Cocaine carries a 15 year sentence. Proof of a sale, or attempt to sell any amount usually less than 20 grams.

    3. Trafficking in Cocaine is charged when over 20 grams is sold, or offered for sale.

    Giving cocaine is considered a sale, even if no money is contemplated. Giving a controlled substance (prescription pills) is charged as a delivery or trafficking felony in Florida.

    Like

  42. who the heck gets in a cop car with cocaine in their pocket??

    That is so Bizarre it is almost unbelievable.

    Like

  44. The saddest part of the story is where the cop asked him if he had money for cab fare and he said no.

    Like

  46. Mr. Roy Robert Tomesello on that mugshot page provide by tkohl looks absolutely delighted. I wonder what he did and why he’s smiling so broadly. I say we make him an internet star. Of course now that I am writing this it’ll be pointed out to me that he stabbed a 13 year old kid, which if it is the case please disregard and accept my apologies.

    As for Tyson and the situation at hand, it’s easy to make judgement calls when not in the know. I say regardless of the facts lets see how it plays out and be nice. I was a stupid kid and still am (despite being in my thirties) but it certainly doesn’t make me a bad person.

    Like

  47. Monty,

    So I guess we’re going to be subjected to rants from people like you until the end of time? Great, I’m sure most of the readers here are just thrilled to hear that. Can we at least keep it out of a thread about this sad event that could effect the future of an apparenty really good kid?

    I’d also love to hear what’s wrong with my “analysis,” since I bent over backwards to be fair (i.e., assuming NO contribution from the prospects obtained, and assumed that Lee would perform very well in the regular and post season). Oh, yeah, guess you’re one of the guys who think that Lee would have signed with the Phillies for a contract comparable to Halladay’s contract. Anmd that they could have afforded both of them, not just this year but over a period of years. Right. Hey, I hate to be the grinch. But there is no Santa Claus. Or Easter Bunny.

    Sid,

    Yeah, I sure am peeved at the Phillies for neglecting to travel into the future and see that Gillies was going to get arrested!!! What are scouts for, if not to predict this sort of occurence?

    Reasonable critics of the Lee trade (heck, that even includes me!):

    I’m sure you’re thrilled to have Monty and Sid on your side of the debate!

    Like

  48. Crisco, Mr. Roy Robert Tomesello was charged with possession of crack cocaine. Which would explain the smiling, I imagine.

    Like

  49. @ Bender, really? Most of the crackheads I see stumbling around here in Philly don’t seem that joyous. I would have thought he was really drunk or smoking pot. Thank god he didn’t kill anyone I would have felt awful for pointing his picture out. I could have double checked but was more amused by taking it completely out of context.

    Like

  50. @ LarryM — your “analysis” is overly simplistic and wrong. The lee trade is one of the worst trades in the history of Phillies baseball. I don’t want to argue here and now, because you can simply look back at about a million threads on this site.

    Tyson G. might not have ruined his reputation with this arrest, but he has certainly tarnished his and the Phillies reputation since this arrest will certainly get picked up by national media. I wonders about if he had such a hard time dealing with the spot light from being involved in the Lee deal how he would have handled the spot light from being an everyday CF in a city life Philly?

    Like

  51. JK,

    I’ve seen all those threads. And frankly while there are plenty of good arguments as to why it was a bad trade, I’ve never seen anyone even try to make an even marginally coherent argument as to why it was even close to “one of the worst trades in the history of Phillies baseball.”

    But I don’t really want to rehash it here either. I was merely responding to the people like you who felt the need to use this thread for yet more annoying bashing of the deal. And in a PARTICULARLY inappropriate context.

    Like

  52. I doubt that the “spot light” from the Cliff Lee trade had anything to do with Gillies being arrested for cocaine possession. Same with the “spot light” from playing CF in Philly. I don’t see how you could connect the two.

    Like

  53. Some of you guys aren’t operating at 100%. The facts are drug problems make the trade worse because the bet was on the future not the present. So weather it’s drugs or injuries or genral suckage, all of which have happened, it makes the trade worse. It seems pretty clear so I’m sorry if you don’t understand.

    Like

  54. I’m not worried so much about the legalities. For a first time offender, personal use its minimal. The larger issue is that if Gillies has a cocaine addiction, it effects his potential career. Fortunately many players who were cocaine users kicked the habit and enjoyed hugely productive careers. I hope for Gillies’ sake he can put his addictions behind him.

    Like

  55. @snakeman — two caveats: 1) I have more qualifications in personal behavior type fields than the avg person. 2) I don’t know Tyson.

    I was more or less thinking out loud that there is possibility that he perceived himself to be in the spotlight, that he felt like he needed to to more to justify the trade, that he was under a microscoper for example. In general, when people are in stressful situations it can and does cause behavior that is not socially acceptable, i.e. taking drugs. If he couldn’t handle the stress assoicated with being a main pieice in this trade then he probably wouldn’t be able to handle playing in a media market like Phildelphia. I hope this is clearer for you than the orignial post, but in reality this is pretty simple stuff to understand.

    Like

  56. I think people tend to get a little to reactionary, even if everything is 100% true. He’s a young kid with a decent amount of money for probably the first time in his life, in a coastal town. I’m not saying it should be swept under the rug, but this whole “character ruined/career ruined” line of thinking is a little too holier than thou. He has a problem, if he gets it taken care of, I have no problem with the Phils keeping him and continuing to develop him.

    The only way I’d be fine with the Phillies releasing him would be if it comes out he kept the Phillies in the dark and they just found out about it today, or if he gets convicted and put in jail (I imagine this gets plead down, though).

    Like

  57. I don’t know the extent of Tyson’s involvement in cocaine other than what was reported but I have problems with laws that arrest people on the pretense that they are protecting us from ourselves. The state gets to play the role of both prosecution and victim in these cases. We create criminals in this country which does nothing but enrich lawyers, cops, judges and everyone else associated with the legal system.
    I’m going to stop my political rant short at this point and just wish the best of luck to Tyson Gillies. He’ll have to overcome his foray into the judicial system and the stigma it imposes more than whatever harm he likely incurred from his use of cocaine.

    Like

  58. “When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible.” ~ George W. Bush talking about his Drinking and Cocaine use that led a drunk driving arrest in Maine.

    Like

  59. There is no way these charges stick… The can never prove he was in possession of the drugs.

    There is 0% chance he would be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    A 3rd year law student could take this case and get an acquittal.

    Like

  60. We are pulling for you Tyson Gillies. After a long Hall of Fame Career for the Phillies you can go on to be the Prime Minster of Canada.

    Like

  61. Tim Raines used cocaine between innings of games.

    And was one of the best leadoff hitters ever.

    And the cocaine thing has been largely forgotten/forgiven.

    Until we hear the whole story, I won’t judge. The whole thing is bizarre. Why would you accept a ride from the police if you were carrying a bag of coke on you? How do we know it wasn’t dropped in the car from someone who was in the car previously? Two months to analyze a substance and now they determine its coke? Are his fingerprints on the bag?

    So many questions, and it honestly feels like less than an airtight case. Not to excuse anything he might have done, but I’ll wait for the facts.

    Like

  62. Dennis

    You couldnt be more wrong. The police sweep for illegal substances their cars anytime someone is in it and have log books and cameras to show that. Police car swept before Gillies entry, nothing there. Gillies is car. Car swept after Gillies leaves, cocaine found. Legally its called “constructive possesion” and prosecutors and police successfully prosecute cases like that each and every day.

    Like

  63. I’ve done way too much dirt in this life to knock this kid for making a presumed mistake. Most ppl aren’t living 100% righteous tho judge others as if they are. Until Gillies is either hitting over .300 again or the whole story comes out, I think I better leave this story alone.

    Like

  64. I really really doubt he has the time or money to be a cokehead. This is just embarassing and very stupid. I hope his career isn’t over, but I doubt this is a long-term concern.

    Like

  65. Does anyone know what the Phillies’ track-record as an organization is in dealing with things like this amongst their prospects?

    I know they more or less turned a blind eye to the Brett Myers and Jason Michaels assault issues but those were MLB players (Myers in particular a key player). Hamels had that bar fight incident in the minors, but I don’t know if he was ever charged with anything and he was a blue-chipper at that point.

    Like

  66. Jon he was given a ride to someone, were you there to prove he look before and after, without prints or coke in gillies system he walks, If the officer found that bag,why didnt he test him right there? no blood work? makes no sense,two months later on a officer hearsay that he found this bag,in his car, after giving the kid a ride, he walks, but doesnt mean we condone this type of behavior,

    Like

  67. I’m personally more skeptical of that kind of police testimony than many people tend to be for a number of reasons, but it does happen, and people very definitely are convicted on that type of evidence.

    And mikemike, even setting aside the fact that it’s not “hearsay,” the police never fingerprint drug packets, that whether Gillies had drugs in his system is legally irrelevant, that the test referred to was of the drugs, not Gillies, and that such tests take a while, It’s clear from the story that the cop didn’t suddenly make this up 2 months later, but found, or allegedly found, the drugs in his car at the time of the incident. Under such circumstances, with a person without a record with a stable employment (and especially a baseball player who isn’t exactly going to drop out of sight), the police would wait until testing the drugs to bring charges.

    But when I was a criminal defense attorney, I would have loved to have you on a jury. 🙂

    But the more the comes out, the more it looks like something that won’t lead to a conviction – probably some sort of pre-trial diversion and no record. Though I’m not that familiar with Florida in particular; maybe they are harsher than other jurisdictions on this sort of thing.

    Like

  68. The police really COULDN’T charge him without at least a “field test” of the alleged drugs, which is enough for an arrest but not for conviction. Again, what happened here, while appearing odd to most people, is not terribly unusual – though more often a field test is done, and, if positive, the person is arrested immediately.

    Like

  69. mikemike, they don’t need to test him for drugs to charge him for possession. I have no clue of the details, so I will also withhold judgment, but if they do have records of sweeping the car, I could easily see how he could be charged with possession.

    Like

  70. udkyle: I’d be surprised if the Phillies simply dumped him, especially since he was in the unpopular Lee trade. Depending on the actual details, they can sell it as “kid made a mistake, he’s young, we’ll keep an extra eye on him. He won’t blow this chance.” If he’s some sort of trafficker, well, that’s a different story (doubt that)

    Like

  71. Disappointed he put himself in this position, but he walks on this, if he has a decent lawyer. The felony charges and the time associated could scare him into a plea though.

    Like

  72. And all this time it was Dom Brown who was getting the Darryl Strawberry comps!

    Oof, I am sorry. This is tough news. Hope he gets it together in time to salvage his baseball career, much less his health.

    Like

  73. Don’t know the facts of this case so I can’t really comment on the legalities but for those talking about him being a coke head, drug addict, etc. I would only say there is a difference between an occasional user and an addict just as their is a difference between a recreational drinker and an alcoholic.

    Hopefully for Gillies he made a stupid mistake and this gives him a wake-up call.

    Like

  74. Skunky! Amazingly in the midst of this tough time you take a shot at me.

    “I didn’t know you could block posters as spam. Is that why I haven’t seen anything from Nowheels for a while?”

    I comment when and where I like and don’t have to answer to you.

    Like

  75. The only strange point here is why they traded Gose when they knew this had happened.

    Too bad the government has time to worry about Roger when there is a much bigger drug problem in the country. Hopefully Mr Gillies will reclaim his life.

    Like

  77. Regardless of the ultimate outcome of this cocaine bust, there has been nothing positive about Gillies this season. When he came over from the M’s, one of the big questions was whether or not his offensive performance last season was a fluke. Today, we still do not know the answer,

    Gillies got off to a slow start in April; then, he hit the disabled list for essentially the rest of the season; now, there is a question about whether or not he has a drug problem.

    Before the season started, it looked as though the Phils had a lot of strength in CF. Now, with Gose gone and Gillies’ lack of progress and his real and potential health issues, there is doubt.

    Like

  78. Kelly Dugan will be the next high ceiling prospect for the Phillies. Saw him tonight and he just scorched balls off the bat. Miss a HR and 2 doubles by feet. The ball jumped off his bat, he will be a top 5 prospect after next year for the Phillies..

    Like

  80. If this happened in june the phillies would have found out about it. Im sure the clearwater police and the phillies work together down there. So Im beating the phillies would have known and tested him right away and if he failed any test I don’t think he would have been playing as of late. Reading the report of what happened seems a little weird. Im going to take Gillies side on this one and say that it wasn’t his or theres more to the story. meeting the kid in Reading this year i just have a hard time seeing him being a guy that uses drugs. I SAY IT WAS A SET UP

    Like

  81. Hopefully this was just a real stupid mistake. Why is he out on Hwy 19 at 3:45 am? We spent time with tyson during spring training and were impressed with his attitude and character. This is a shock and reminds us these players are only kids. No reason Tyson can’t overcome this illness like he has overcome his disability.

    Like

  82. Doesn’t surprise me at all with the nightlife that some of these guys lead. I mean last year I was in Pitsburgh for the Phillies/Pirates series and stayed on the same hotel floor/wing as Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Shane, etc. these guys are out till 3-4 am on the town. I can tell you as a witness Chase Utley came back drunk running up and down the hallway with another girl (not his wife). They definately are not angels and most people don’t see what goes on after hours. It’s actually a little scary if I was the GM and had millions riding on some of these players and this is what happens. I have stayed in the same hotel with NFL players and they have a curfew (11pm), maybe MLB needs the same rules.

    Like

  83. Wow, dropping a bag of coke in the back of the police cruiser when a cop gives you a ride. Smooth move, Tyson.

    Like

  84. burrell5
    Thank you for your “BALL FOUR” . You are correct but I wonder who among us could withstand the lure of women who would do ANYTHING. When I got out of the service I drove a cab in Philly for a little while until my job with Xerox was ready,
    It was a long time ago ( cab drivers are invisible to some passengers) but I have first hand knowledge of the lengths these women will go to be with a ballplayer. Not that it is right but better them than me.

    Like

  85. Easy on the nightlife comments. I don’t doubt that they’re “boys being boys”, but be careful libeling someone.

    Like

  86. Story by Gelb/Clearwater does not specifically state that officer did not observe bag falling from Gillies as he left cab or that it was not in plain view. Nevertheless, it is highly likely police cruiser is swept before and after taking on passengers ,and that Gillies is guilty. Police do not set people up, that is just a story make up by Criminal defense attorneys, the Reverend Al Sharpton, and the like. Police are selected from persons of high moral character with exemplary records of personal conduct and do not engage in any type of shenanigans of this sort. The allegation that this was a set-up reminds of another sports incident, one involving the former offensive tackle of the Philadelphia Eagles(Bernard something or something like that) who was chased by police into a driveway and charged with possession or something. Jeffrie Lurie was quick to believe the “set-up ” story, and sent reams of cheatin’ Philly and Boston liars-er-lawyers to get him off. As time went on, he was proven to be a serial reprobate, and had no career to speak of , despite being a 1st round draft choice. Since this guy was only a “pot” user, he possibly could have been rehabitated if only he had faced the music for what he did in the driveway incident. This option should not exist for Gillies however, as he is apparently not a pot user , or a heroin user, as was Josh Hamilton. The health effects of these drugs can be mitigated over time, while the drug cocaine is toxic to the heart muscle. Cocaine can negatively affect the rythyms of the heart muscle and the effects can occur for years after the cessation of any type of drug usage whatsoever. Therefore those who engage in cocaine are poor long term investments especially in baseball which is based upon good talent secured for the long term. I recommend his release.

    Like

  88. Oh, prove one word, phrase, or sentence I placed on this subject is wrong or inaccurate in any way. It is incidents like this that bring out the dogs, the dopers, the reprobates who defend this sort of misconduct by individuals like-minded to themselves and the namby-pambys who do not believe in correcting society and would not have the goods to do so if they did.

    Like

  90. You can try to connect these truths to any philosophy you like, it does not hold water, because these truths and the response to bring the hammer down or any who violate the norms of decent society, it is good for all society, and the ones who think otherwise are the cause of all the problems in society.

    Like

  91. Marfis,
    I am not a law enforcement basher, but you are wrong. 90% of officers are trying to do the right thing, but just like in any other walk of life there is a segment that is unscrupulous. You don’t know that man is guilty. Having preconceived notions like that is why we read about innocent people serving years for crimes they didn’t commit.

    Like

  93. Marfis,

    Oh, my, that is hilarious. FAR from the truth on many grounds. Ditto what mike77 said. I’d add that being a cop is a tough job, and there are PLENTY of good cops, but cops are human & subject to the same flaws as everyone else. Moreover, the stresses and temptations of the job bring out the worst in some cops, leading to cynicism & a “thin blue line” attitude where lies are “justified” because of the perception that they are necessary to maintain order. There’s a Raymond Chandler quote I can’t find that illustrates some of this.

    As an aside, probably not relevant because there’s no indication that this particular officer was a narcotics officer, but narcotics officers (not all, maybe not even most but I wouldn’t bet the house on it) are notoriously corrupt & dishonest.

    That said, in THIS instance I would doubt that Gillies was “set up,” only because of the circumstances – i.e., the fact that to all appearances he was doing nothing visibly suspicious, had no record, and was not a person in the socio-economic class perceived to be problematic with regard to drugs and crime. When the cops do lie to justify an otherwise problematic arrest, it is USUALLY the case that the arrestee was doing something perceived to be suspicious, and/or he has a record and/or is a poor, often minority kid in the “wrong” place. Which doesn’t justify it, of course. Also the fact that he wasn’t arrested immediately goes against the “set up” theory.

    Which doesn’t exclude innocence by any means. E.g., maybe the cop got careless, didn’t search his vehicle carefully after a prior arrest, and the coke was dropped by someone else. There are many other possible scenarios as well.

    But we’ll likely never know. Everything about this case cries out for a non-trial disposition, probably without a conviction.

    Like

  94. Marfis–
    This could be more incredible then anything you have previously written. Thats sayin something.

    Like

  95. I don’t know about”setups” but I can verify that once ONE officer makes up his mine. He and others will do almost anything to support THAT point of view.

    Like

  96. Marfis, Did you really try to make the point that cocaine is worse for you than heroin? That actually might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. If you don’t think that at least a quarter of the kids in the minor leagues have used cocaine at one point or another, then you’re out of your mind.

    Like

  97. My favorite part was where Marfis said that they should cut him because of his drug of choice. Oh, if only he had done heroin! Then he still might have the athletic ability he snorted up his nose.

    NM that we have no idea how much Gilles has consumed, nm that there have been plenty of baseball players who did cocaine and still managed to produce on the field, nm that his cost as a “long-term investment” is very little for his first few years in the majors, if he actually gets there and most importantly, NM that there are actually thousands of better arguments for cutting someone who was found with cocaine than the “oh, if only he had done heroin” argument.

    Although the “police do not engage in shenanigans of any sort” line was pretty good . Needlessly strong declarative statement ftw. Cops are blue-uniformed supermen who never do anything wrong!
    I mean, I respect cops and their service to society, but come on.

    Like

  98. Every stimulant can negatively impact the heart muscle. To state that cocaine is worse for the human body than heroin is completely insane… you obviously don’t know anyone who had to go through recovery. Heroin addicts only have a 2% recovery rate. Cocaine can be a recreational drug… how many recreational heroin users do you know? That’s what I thought.

    Like

  99. My father was a cop for 30 years, my best freind a cop for the past 5. I have 2 other friends that are cops. I know them and I hear their stories, they are certainly NOT moral people that always do the right thing or even 90 percent of the time. A lot of their stories of things they have done are VERY messed up. That said I seriously doubt a cop planted coke to set up Gillies. Tyson made a mistake, as for people saying they met him and can’t understand this from his character I can tell you first hand that I’ve seen many Reading Phillies out at a local bar numerous time, (including Tyson just 2 months ago) they party they cut loose, they are young and sometime go overboard. Its a balance they must strike, baseball is a long hard season (so any comparison to the NFL and their rules needs to be stopped) these boys need to have their time to let loose, as for people saying “they come in at 4am and what not” think for a second about the time that these guys “work” 4am is like a normal person’s midnight.

    Like

  101. The part everyone has missed is whether this incident is part of a bigger problem. Reports are that he gathered the attention of the PO because he was (my words) trying to waive down/attract the attention of fellow teammates, who were supposed to give him a ride back to the hotel from this Tiki bar that keeps coming up in the news reports.

    Point #1: Aren’t most prospects assigned to instruction, the rookie league, GCL, and A+ Clearwater generally too young to drink alcohol? If so, why are his fellow Phillies prospects, supposedly people below the drinking age, doing at a bar?

    Point #2: Cocaine tends to be a social drug. By that I mean users tend do want to share “lines” with their friends. Again, who are these prospects who are too young to drink, but apparebtly couldn’t find their way to get Gillies home?

    Point #3: Where is MLB’s (MiLB’s) drug testing program?

    Like

  103. To call anyone who offers a defense of an “accused” man a dog, doper or reprobate shows true ignorance. If every man who has been arrested is automatically guilty in your mind, then you don’t respect the laws of your own country. That makes you no better citizen than the “dogs” you mentioned.

    Like

  105. Shunky I am guessing you never did cocaine? The high is short, and you must keep doing more lines to stay high, verry expensive habit , each time you do it a strain on your heart and organs.

    Like

  106. marfis says:
    August 21, 2010 at 11:35 AM
    … “I recommend his release.”

    Marfis, it’s mollycoddlers like you who are to blame for the scurge of illegal narcotics in this country in the first place. Release him? If your were tough on drugs like I am, you would call for his immediate imprisonment (no reason to bother with the expense of a trial) to be followed in short order by his execution .

    In all seriousness, (a) you don’t have to be a dog or a doper to think that the kid deserves a day in court before we decide he’s guilty of this crime; (b) even if he is guilty of possessing a quantity of cocaine, we don’t know anything at all about the extent of his use; (c) if you really want to decide his fate in the Phillies organization based primarily on how cocaine use affects baseball skills, you might want to at least acknowledge the significant number of star players who have used cocaine during their long, prodcutive careers.

    Like

Comments are closed.