Today's Personnel Directors/GMs: Former Athletes?

[Adamski47]

Roughly what % of todays personenel directors and/or GMs used to play the sport (or a sport) that they now work in? A friend and I were having this discussion and I thought the % was very high perhaps even 80-90% while he thought it was very low (almost the opposite percentages).

I briefly looked for a link somewhere for this info but couldn't find anything.

Thanks!

[Joe]

23%

[Suicane75]

23%

Even if this is a joke I would say it's probably near correct, probably a little high, but near correct.

[SackAttack]

http://nba.insidehoops.com/general-managers.shtml

That's a list of NBA GMs. Offhand, I recognize Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, Jerry West, Kevin McHale, John Paxson, and Isaiah Thomas as being former NBA players. There's a couple of other names on there that I think might have been, but I'm not positive. At any rate, that's 20% right off the bat in the NBA.

I'll see if I can track down similar lists in the NFL, NHL, and MLB.

[Joe]

http://nba.insidehoops.com/general-managers.shtml

That's a list of NBA GMs. Offhand, I recognize Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, Jerry West, Kevin McHale, John Paxson, and Isaiah Thomas as being former NBA players. There's a couple of other names on there that I think might have been, but I'm not positive. At any rate, that's 20% right off the bat in the NBA.

I'll see if I can track down similar lists in the NFL, NHL, and MLB.


Also Kiki Vandeweghe and Joe Dumars for sure.

[TLK]

looking at that list... I'd say at least 75% for the NBA...

[SackAttack]

looking at that list... I'd say at least 75% for the NBA...

Wouldn't surprise me. My awareness level for the NBA is easily the lowest of any of the Big Four. I recognized around 20-30% of the names on the list, but I'm not shocked that I'd miss some.

[SackAttack]

Also Kiki Vandeweghe and Joe Dumars for sure.

Joe Dumars was one of the names I recognized, but it was on the "not sure" list because I wasn't sure if it was as a player, or from something else, that I recognized him.

[SackAttack]

looking at that list... I'd say at least 75% for the NBA...

Which, if true, would mean something like 22 or 23 former players running teams. With roughly 120 teams among the four major sports (might be slightly higher than that, but 120 is a good base number), you'd only need 7 more former players combined among the other 3 sports to hit 25% I think it'll probably settle in around 40% if we can track down all the info.

[TLK]

are we still considering hockey a major sport? :)

[SackAttack]

I'm feeling generous.

[Maple Leafs]

I'd say virtually all GMs have played the sport at some level. But if you mean as professionals, my guess would be in the 20% range.

[Joe]

are we still considering hockey a major sport? :)


no.

[TLK]

I can't find any complete lists for either the NFL or MLB....

[stevew]

Geoff Petrie
Ernie Grunfeld
Isiah Thomas
Allan Bristow
Rod Thorn
Kevin McHale
Jerry West
Mitch Kupchak
Elgin Baylor
Larry Bird
Chris Mullin
Joe Dumars
Jim Paxson
John Paxson
Kiki Vandeweghe
Don Nelson
Danny Ainge
Billy Knight

These 17 are former NBA or ABA players.

[SackAttack]

Let's try starting with baseball, if I have to put this together piece by piece...

NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks: Joe Garagiola, Jr.
Colorado Rockies: Dan O'Dowd
Los Angeles Dodgers: Paul Depodesta
San Diego Padres: Kevin Towers
San Francisco Giants: Brian Sabean

NL Central
Chicago Cubs: Jim Hendry
Cincinnati Reds: Dan O'Brien
Houston Astros: Tim Pupura
Milwaukee Brewers: Doug Melvin
Pittsburgh Pirates: Kevin Littlefield
St. Louis Cardinals: Walt Jocketty

NL East
Atlanta Braves: John Scheuerholz
Florida Marlins: Larry Beinfest
Washington Nationals: Jim Bowden
New York Mets: Omar Minaya
Philadelphia Phillies: Ed Wade

AL West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Bill Stoneman
Oakland A's: Billy Beane
Seattle Mariners: Bill Bavasi
Texas Rangers: John Hart

AL Central
Chicago White Sox: Ken Williams
Cleveland Indians: Mark Shapiro
Detroit Tigers: Dave Dombrowski
Kansas City Royals: Allard Baird
Minnesota Twins: Terry Ryan

AL East
Boston Red Sox: Theo Epstein
Baltimore Orioles: Jim Beattie
New York Yankees: Brian Cashman
Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Chuck LaMar
Toronto Blue Jays: J.P. Ricciardi

Couple of former players on that list, but it seems like by and large, GMs in baseball tend not to be former stars.

[clintl]

Couple of former players on that list, but it seems like by and large, GMs in baseball tend not to be former stars.

Them not being former stars is accurate, but you might have to dig a little deeper to determine if they were former players. It wouldn't surprise me much if some of them were guys who played in the minor leagues, but just never made it to the majors. Baseball has a long tradition of those types becoming coaches and managers, and I'd say there's a pretty chance some of them make it to the front office, too.

[SackAttack]

Them not being former stars is accurate, but you might have to dig a little deeper to determine if they were former players. It wouldn't surprise me much if some of them were guys who played in the minor leagues, but just never made it to the majors. Baseball has a long tradition of those types becoming coaches and managers, and I'd say there's a pretty chance some of them make it to the front office, too.

Oh, that wouldn't shock me at all. I know Billy Beane is a former player, for example, although he was a career. 200 hitter or somesuch. But no names that immediately jump out at you the way Larry Bird does, is what I meant.

[TLK]

maybe a perfect 20% in baseball.....

Dan O'Brien
Doug Melvin
Bill Stoneman
Billy Beane
Ken Williams
Jim Beattie

[SackAttack]

With MIJB#19's help...

Baltimore Ravens: Ozzie Newsome
Buffalo Bills: Tom Donahoe
Miami Dolphins: Rick Spielman
Arizona Cardinals: John Izdik
New England Patriots: Bob Craft
Cincinnati Bengals: Jim Lippincott/Duke Tobin (unless their titles are honorary and it's still Mike Brown)
Cleveland Browns: Phil Savage
Houston Texans: Charley Casserly
Pittsburgh Steelers: Cowher, maybe? (edit: Kevin Colbert, says Swaggs)
Jacksonville Jaguars: Skip Richardson or Paul Vance
Tennessee Titans: Floyd Reese
Denver Broncos: Ted Sundquist
Kansas City Chiefs: Carl D. Peterson
San Diego Chargers: A.J. Smith
Dallas Cowboys: I thought it was Bill Parcells, but MIJB says their site lists it as Jerry Jones
NY Giants: Ernie Accorsi
Chicago Bears: Jerry Angelo
Green Bay Packers: Ted Thompson
Atlanta Falcons: Rich McKay
Carolina Panthers: Marty Hurney
New Orleans Saints: Mickey Loomis
Tampa Bay Bucs: Bruce Allen
Oakland Raiders: Al Davis? I found a website from a guy who mentioned getting a Raider internship after an email from GM Bruce Allen, but MIJB seems to think Allen is the Bucs' GM.
Philadelphia Eagles: Andy Reid
Washington Redskins: Joe Gibbs (it's GM-by-committee, but he's head of the committee).
Detroit Lions: Matt Millen, unless he turned over personnel control to Mooch
Minnesota Vikings: Hell if I know. Mike Tice?
Indianapolis Colts: Bill Polian
New York Jets: Terry Bradway
St. Louis Rams: Mike Martz
Seattle Seahawks: Bob Ferguson
San Francisco 49ers: Terry Donahue

Lemme know if I've goofed on any of these.

[Swaggs]

Steelers' GM is Kevin Colbert.

[JonInMiddleGA]

maybe a perfect 20% in baseball.....

Dan O'Brien
Doug Melvin
Bill Stoneman
Billy Beane
Ken Williams
Jim Beattie

Omar Minaya "played briefly in the minor leagues"
http://www.hispanicheritageawards.org/hispanic_det.php?id=89

[Joe]

here's one for the nfl, it seems to be current

http://www.combines.com/leagues/directory/nfl_directory.pdf

[SackAttack]

Where were you three hours ago? :-p

[henry296]

I thought Jim Beattie played, but his co-GM is Mike Flanagan and he definately played.

Todd

[Joe]

Where were you three hours ago? :-p

Looking for that fucking webpage. :D

[SackAttack]

Oh, okay. You're excused, then.

I thought you might have been applying for the Assistant GM opening the Ravens have. :-o

[Young Drachma]

Let's try starting with baseball, if I have to put this together piece by piece...

NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks: Joe Garagiola, Jr.
Colorado Rockies: Dan O'Dowd
Los Angeles Dodgers: Paul Depodesta
San Diego Padres: Kevin Towers
San Francisco Giants: Brian Sabean

NL Central
Chicago Cubs: Jim Hendry
Cincinnati Reds: Dan O'Brien
Houston Astros: Tim Pupura
Milwaukee Brewers: Doug Melvin
Pittsburgh Pirates: Kevin Littlefield
St. Louis Cardinals: Walt Jocketty

NL East
Atlanta Braves: John Scheuerholz
Florida Marlins: Larry Beinfest
Washington Nationals: Jim Bowden
New York Mets: Omar Minaya
Philadelphia Phillies: Ed Wade

AL West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Bill Stoneman
Oakland A's: Billy Beane
Seattle Mariners: Bill Bavasi
Texas Rangers: John Hart

AL Central
Chicago White Sox: Ken Williams
Cleveland Indians: Mark Shapiro
Detroit Tigers: Dave Dombrowski
Kansas City Royals: Allard Baird
Minnesota Twins: Terry Ryan

AL East
Boston Red Sox: Theo Epstein
Baltimore Orioles: Jim Beattie
New York Yankees: Brian Cashman
Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Chuck LaMar
Toronto Blue Jays: J.P. Ricciardi

Couple of former players on that list, but it seems like by and large, GMs in baseball tend not to be former stars.

Yeah, baseball is still more business in its operations than other sports. Because of the lack of a salary cap, I think that you just find people who have to be better at actual business stuff, where in other sports, its more about evaluation of talent, with the money being dealt with by hands-on owners for some weird reason.

Well, 'cept for the Boss and a few others in baseball.

[SackAttack]

Well, the other sports largely have controls over your expenditures, so that unless you're really, really creative, you can only spend X number of dollars. The NFL in particular makes so much money above and beyond what they allow their teams to spend that it affords the GMs the luxury of being talent evaluators more than businessmen.

Same with the NBA, to a lesser extent.

I'd wager that you'll see it happen in hockey if the owners get their salary cap, and that if baseball ever heads down that road, the same thing will happen.