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A YEAR AGO - on Sept. 2, 2014, the day after Labor Day - Pat Gillick stood in the hallway in between the dugout and the visitor's clubhouse at Turner Field and spoke about one of the most difficult resources in professional sports. He talked about the importance of patience, particularly when running or rooting for a team in transition.
Gillick's quasi-state of the franchise address came about 24 hours after four of his pitchers combined for a no-hit win over the Braves. Three of those pitchers - Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman and Jonathan Papelbon - have since moved on in trades, while Ken Giles has moved into the closer's role on the suddenly youthful Phillies roster.