Serious? Smoke screen? Or proving a point?

[pravata]

Three today:

"The Astros met with Phillies assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr., Cleveland Indians director of player personnel Steve Lubratich and Cardinals assistant GM John Mozeliak."

Also a rumor of:

"Logan White, a Dodgers assistant general manager in charge of scouting."

http://houston.astros.mlb...mp;fext=.jsp&c_id=hou

Quoting Butch and/or Sundance, "who are these guys?"

Lubratich’s CV
http://www.baseballameric...Steve&lname=Lubratich

10 years in the minors, http://www.thebaseballcub...s/L/Steve-Lubratich.shtml

Mystery solved,

Steve Lubratich quote,

“That's perfect for a GM, a baby to be named later.”

Commenting on Tigers GM Randy Smith being late returning from an out-of-town meeting to be with his wife in time for the birth of their second child and waiting until the next day before naming their son Shane
http://quote.webcircle.co...n/search.cgi?idPlayer=381

He’s a FOT “Friend of Tal.”  (Or FOS? Friend of the Smiths?)

John Mozeliak, fan site lurker
http://www.thestlcardinal....com/INVMozeliakJohn.html

In this interview with a fan site, he answers the question, "How could you assess signability when some of these kids didn’t even have representation yet?"

"Well, a lot of that is through the parents and the player themselves and through representation.  But, the latter had kind of dirtied up the water a bit when guys got drafted and then afterward chose to get some agent help.  So, that kind of made it a little sloppy, but overall, it did seem to work out."

Wrong answer John, just sign em.  But he's a sport, he even talked to THIS guy http://frontier.cincinnat...ng/2006_01_22_default.asp Barely escaped Cincinnati "Chili".

[Noe in Austin]

The Cardinals raised eyebrows when they actually signed a "fantasy baseball" group to do evaluations for them.  Jeff Luhnow headed that group, until they let all of them go.  Well, truth be told, they basicaly left because nobody took them seriously.  Was Mozeliak one of those who thought "fantasy baseball" would help?:

Q: Speaking of tools, last winter’s high profile addition to the front office was the hiring of Jeff Luhnow and the establishment of the sabermetric view of the game.  How is that meshing with your more traditional methods of evaluation?

I think it is going very well.  Obviously, for what I did this year in the draft, I leaned heavily on Jeff and his staff.  That’s the nature of how we set this whole thing up.  In terms of the draft, I realize that when you go totally off scouting reports, then you’ve opened yourself up to such a subjective scenario of results.  The one thing that I wanted to do is validate what we do.  That’s where his staff was just invaluable.  I think it’s a great direction we’re moving in.  I think as far as the draft goes, I think it is something that we will replicate for next year.  I think both Jeff and I feel there are some things we can tweak on to make it that much better.  And that is actually kind of why I am here now.

From an interview with Luhnow:

BW:  How does fantasy baseball relate to your job?

JL:  When you’re an owner of a fantasy baseball team, you operate within a certain budget, you have to produce certain outcome and you’re competing against other teams for those players.  It’s all about how you evaluate one player versus another and who’s more valuable for your team.   In some ways, that is similar to the environment that we operate in.   We have budget constraints.  Now, granted in rotisserie, everybody has the same dollars to spend and in baseball, that is not the case; not the case at all.  (laughs)  However, we’ve seen that teams with much more limited budgets still can be successful, and the same thing happens in rotisserie.  Some people spend their money wisely and some people don’t. 

BW:  How is it different?

JL:  Defense isn’t a part of rotisserie generally speaking, though that is a huge part of major league baseball performance.  We’re not optimizing against five or ten statistics.  We’re optimizing against wins and making the playoffs and making money.  The formulas are somewhat different but the fundamental philosophies that someone like Ron brings, which is to look behind the numbers; look at the skills indicators as opposed to the results.  Those are things that I believe and have believed for a long time.  Those are things that the Cardinals are beginning to think more seriously about in terms of how to evaluate players.  Clearly there are other teams in major league baseball that have taken steps in that direction.  We’re not the first.  But it’s time to not only catch up but go beyond.  That’s our goal here.

I hope Mozeliak kept the talk about fantasy baseball in his interveiw to a 10 second conversation, especially in terms of the draft.

[pravata]

truth be told, they basicaly left because nobody took them seriously.  ...

Tony, Patron Saint of the Stop Light, remarked that the money would have been better spent on more camera equipment.  Tal Smith is a member of SABR, he knows bullshit when he sees it. 

[Noe in Austin]

Tal Smith is a member of SABR, he knows bullshit when he sees it. 

Yeah, but is Smith a member of FSTA?  (is that pronounced Fist-ah?).

Baseball HQ Resumes

I dunno, if a hire like Mozeliak brings his whole network like that guy in the commercial for Verizon, then maybe it's not a bad thing!

[MikeyBoy]

Tal Smith is a member of SABR, he knows bullshit when he sees it. 

I'm willing to bet Tal's bullshit meter blew a fuse when he (allegedly) met with Mr. 3 Percenter.

[pravata]

Yeah, but is Smith a member of FSTA?  (is that pronounced Fist-ah?).

Baseball HQ Resumes

I dunno, if a hire like Mozeliak brings his whole network like that guy in the commercial for Verizon, then maybe it's not a bad thing!

HolyMaryMotherofGod and All Her Wacky Nephews.  Wow.  Just Wow.

[MikeyBoy]

Yeah, but is Smith a member of FSTA?  (is that pronounced Fist-ah?).

Baseball HQ Resumes

I dunno, if a hire like Mozeliak brings his whole network like that guy in the commercial for Verizon, then maybe it's not a bad thing!

Please tell me this is satire. Please?

[Noe in Austin]

HolyMaryMotherofGod and All Her Wacky Nephews.  Wow.  Just Wow.

Dayn Perry likes them.  I don't know if that's good or bad.

Testimonials

"BaseballHQ.com and the Baseball Forecaster are, of course, essential tools for roto players. However, the methods and research used in both are tremendously valuable to anyone who cares about making sound baseball decisions or approaching the game with intelligence. There's simply nothing else like it."
- Dayn Perry, Baseball Operations Consultant, San Diego Padres

[pravata]

Dayn Perry likes them.  I don't know if that's good or bad.

Testimonials

"BaseballHQ.com and the Baseball Forecaster are, of course, essential tools for roto players. However, the methods and research used in both are tremendously valuable to anyone who cares about making sound baseball decisions or approaching the game with intelligence. There's simply nothing else like it."
- Dayn Perry, Baseball Operations Consultant, San Diego Padres

Good or bad?  Are you contemplating opening a branch office of the United Nations?  OF COURSE IT'D BE BAD!  It's a continuation of Drayton's cruising the stands.  "...essential tools for roto players. ...There's simply nothing else like it."  No, I can't imagine there would be.  At least not on purpose.

[Noe in Austin]

Good or bad?  Are you contemplating opening a branch office of the United Nations?  OF COURSE IT'D BE BAD!  It's a continuation of Drayton's cruising the stands.  "...essential tools for roto players. ...There's simply nothing else like it."  No, I can't imagine there would be.  At least not on purpose.

Call me "Ambassador"!  Anyway, it's interesting the relationship the Baseball HQ, especially Ron Shandler had with the Cardinals organization.  It lasted all of one year.  Sandler quit because of "integrity".  Not the Cardinals, but his own.

The Bird House reports Shandler quits!

Yet, over the recent months, some of Shandler’s Baseball HQ customers and others who are potential customers directly questioned his integrity, making some ridiculous and embarrassing accusations in the process.  For example, one reader actually accused him of tanking his projections on Mark Mulder in an attempt to lower the pitcher’s perceived market value, easing the Cardinals ability to acquire Mulder via trade.

Maybe so, but some people I know from the Bird Nation say he quit because no one acknowledged his work much.

[strosrays]

HolyMaryMotherofGod and All Her Wacky Nephews.  Wow.  Just Wow.

That site would have a lot more creditability (relatively speaking) - instantly - if they took down the photos of those individuals on the staff.

As it is, it kind of resembles a National Lampoon satire circa mid-1970s.  Either that, or is a set of reunion photos from the Forest Park H.S. "rag" (i.e, non-athletic) P.E., 2nd period, Class of 1978.

[pravata]

Call me "Ambassador"!  Anyway, it's interesting the relationship the Baseball HQ, especially Ron Shandler had with the Cardinals organization.  It lasted all of one year.  Sandler quit because of "integrity".  Not the Cardinals, but his own.

The Bird House reports Shandler quits!

Maybe so, but some people I know from the Bird Nation say he quit because no one acknowledged his work much.

Either way, this guy quit, not was fired, a major league team because he was worried about maintaining his integrity in front of his customer base - not baseball teams, fantasy players. 

[pravata]

That site would have a lot more creditability (relatively speaking) - instantly - if they took down the photos of those individuals on the staff.

As it is, it kind of resembles a National Lampoon satire circa mid-1970s.  Either that, or is a set of reunion photos from the Forest Park H.S. "rag" (i.e, non-athletic) P.E., 2nd period, Class of 1978.

I'm intrigued by the bios and the careers that these guys left to make money in the fantasy baseball business.

[strosrays]

I'm intrigued by the bios and the careers that these guys left to make money in the fantasy baseball business.

As I believe you have pointed out previously, only two things on the internet have ever actually consistently generated real profits.  And meantime, the thin line between fantasy baseball stat mongers and the purveyors of internet pornography just grows thinner and thinner. . .

[pravata]

The Astros also have asked permission to speak with Logan White, a Dodgers assistant general manager in charge of scouting.
http://houston.astros.mlb...mp;fext=.jsp&c_id=hou

White is a widely recognized scouting and drafting genius, I find no FOT connection, he worked with DePodesta but there may have been some conflicts, here's some of White's philosophies,

On why he likes signing the kids of former big leaguers:
"It definitely is a tendency for me. You guys watch a lot more Major League Baseball maybe than I do even, and you see bloodlines show up here all the time. They've been in the locker room, they've been in the clubhouse, they've been around all the things that you have to get used to at the major league level. If you've never been around that, it can be intimidating. I think these guys adjust to it well, they're not intimidated by it. So from that perspective, I think they're ahead of the game....
...We put a lot of emphasis on intangibles. I call them 'markers' that we look for. Whether it be the kind of student that they are, bloodlines and all that, I have a list of these markers that we try to do. We don't give any psychological tests. A lot of clubs do it, I've never given one. It's worked out good for us. ...
http://sportsblogs.latime...s/2006/06/draft_wrap.html

White, an Orioles crosschecker before coming to Los Angeles in December 2001, was allowed a free rein with the draft by former Dodgers GM Dan Evans. In his first two drafts for the club, he has had 22 choices in the first 10 rounds and used 16 of them on high school players. White hasn't tabbed a four-year college player before the seventh round.
http://www.baseballameric...umnists/040224callis.html

For the third consecutive season, (2004) the Dodgers’ draft, under the direction of Logan White, Director of Amateur Scouting, has been ranked among the best in baseball. In White’s three seasons, the Dodgers draft was ranked fourth in 2002, first in 2003 and second this season. The Dodgers are the only team to have their draft rated in the top five in each of the last three years and only one other organization (Toronto) has been named in the top five twice.
http://dodgers.scout.com/2/311754.html

White nearly kept (Clay) Buchholz away from the Red Sox. He pushed hard to get the Dodgers to take the right-hander with the 40th pick in the 2005 amateur draft, ...The Dodgers ultimately used the 40th pick to get pitcher Luke Hochevar, (apparently DePodesta's call) who never signed with Los Angeles
http://www.bostonherald.c...view.bg?articleid=1029247

[Noe in Austin]

Either way, this guy quit, not was fired, a major league team because he was worried about maintaining his integrity in front of his customer base - not baseball teams, fantasy players. 

Yes.  And I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

[pravata]

The Astros also have asked permission to speak with Logan White, ...

Dodgers said, "go ahead, see if you can get anywhere with the boy, lord knows we've tried."

Astros interviewed one general manager candidate on Friday -- Logan White,

Afterwards, White hit the high points, "honor to be interviewed" ... "(Astros have) a great baseball tradition"... "It's a wonderful city"...."great state of Texas."  All he forgot to get in was a "The good Lord willing..."

[pravata]

It remains to be seen whether the Pittsburgh situation will force the Astros to accelerate their timetable for replacing Tim Purpura. It's unclear what Amaro's preference would be if he had offers from both teams, although Houston appears to be much closer to being ready to contend than the Pirates, who are on the way to their 15th consecutive losing season.

It would also be interesting to see, if Amaro gets an offer from either team, whether the Phillies make an effort to keep him considering that general manager Pat Gillick turned 70 last month.
http://www.philly.com/dai...e_for_Pirates_GM_job.html

And they may be interviewing non-FOTs

Tony LaCava, who lives in Oakmont and currently is the director of player personnel for the Toronto Blue Jays, could be a GM candidate.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07252/815927-13.stm

If Coonelly (Major League Baseball's Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Labor Relations,) is hired, (as the Pirates CEO) as expected, Chicago White Sox assistant general manager Rich Hahn would be considered one of the frontrunners to be hired as GM. ...Hahn is considered one of the shrewdest young executives in the game when it comes to the business side of baseball operations. He has degrees both from Harvard Law School and Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. http://www.timesonline.co...;dept_id=478568&rfi=6

[Noe in Austin]

If Coonelly (Major League Baseball's Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Labor Relations,) is hired, (as the Pirates CEO) as expected, Chicago White Sox assistant general manager Rich Hahn would be considered one of the frontrunners to be hired as GM. ...Hahn is considered one of the shrewdest young executives in the game when it comes to the business side of baseball operations. He has degrees both from Harvard Law School and Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. http://www.timesonline.co...;dept_id=478568&rfi=6

Hmmmm... interesting.  He doesn't seem to be on Houston's radar, but then again, he would be a major threat to Pam Gardner with his set of degrees.  Northwestern *AND* Harvard.  Business side of baseball.  Hmmmmm.

[jbm]

Apparently, there are lots of Harvard connections in baseball.  This guy Hahn y'all mentioned.  The sunday JDJO article mentioned Forst who was listed as a "Harvard graduate" and Woodfork who was described as a "four year starter on Harvard's baseball team."  I am a lame googler but it appears that Selig is a Harvard alum also.