Is Billy Beane God ?

[Mondo Jay]

He does seem to have a big ego.

 

[anotheridiot]

look at what he did last year. They had the best record in baseball, made deals to lose his superstar shortstop Russell after getting Donaldson from the cubs years ago where he was almost out of baseball. Found donaldson a position, turned him into a huge part of the team. Now Hammels is gone, Shark is gone, Donaldson is gone.

I say there are probably 20 different owners that would have fired him after they bought at the deadline and failed miserably.

I'm starting to worry if Addison Russell is gonna be a dud.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Let me know when he walks on water and I will watch. Until then he is just another player

 

[williewilliejuan]

Let me know when he walks on water and I will watch. Until then he is just another player

Billy Beane?

 

[broncosmitty]

Let me know when he walks on water and I will watch. Until then he is just another player

Better GM than player for sure.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Better GM than player for sure.

All I know about the schmuck is that I haven't seen him walking on water. Until then he isn't god

 

[broncosmitty]

All I know about the schmuck is that I haven't seen him walking on water. Until then he isn't god

Hey, in 17 years as Oaklands GM, they've won ONE playoff series.

That's close to walking on water. Right?

 

[RaiderZar]

He's more like David Copperfield than God. All smoke & mirrors.

 

[steveringo]

All I know about the schmuck is that I haven't seen him walking on water. Until then he isn't god

Hey, in 17 years as Oaklands GM, they've won ONE playoff series.

That's close to walking on water. Right?

Wait, wha.....

In 2002, Boston tried to lure Beane away from the west coast... He declined and they turned to newbie Theo Epstein.... Now Epstien in in Chicago and if he does what Billiy Beane can't do....

(insert Back To The Future clip here)

 

[Loneranger]

Better GM than player for sure.

I'm still LOL .... he wouldn't have to be much of a GM to be better than he was as a player but we both know that.

 

[Loneranger]

Hey, in 17 years as Oaklands GM, they've won ONE playoff series.

That's close to walking on water. Right?

well considering he had a min.wage payroll nearly all of those yrs he's done quite well. Here's my point in this thread : the guy thinks like no other GM and really has no peers. He's done things none of these other guys could ever imagine because he's smart enough to know he had to figure out other ways to compete. I have zero respect for the Brain Cashman's and Theo's of the world. Any of us could do what they've done because all they did was run around with a checkbook and do whatever they wanted. That requires no skill or expertise. Put Cashman and Theo in Oakland and let me see how many games they would win in the last 17 yrs. Not many I can tell ya that.

 

[steveringo]

well considering he had a min.wage payroll nearly all of those yrs he's done quite well. Here's my point in this thread : the guy thinks like no other GM and really has no peers. He's done things none of these other guys could ever imagine because he's smart enough to know he had to figure out other ways to compete. I have zero respect for the Brain Cashman's and Theo's of the world. Any of us could do what they've done because all they did was run around with a checkbook and do whatever they wanted. That requires no skill or expertise. Put Cashman and Theo in Oakland and let me see how many games they would win in the last 17 yrs. Not many I can tell ya that.

I disagree.

Not saying Bean isn't good, he could be the best. (I think what Freidman did in Tampa is much more impressive than anything Beane did.)

I think Cashman and Epstein (or half the GM's for that matter) could succeed in Oakland. They might not do it the same way, but they'd get the job done - and would probably have more than 10 playoff wins playoff wins in those 18 years....

 

[broncosmitty]

well considering he had a min.wage payroll nearly all of those yrs he's done quite well. Here's my point in this thread : the guy thinks like no other GM and really has no peers. He's done things none of these other guys could ever imagine because he's smart enough to know he had to figure out other ways to compete. I have zero respect for the Brain Cashman's and Theo's of the world. Any of us could do what they've done because all they did was run around with a checkbook and do whatever they wanted. That requires no skill or expertise. Put Cashman and Theo in Oakland and let me see how many games they would win in the last 17 yrs. Not many I can tell ya that.

The Blue Jays are the only other AL franchise to not win a single game in the ALCS since BB took over for Alderson. (Who was doing many of the same things with Billy as his understudy)

Epstein and Friedman (Cubs or Dodgers, who goes to World Series first?)haven't had books written about them that were turned into movies, (Art Howe still has to be pissed. Hes not fat) but both have done as much, or more, to deserve credit/respect.

I don't disagree that the Yankees bought rings. But the core of their championship run was scouted/drafted/polished in house.

How much Beane was involved in getting Tejada, Giambi and Chavez, idk. They were all in the organization when he took over as GM. But Beane had been part of scouting/front office for years.

 

[JR Hart]

Sabian has 3 rings in 5 years and made greats moves to earn all 3. Beane isn't even in the discussion with him. Beane however, is a great self promoter.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Sabian has 3 rings in 5 years and made greats moves to earn all 3. Beane isn't even in the discussion with him. Beane however, is a great self promoter.

Ah, but compare the Giant's pot of cash to the A's pot of cash- or at least what the owner's allow the GM's to spend. Nobody has been more efficient than Beane pound for pound as often except arguably Friedman with the Rays; that's why he is so highly regarded. It's also why the Moneyball concept echoes across sports today. I do have to say Sabean (spelling?) deserves a lot of credit for the moves he has made and he should be in the discussion simply for the results he has had. I fervently disagree about BB not being in the discussion for being a top GM, however. Perhaps that's just me talking from a hardline sabermetric-perspective being enamored with wins on the cheap.

With all that being said, I am fairly skeptical of his moves in the offseason. The Cespedes and floating DH concept has raised some controversy and sometimes heated debate as to if that actually hurt the team short term with his trades at and prior to the deadline in what were generally seen as all-in moves in anticipation of a teardown. I am not going to reopen that debate intentionally, as that can go on for days, and I saw it go on for months on the blogosphere.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

What I am going to say though is the deification of Billy Beane by some is to say the least, ironic on the part of some who use or espouse saber. Instead of a critical outlook, there is instead a bizarre effort to apologize for any move he makes, even if it is pretty questionable; at least that is something I have noticed in a certain subsection. That subsection I hope is just what I have seen up to this point, a tiny minority of zealots.

 

[GenJac]

Same old story--Beane trades one injury-plagued team for another. At least last year's team could win close games. This A's team SUCKS and will finish last in AL West--quite an accomplishment since it looks like the worst division in MLB!

 

[Blitzville]

How soon before Oakland is designated a minor league team?

 

[OregonDucks]

one year Oakland wins 90 games, the next year they win 60 games....theyre the Oprah diet.

 

[broncosmitty]

Most OverRated man in sports.