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My name is Matthew Carlson. I am 33 years old, and I have just received my dream job. I have just been named the General Manager of a Major League Baseball team. Granted, it is an expansion team. But it is an MLB team nonetheless. And I should clarify my dream a bit. My dream for the longest time was to be the starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs in Game 7 of the World Series. But my elbow did not cooperate, and I was forced to give up on that dream at the age of 24. But I knew I wanted to continue in the game of baseball in some form or fashion. And once I got a taste of scouting, player development, and being involved in the front office, my dream began to transition and take a different route.
It all started when the Cubs gave me an opportunity to do some scouting. From there I moved into their baseball operations department. I was able to get involved in some player contract discussions and player acquisitions, and loved it. Eventually I was able to work my way up to the assistant to the GM position, where I have been for the last 2 1/2 years.
Meanwhile, I have a friend, Cole Sullivan, from my time at the University of Michigan who was from North Dakota, and his family was in the oil business. They managed to strike it rich with a number of oil wells there, and lo and behold, his dad convinces Major League Baseball to put an expansion team in Minot, North Dakota. Mr. Sullivan soon called me and gave me the opportunity I had been dreaming about since my playing career was cut short. I was now a Major League Baseball general manager! Sure, it is the GM of an expansion team located in the middle of North Dakota. But it is still a major league team.
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