Billy Beane

Last updated

It's all about evaluating skills and putting a price on them. Thirty years ago, stockbrokers used to buy stock strictly by feel. Let's put it this way: Anyone in the game with a 401(k) has a choice. They can choose a fund manager who manages their retirement by gut instinct, or one who chooses by research and analysis. I know which way I'd choose.

–Billy Beane [38]

After the 2002 season, the Boston Red Sox made Beane an offer of $12.5 million to become their GM, [35] but he declined. [39] On April 15, 2005, Beane received a contract extension to remain with the Athletics as the team's general manager through 2012, and new team owner Lewis Wolff awarded Beane a small portion of the team's ownership. [40] In February 2012, the Athletics extended Beane's contract through 2019. [41]

From their 2006 playoff appearance until 2012, the Athletics did not make the playoffs or finish above .500, which triggered criticism of Beane and his approach in some quarters, especially in 2009. [38] Beane largely dismisses criticism of his approach, indicating that his philosophy revolves around research and analysis. [38] Many other general managers have followed Beane's strategy and now use similar approaches. [42]

"Moneyball" has changed how players are valued, and Beane had begun concentrating on high school players, a group he once largely ignored, in the MLB draft, considering them to be heavily undervalued. [38] He and other like-minded GMs also changed their draft strategies to focus more on defensive skills, which became undervalued in the years immediately after the Moneyball revolution. This new emphasis on defense was displayed in the 2010 season; although the Athletics finished at .500 and again missed the playoffs, they led MLB in defensive efficiency, measured as the percentage of balls put into play by opponents that resulted in outs, and allowed the fewest runs in the AL. [43] In the 2012 season, the Athletics again made the playoffs under Beane, winning the AL West title on the last day of the regular season. The Athletics returned to the playoffs in 2013 by winning the American League West division title again, the team's first back-to-back division championships since the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

In December 2009, Sports Illustrated named Beane #10 on its list of the Top 10 GMs/Executives of the Decade in all sports. [44] [lower-alpha 1]

On October 5, 2015, the Athletics announced that Beane had been promoted to executive vice president of baseball operations. Assistant GM David Forst assumed the job of general manager. [45] In November 2022, Beane transitioned into a new role as senior advisor to owner John Fisher, and Forst became the new head of baseball operations. [1]

Activities outside baseball

Soccer

When the Athletics ownership group agreed to purchase the reincarnation of the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer, Beane, who has expressed a passion for soccer, began developing a system for objectively analyzing soccer players. He has agreed to help the Earthquakes front office develop a method for building a cost-effective team, as the salary cap in MLS is even more restrictive than the Athletics status as a small-market team in Major League Baseball. [46] However, a system has yet to be implemented.

Beane has regarded Arsenal's former manager Arsène Wenger as a personal idol. Beane has held discussions with Wenger, former Manchester United F.C. manager Alex Ferguson, and Liverpool F.C. owner John W. Henry. [47] His friendship with ex-Arsenal scout Damien Comolli and Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke allowed him to delve deep into the world of English soccer. [48]

In March 2015, the Dutch soccer club AZ Alkmaar, under general director Robert Eenhoorn, a former major leaguer, hired Beane as an advisor. [49] He became a shareholder of the club five years later. acquiring a 5% stake in 2020. [50] On December 19, 2017, Beane became part of a consortium led by Chien Lee to purchase Barnsley Football Club, which plays in the EFL League One, the third tier of the English football league system. [51] [52]

Software industry

On January 4, 2007, the software company NetSuite named Beane to its board of directors. NetSuite co-founder Evan Goldberg cited Beane's ability to combine facts with instinct as an important factor in the decision to involve him in the company. [53] Beane also served as a consultant for, and appears in, the video game MLB Front Office Manager . [54] [55]

Moneyball

Author Michael Lewis made Beane the subject of his 2003 best-selling book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game . The book explores Beane's methods as the GM of the Athletics and how he, along with Paul DePodesta, [56] used sabermetric principles to field a winning team despite an exceptionally low payroll. The book and Beane's methods have influenced the way many teams and players think about the game of baseball. [57]

The book was made into the 2011 film Moneyball , [38] in which Beane was portrayed by Brad Pitt. Pitt's performance in the film earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Personal life

Beane's first marriage was to Cathy Sturdivant. The couple has a daughter, Casey Beane.

Beane is married to Tara Beane. [58] The couple have twins, Brayden and Tinsley Beane. [38] [59]

Beane attended the University of California, San Diego, during the baseball off-seasons of his playing career. [60]

Notes

  1. ↑ The list's only other MLB executives were Theo Epstein (No. 3) and Pat Gillick (No. 7). [44]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On-base percentage</span> Hitting statistic in baseball

In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a true percentage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabermetrics</span> Analysis of baseball statistics

In sports analytics, sabermetrics is the empirical analysis of baseball, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. Sabermetricians collect and summarize the relevant data from this in-game activity to answer specific questions. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research, founded in 1971. The term "sabermetrics" was coined by Bill James, who is one of its pioneers and is often considered its most prominent advocate and public face.

<i>Moneyball</i> 2003 book by Michael Lewis

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game is a book by Michael Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. It describes the team's sabermetric approach to assembling a competitive baseball team on a small budget. It led to the 2011 film Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Justice</span> American baseball player (born 1966)

David Christopher Justice is an American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He won the World Series with the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees, won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1990, and has been named a three-time MLB All-Star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. P. Ricciardi</span> American baseball executive (born 1959)

John Paul Ricciardi is an American Major League Baseball executive currently serving as a special advisor to the president of baseball operations with the San Francisco Giants. He previously served as the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2001 to 2009.

Scott Allen Hatteberg is an American former professional first baseman and catcher. From 1995 through 2008, he played in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, and Cincinnati Reds. Before his major league career, Hatteberg attended Washington State University, where he played college baseball for the Cougars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul DePodesta</span> American football executive

Paul DePodesta is an American football executive and former baseball executive who is the chief strategy officer of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as a front-office assistant for the Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, and New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). DePodesta was also general manager of MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers. He is also known for his appearance in the book and movie Moneyball about his early career as an assistant with the Athletics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Washington</span> American baseball player, coach, and manager

Ronald Washington is an American professional baseball manager, coach, and former player. Since November 2023, Washington has been the manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Howe</span> American baseball player and manager (born 1946)

Arthur Henry Howe Jr. is an American former professional baseball infielder, coach, scout, and manager, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1974–1975), Houston Astros (1976–1982), and St. Louis Cardinals (1984–1985). Howe managed the Astros (1989–1993), Oakland Athletics (1996–2002), and New York Mets (2003–2004), compiling a career managerial record of 1,129 wins and 1,137 losses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Alderson</span> American baseball executive

Richard Lynn "Sandy" Alderson is an American baseball executive. He was most recently the president of the New York Mets. He previously served as the general manager of the New York Mets from 2011 to 2018, an executive in the Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres organizations, and the commissioner's office of Major League Baseball. As a front office executive, Alderson led the Athletics to a World Series championship in 1989 and led the Athletics to the World Series in three straight seasons. Alderson led the Mets to the 2015 World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Geren</span> American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1961)

Robert Peter Geren is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1988–1991) and San Diego Padres (1993). Geren managed the Oakland Athletics from 2007 through 2011. He served in various coaching capacities for the A's and New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He is currently the major league field coordinator for the Dodgers.

The 2002 Oakland Athletics season was the 102nd season in franchise history and the 35th season in Oakland, California. The Athletics finished first in the American League West with a record of 103–59.

The Oakland Athletics' 1997 season was the 30th in Oakland, California. It was also the 97th season in the franchise history. The team finished fourth in the American League West with a record of 65–97.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Eenhoorn</span> Dutch baseball player

Robert Franciscus Eenhoorn is a Dutch former professional baseball player and manager. He played four seasons of Major League Baseball as a utility infielder for the New York Yankees and California/Anaheim Angels. On September 27, 1997, Eenhoorn became the first Dutch-born player to hit a home run in the Major Leagues since Jack Lelivelt in 1912. The feat was later repeated by Greg Halman and Didi Gregorius. All other Dutch MLB players to have hit home runs were born elsewhere, mainly in the country's Caribbean territories, most notably the Curaçao natives Andruw Jones and Hensley Meulens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Pittaro</span> American baseball player (born 1961)

Christopher Francis Pittaro is an American former professional baseball infielder. Pittaro played during three seasons in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins from 1985 through 1987. Prior to playing professionally, he played college baseball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He has served as a scout and front office executive for the Oakland Athletics since 1991.

Benjamin James Fritz is an American professional baseball coach and former pitcher. He is the bullpen coach for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB).

<i>Moneyball</i> (film) 2011 film by Bennett Miller

Moneyball is a 2011 American biographical sports drama film that was directed by Bennett Miller with a script by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin from a story by Stan Chervin. The film is based on the 2003 nonfiction book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis. The book is an account of the Oakland Athletics baseball team's 2002 season and their general manager Billy Beane's attempts to assemble a competitive team. In the film, Beane and assistant general manager Peter Brand, faced with the franchise's limited budget for players, build a team of undervalued talent by taking a sophisticated sabermetric approach to scouting and analyzing players. Philip Seymour Hoffman also stars as Art Howe.

Farhan Zaidi is a Canadian baseball executive who is currently the president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball.

David Lee Forst is an American baseball executive with the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. He is the general manager of the Athletics.

Grady Lee Fuson is an American professional baseball scout and executive who is a special adviser for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball.

References

Bibliography
In-line citations
  1. 1 2 "A's architect Beane takes on new role as senior advisor". www.mlb.com. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Billy Beane takes minority stake in AZ". www.az.nl. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Moneyball. p. 66.
  4. ↑ "Oakland A's: Executive Profiles: Billy Beane". Mlb.mlb.com. October 17, 1997. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  5. ↑ Moneyball. p. 7.
  6. 1 2 Moneyball. p. 9.
  7. 1 2 Moneyball. p. 10.
  8. ↑ "Mets get first grab". The Bonham Daily Favorite. United Press International. June 3, 1980. p. 3. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  9. ↑ Moneyball. pp. 10–11.
  10. ↑ Moneyball. p. 11.
  11. ↑ Moneyball. pp. 12–137.
  12. ↑ Moneyball. p. 43.
  13. 1 2 Moneyball. p. 44.
  14. ↑ Moneyball. p. 45.
  15. ↑ Moneyball. pp. 46–47.
  16. ↑ "Twins Trade Tim Teufel". The Michigan Daily . Associated Press. January 17, 1986. p. 9. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Mets Trade for Twins' Teufel; Stadler, Mize Share Hope Lead" . Sun Sentinel . January 17, 1986. p. 2.C. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Beane's battle" . Minneapolis Star Tribune . March 21, 1987. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  19. 1 2 Hafner, Dan (September 5, 1987). "American League Roundup Expanded Roster Gives Twins a Quick Payoff" . Los Angeles Times . p. 10. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Twins deal for Gladden, drop Hatcher, Sample" . Minneapolis Star-Tribune. April 1, 1987. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Puckett homer could spur pennant drive" . Minneapolis Star-Tribune. September 4, 1987. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Expos Buy Pinch-Hitter Nettles" . Philadelphia Daily News . March 25, 1988. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  23. ↑ Loomis, Tom (April 4, 1988). "King Should Get Put-Up-Or-Shut-Up Trial With Toledo". Toledo Blade . p. 23. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Transactions". Ludington Daily News. Associated Press. April 29, 1988. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  25. ↑ Lee, Jane (March 26, 2015). "Billy Beane introduced Billy Bean to team today. They played in same OF in Toledo in 1988. At one point, other outfielder's last name: Rice".
  26. 1 2 "A's Sign Young for Two Years; Phils, McDowell Agree to 3 Years, $6 Million" . San Jose Mercury News . January 17, 1990. p. 2D. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  27. ↑ "Sanderson Wants to Get Back into the Rotation" . The Sacramento Bee. April 2, 1990. p. D7. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  28. ↑ Moneyball. p. 55.
  29. ↑ "Beane Offered Scouting Job, Rickey Says He'll Ask To Renegotiate if he Has Big Season" . San Jose Mercury News. April 3, 1990. p. 2E. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  30. ↑ Moneyball. p. 62.
  31. ↑ "Rickey Sings New York, New York" . The Sacramento Bee. July 18, 1993. p. C11. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  32. ↑ Moneyball. p. 57.
  33. ↑ Moneyball. p. 58.
  34. ↑ Moneyball. p. 59.
  35. 1 2 Moneyball. pp. 62–63.
  36. ↑ "Beane Takes Over For Alderson: Former GM Will Remain Team President" . The Sacramento Bee . October 18, 1997. p. C4. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  37. ↑ "MLB Standings – 2006".
  38. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bryant, Howard (July 27, 2009). "The Revolutionary". ESPN.com . Retrieved July 28, 2009.
  39. ↑ Chass, Murray (November 11, 2002). "Beane Wavers, Then Says No to Red Sox". The New York Times. p. D9. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Beane also gets extension through 2012". ESPN. Associated Press. April 1, 2005. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  41. ↑ "Oakland Athletics agree to extend GM Billy Beane, President Michael Crowley through 2019". Associated Press. February 7, 2012. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  42. ↑ Cowen, Tyler; Grier, Kevin (December 11, 2011). "The Economics of Moneyball". Grantland.com . Retrieved February 13, 2012.
  43. ↑ Jazayerli, Rany (July 8, 2011). "Undervalued Sluggers". Grantland.com . Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  44. 1 2 Friedman, Dick (December 22, 2009). "2000s: Top 10 GMs/Executives". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  45. ↑ Calcaterra, Craig (October 5, 2015). "Billy Beane promoted to VP, David Forst named A's general manager" . Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  46. ↑ Kelly, Cathal (August 21, 2007). "Mr. Beane's love affair with football". The Star. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  47. ↑ Lyttleton, Ben (March 26, 2015). "Why Billy Beane was right to avoid the EPL and work with AZ Alkmaar". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  48. ↑ Bascombe, Chris (October 13, 2011). "Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger is an idol of mine, says revered baseball coach Billy Beane" . The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  49. ↑ "AZ Alkmaar hire Oakland A's general manager and Moneyball hero Billy Beane". The Guardian. March 18, 2015.
  50. ↑ "West Ham v AZ Alkmaar: The Dutch Moneyball team chasing Europa Conference victory". BBC Sport . May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  51. ↑ Club Statement Barnsley F.C. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  52. ↑ PRESS: Majority Shareholders Address The Media. Barnsley F.C. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  53. ↑ "Billy Beane takes seat on NetSuite board". San Francisco Business Times. January 4, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  54. ↑ Srinivasan, Shanker (November 21, 2008). "GameSpot MLB Front Office Manager First Look". GameSpot . p. 1. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  55. ↑ "MLB Front Office Manager screenshot". 2K Sports . October 31, 2008. Archived from the original on October 25, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  56. ↑ Kuper, Simon (November 13, 2011). "Inside Baseball: Michael Lewis and Billy Beane talk Moneyball". Slate . Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  57. ↑ "Rethinking Moneyball – MLB – Yahoo! Sports". Yahoo! Sports. February 22, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  58. ↑ "Meet Billy Beane's Daughter Casey Beane With Wife Tara Beane - Photos and Facts".
  59. ↑ Brown, Daniel (October 29, 2013). "Oakland A's Billy Beane's crazy family tree: Madonna, Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton". San Jose Mercury News . Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  60. ↑ "Bay Area ballclubs have two gems for GMs: The A's Billy Beane and the Giants' Brian Sabean employ different philosophies, but both generate successful results" . The Sacramento Bee . February 12, 2006. p. C1. Retrieved March 1, 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
Billy Beane
Billy Beane - General Manager Oakland As (5964095428).jpg
Beane in 2012
Oakland Athletics
President of baseball operations
Born: (1962-03-29) March 29, 1962 (age 62)
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 13, 1984, for the New York Mets
Last MLB appearance
October 1, 1989, for the Oakland Athletics
Franchise
Ballparks
Culture
Lore
Rivalries
Key personnel
Important figures
World Series
Champions (9)
American League
Championships (15)
AL West Division
Championships (17)
AL Wild Card (4)
Minors
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.