Billy Beane: Up and Down and Up Again
Date posted: May 4, 2006
Written by: highlight_reel
Billy Beane was always good at whatever he did as a kid. Take this: Beane could dunk before he could palm a ball. He was a superior athlete in everything, a tremendous competitor.
Beane was drafted in 1980 by the New York Mets, with the 23rd pick in the 1st round. The main question after drafting Billy was whether he was going to college, or going to the pros. Stanford offered him a scholarship, and the New York Mets offered him $125,000 cash.
The decision was his, not his parents’: college or sign? Billy chose to sign with the Mets, for the latter amount of cash.
That was a decision that he lived to regret. Billy showed loads of power, and potential to gain more, but still, he played poorly. In his first 5 seasons, playing from low A to AA, Billy averaged .243 with 9 homeruns per year. In the end of 1984, despite his bad average and low production, Billy was called up to the New York Mets. He hit .100.
From then on, he became Mr. Journeyman. He went AAA to MLB to AAA to MLB to AAA to MLB to AAA to MLB. Billy, the so called “future hall-of-famer” went to being the next bust. His career average was a dismal .219, just above the Mendoza line.
As a Twin, Billy played in 92 games over 2 seasons and hit .217 with 3 HRs.
In 1989, Beane was signed as a free agent by the Oakland Athletics. After playing 37 games and hitting .241, Billy called it quits in spring training of 1990. He came into the GM, Sandy Alderson’s office, and asked him for a job as an MLB Advance Scout. Reluctantly, Alderson gave him the job.
3 years passed since Beane retired as a baseball player, and when Walt Jocketty (the assistant general manager) left the organization in 1993, Beane was promoted.
In October of 1997, the A’s once again promoted Billy. With Sandy Alderson stepping down, Billy Beane took the reigns of General Manager.
Sandy Alderson now serves as CEO of the San Diego Padres.
Billy Beane changed the Oakland franchise, from top to bottom. Taking over a franchise with not as much money as teams like the New York Yankees, Beane had to find a way to spend little money, but still get results. Using a statistic that was still not a household name, ON-BASE PERCENTAGE, Billy was able to do just that.
Players like Scott Hatteberg and John Mabry, supposedly “washed away players”, found their way into the Athletics’ organization. Scott Hatteberg always had great plate discipline, but no one recognized that.
No one, that is, except for Billy Beane.
In the draft room, to any normal baseball fan, Beane is an idiot. In the draft room, to anybody who’s seen Beane’s magic work for many years, Beane is nothing but genius. Take Barry Zito for example. Supposedly, Zito had no fastball, so he wouldn’t succeed in the big leagues.
If having a career record of 88-55 with a 3.53 ERA isn’t proving them wrong, what is?
Look at the 2002 draft. Billy Beane lost players such as Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, and Jason Isringhausen, therefore getting 6 draft picks. Billy wanted to draft 6 people in the first round: Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, Jeremy Brown, and Mark Teahen. Would you believe that he got all of them? Through some talk with Steve Phillips, Billy convinced Phillips [former GM of the Mets] to draft Scott Kazmir instead of Nick Swisher. In the end, it happened.
Check this: Nick Swisher and Joe Blanton are both in the Athletics major leagues. With Eric Chavez deciding to stay as an A, Teahen was not needed, leading to his trade. Jeremy Brown is on the A’s 40-man roster, and not only because of potential like Billy Beane was, but because he performs.
How about this statistic: From 1998-2005, the A’s compiled a record a 732-563 record, 5th best in all of baseball. This year, the A’s payroll is 21st in all of baseball. That’s $136,340,126 less than the New York Yankees.
Yet the A’s still win.
Someone, announce this: BILLY BEANE IS THE BEST GM IN BASEBALL. Period.
The Athletics DEFINITELY play
Yet it works.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just written by me today, what do you all think? Give me suggestions, and keep in mind that I am 12.
Date posted: May 4, 2006
Written by: highlight_reel
Billy Beane was always good at whatever he did as a kid. Take this: Beane could dunk before he could palm a ball. He was a superior athlete in everything, a tremendous competitor.
Beane was drafted in 1980 by the New York Mets, with the 23rd pick in the 1st round. The main question after drafting Billy was whether he was going to college, or going to the pros. Stanford offered him a scholarship, and the New York Mets offered him $125,000 cash.
The decision was his, not his parents’: college or sign? Billy chose to sign with the Mets, for the latter amount of cash.
That was a decision that he lived to regret. Billy showed loads of power, and potential to gain more, but still, he played poorly. In his first 5 seasons, playing from low A to AA, Billy averaged .243 with 9 homeruns per year. In the end of 1984, despite his bad average and low production, Billy was called up to the New York Mets. He hit .100.
From then on, he became Mr. Journeyman. He went AAA to MLB to AAA to MLB to AAA to MLB to AAA to MLB. Billy, the so called “future hall-of-famer” went to being the next bust. His career average was a dismal .219, just above the Mendoza line.
As a Twin, Billy played in 92 games over 2 seasons and hit .217 with 3 HRs.
In 1989, Beane was signed as a free agent by the Oakland Athletics. After playing 37 games and hitting .241, Billy called it quits in spring training of 1990. He came into the GM, Sandy Alderson’s office, and asked him for a job as an MLB Advance Scout. Reluctantly, Alderson gave him the job.
3 years passed since Beane retired as a baseball player, and when Walt Jocketty (the assistant general manager) left the organization in 1993, Beane was promoted.
In October of 1997, the A’s once again promoted Billy. With Sandy Alderson stepping down, Billy Beane took the reigns of General Manager.
Sandy Alderson now serves as CEO of the San Diego Padres.
Billy Beane changed the Oakland franchise, from top to bottom. Taking over a franchise with not as much money as teams like the New York Yankees, Beane had to find a way to spend little money, but still get results. Using a statistic that was still not a household name, ON-BASE PERCENTAGE, Billy was able to do just that.
Players like Scott Hatteberg and John Mabry, supposedly “washed away players”, found their way into the Athletics’ organization. Scott Hatteberg always had great plate discipline, but no one recognized that.
No one, that is, except for Billy Beane.
In the draft room, to any normal baseball fan, Beane is an idiot. In the draft room, to anybody who’s seen Beane’s magic work for many years, Beane is nothing but genius. Take Barry Zito for example. Supposedly, Zito had no fastball, so he wouldn’t succeed in the big leagues.
If having a career record of 88-55 with a 3.53 ERA isn’t proving them wrong, what is?
Look at the 2002 draft. Billy Beane lost players such as Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, and Jason Isringhausen, therefore getting 6 draft picks. Billy wanted to draft 6 people in the first round: Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, Jeremy Brown, and Mark Teahen. Would you believe that he got all of them? Through some talk with Steve Phillips, Billy convinced Phillips [former GM of the Mets] to draft Scott Kazmir instead of Nick Swisher. In the end, it happened.
Check this: Nick Swisher and Joe Blanton are both in the Athletics major leagues. With Eric Chavez deciding to stay as an A, Teahen was not needed, leading to his trade. Jeremy Brown is on the A’s 40-man roster, and not only because of potential like Billy Beane was, but because he performs.
How about this statistic: From 1998-2005, the A’s compiled a record a 732-563 record, 5th best in all of baseball. This year, the A’s payroll is 21st in all of baseball. That’s $136,340,126 less than the New York Yankees.
Yet the A’s still win.
Someone, announce this: BILLY BEANE IS THE BEST GM IN BASEBALL. Period.
The Athletics DEFINITELY play
Yet it works.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just written by me today, what do you all think? Give me suggestions, and keep in mind that I am 12.
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