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Young Drachma · 10-18-2007, 12:10 AM

YOU WANNA TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?: INSIDE THE HEAD OF A WANDERING G.M.

So, you're reading along and sopping up all the tasty morsels my brain can concoct and in the process of trying to wrap your mind around all of the mindblowing changes that have happened to baseball since relegation and promotion were implemented is "What the HELL is D.C. Daly doing? It doesn't make any sense?!"

If you go back to the beginning, you have to think about who we're dealing with here. He's a kid that came into a job that all of us -- well, most of us -- dream of. He got the keys to a franchise and was told to do his best to get them out of the doldrums and given the scratch to make it happen.

So when he screws up and actually pulls off the impossible, he starts to think "well, this is easy." And starts to believe in his own magic too much.

Clearly, the kid has a gift. No team he's run has been relegated yet, even after he's left, but he hasn't exactly gone out of his way to be a finisher or even to necessarily prove his loyalty.

He'll say all of the right things in press conferences and the fans will believe him and then before you know it, he's gone.

The fact that he's such a primadonna that he needs the attention of even casual fans knowing who he is -- what other fourth division team had a GM whose departure was top news on Sportscenter? -- tells you that our friend here has some issues.

I think he thinks that it was supposed to all be as easy as it was in the beginning. And that he could even go and take money he got from "working hard" and investing well and maybe even from Daddy (we didn't mention that part, though...) to go and buy a baseball team and get the idea that "well, if I run them, we'll win, we'll be in the majors and I'll show those guys that I'm just as good as they are."

They, being his friends..the owners. See, he's obviously not the most patient and he's clearly not that inclined to take orders from the person writing the checks. He's like a kid who runs a school club and tries to turn it into his own fiefdom, not realizing that once he leaves, someone else has to try to navigate whatever mess he left.

I don't think the problem here is that he's a bad GM or that he'll be allowed to bounce around the league like this much longer. Far more talented individuals have been known to languish at the hands of owners who want someone they can trust and who'll keep their word.

The protagonist in our story has yet to find his way, in part because I'm not sure he knows what he wants or even how to get there. I think if I had to do some soul-searching just from what I've read, I'd say that he's probably trying hard to recreate what he had in Boston, but gave up because his ego got the best of him and he believed the grass was greener in Providence, before deciding that was a bad situation and getting a team in Worcester...and YOU KNOW what he was thinking by buying that particular team. (Worcester could've competed with Boston if they were in the majors....what guts this guy has?!)

I don't think the move to LA, even in what amounted to an interim capacity was a bad idea. Would've been better if everyone went into it with that understanding, but given that he managed to do his job -- even if it was controversial at times -- was all they wanted from him.

But back to what I was saying about redemption and recreating what you didn't have before....It's true that the Yankees have not won another World Series since D.C. left in 2003. But the team also hasn't missed the playoffs in the years since then, either and until last year, had a stretch of five straight division titles to their credit.

This is essentially with guys that D.C. Daly put together and a foundation he put in place when he took the job and he's not there to reap the benefits, get the credit or just enjoy it. Because he's been a nomad in search of a home ever since, taking time off and being confused about what it is he's trying to do.

So, as we move forward...I'd say that it will be interesting to see if he'll ever be able to find his soul and to find a place where he feels he truly belongs. He's only 32 and so, he could end up doing this for another two or three decades if he's lucky. But the question remains, will he ever truly be happy? Or will it be the story of the guy who bounces around and even when he wins, never seems to find the core of what he stands for?

I guess that's what's left for us to find out.

10-18-2007, 12:10 AM	#259
Young Drachma Dark Cloud Join Date: Apr 2001	YOU WANNA TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?: INSIDE THE HEAD OF A WANDERING G.M. So, you're reading along and sopping up all the tasty morsels my brain can concoct and in the process of trying to wrap your mind around all of the mindblowing changes that have happened to baseball since relegation and promotion were implemented is "What the HELL is D.C. Daly doing? It doesn't make any sense?!" If you go back to the beginning, you have to think about who we're dealing with here. He's a kid that came into a job that all of us -- well, most of us -- dream of. He got the keys to a franchise and was told to do his best to get them out of the doldrums and given the scratch to make it happen. So when he screws up and actually pulls off the impossible, he starts to think "well, this is easy." And starts to believe in his own magic too much. Clearly, the kid has a gift. No team he's run has been relegated yet, even after he's left, but he hasn't exactly gone out of his way to be a finisher or even to necessarily prove his loyalty. He'll say all of the right things in press conferences and the fans will believe him and then before you know it, he's gone. The fact that he's such a primadonna that he needs the attention of even casual fans knowing who he is -- what other fourth division team had a GM whose departure was top news on Sportscenter? -- tells you that our friend here has some issues. I think he thinks that it was supposed to all be as easy as it was in the beginning. And that he could even go and take money he got from "working hard" and investing well and maybe even from Daddy (we didn't mention that part, though...) to go and buy a baseball team and get the idea that "well, if I run them, we'll win, we'll be in the majors and I'll show those guys that I'm just as good as they are." They, being his friends..the owners. See, he's obviously not the most patient and he's clearly not that inclined to take orders from the person writing the checks. He's like a kid who runs a school club and tries to turn it into his own fiefdom, not realizing that once he leaves, someone else has to try to navigate whatever mess he left. I don't think the problem here is that he's a bad GM or that he'll be allowed to bounce around the league like this much longer. Far more talented individuals have been known to languish at the hands of owners who want someone they can trust and who'll keep their word. The protagonist in our story has yet to find his way, in part because I'm not sure he knows what he wants or even how to get there. I think if I had to do some soul-searching just from what I've read, I'd say that he's probably trying hard to recreate what he had in Boston, but gave up because his ego got the best of him and he believed the grass was greener in Providence, before deciding that was a bad situation and getting a team in Worcester...and YOU KNOW what he was thinking by buying that particular team. (Worcester could've competed with Boston if they were in the majors....what guts this guy has?!) I don't think the move to LA, even in what amounted to an interim capacity was a bad idea. Would've been better if everyone went into it with that understanding, but given that he managed to do his job -- even if it was controversial at times -- was all they wanted from him. But back to what I was saying about redemption and recreating what you didn't have before....It's true that the Yankees have not won another World Series since D.C. left in 2003. But the team also hasn't missed the playoffs in the years since then, either and until last year, had a stretch of five straight division titles to their credit. This is essentially with guys that D.C. Daly put together and a foundation he put in place when he took the job and he's not there to reap the benefits, get the credit or just enjoy it. Because he's been a nomad in search of a home ever since, taking time off and being confused about what it is he's trying to do. So, as we move forward...I'd say that it will be interesting to see if he'll ever be able to find his soul and to find a place where he feels he truly belongs. He's only 32 and so, he could end up doing this for another two or three decades if he's lucky. But the question remains, will he ever truly be happy? Or will it be the story of the guy who bounces around and even when he wins, never seems to find the core of what he stands for? I guess that's what's left for us to find out.