Manager-Organization Relationship

An excerpt from a October 20, 2006 article called "Talk isn’t so cheap anymore" by Mike Berardino.

Girardi’s dismissal – and rapid replacement with Braves third base coach Fredi Gonzalez- has made us reconsider the modern relationship between a manager and his general manager.

Must they be best friends? Regular dinner partners? Should their wives be in the same bunco group? Should their children trade Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards in the backyard barbecues?

Not necessary. But it’s clear from the Marlins fallout as well as Buck Showalter’s dismissal in Texas that the chain of command flows from the top down rather than in reverse, regardless of a manager’s resume.

It’s also clear that a modern G.M.-manager combo will work only if the two people are able to stay “on the same page,” to borrow Beinfest’s phrase, even if there are minor disagreements along the way.

New Royals G.M. Dayton Moore, who spent his formative years observing Atlanta’s highly productive John Scherholz-Bobby Cox pairing up close, recently ranked “communication with the front office” as his No. 1 criterion for a manager.

Even before he took the Reds G.M. job this spring, Wayne Krivsky made a point of calling incumbent manager Jerry Narron several times to get his input.

“Communication is everything,” Krivsky says. “It’s really been good between us. I don’t go more than a day without talking to Jerry. I can’t remember too many days I haven’t talked to him.”

In Girardi’s case, the problems weren’t merely between him and Beinfest or even between him and owner Jeffrey Loria, with whom Girardi clashed memorably on August 6 over Loria’s habit of umpire-baiting.

Scouts, club officials and support staff all chimed in – anonymously – with gripes about Girardi, most of which revolved around the manager’s “introverted behavior” and “lack of people skills,” as one source who had spoken with the Marlins’ front office put it.

Manager-Organization Relationship

(Below is an excerpt from a October 20, 2006 article called "Talk isn’t so cheap anymore" by Mike Berardino.)

Girardi’s dismissal – and rapid replacement with Braves third base coach Fredi Gonzalez- has made us reconsider the modern relationship between a manager and his general manager.

Must they be best friends? Regular dinner partners? Should their wives be in the same bunco group? Should their children trade Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards in the backyard barbecues?

Not necessary. But it’s clear from the Marlins fallout as well as Buck Showalter’s dismissal in Texas that the chain of command flows from the top down rather than in reverse, regardless of a manager’s resume.

It’s also clear that a modern G.M.-manager combo will work only if the two people are able to stay “on the same page,” to borrow Beinfest’s phrase, even if there are minor disagreements along the way.

New Royals G.M. Dayton Moore, who spent his formative years observing Atlanta’s highly productive John Schuerholz-Bobby Cox pairing up close, recently ranked “communication with the front office” as his No. 1 criterion for a manager.

Even before he took the Reds G.M. job this spring, Wayne Krivsky made a point of calling incumbent manager Jerry Narron several times to get his input.

“Communication is everything,” Krivsky says. “It’s really been good between us. I don’t go more than a day without talking to Jerry. I can’t remember too many days I haven’t talked to him.”

In Girardi’s case, the problems weren’t merely between him and Beinfest or even between him and owner Jeffrey Loria, with whom Girardi clashed memorably on August 6 over Loria’s habit of umpire-baiting.

Scouts, club officials and support staff all chimed in – anonymously – with gripes about Girardi, most of which revolved around the manager’s “introverted behavior” and “lack of people skills,” as one source who had spoken with the Marlins’ front office put it.

"Power structures" by Sean Deveney

Excerpt of Article from January 3, 2006 in The Sporting News.

Money and market size aren't all a franchise need to get way ahead. It also needs a great front office setup -- y'know, like the ...

New England Patriots

Bill Belichick handles New England's personnel from both the front office and the sideline, with backing from owner Robert Kraft (who has gotten more hands-off with age). Belichick was hired in January 2000 and brought in Scott Pioli as his personnel deputy two weeks later. Within two years, Belichick and Pioli had turned the Patriots into Super Bowl champs, relying on overlooked players such as Bryan Cox, Antowain Smith and, of course, sixth-round draft pick Tom Brady. The team has made bold personnel moves, emphasizing a team of replaceable parts by getting rid of popular players -- Drew Bledsoe, Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law -- before they became salary cap burdens. The results are undeniable: three Super Bowl championships in four years.

San Antonio Spurs

Says one pro scout of the Spurs and Pistons, who are a close second to the defending champs among NBA franchises: "Those two teams listen to the people in their organizations. Most teams have a bunch of scouts who never get heard, and sometimes you wonder why you bother filing reports."The Spurs have a relatively small front office, with power centralized in the pairing of coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford, but the duo is open to input from anyone in the organization. Sam Presti, for example, was hired as an intern in 2000 and has worked his way up to assistant G.M. at age 30. It's not just a show title -- Presti pushed the Spurs to stick with Tony Parker in 2001 despite a bad predraft workout, and it was Presti who introduced the Spurs to 18-year-old Ian Mahinmi, an unknown big man who was San Antonio's first-round draft pick in 2005.

Atlanta Braves

The team's roster has changed dramatically over the past two decades, but the Braves just keep piling up the hardware. They've won 14 straight division titles under general manager John Schuerholz, 65, a man who is a rarity in that he's twice as old as some of his colleagues and has been a general manager in the big leagues for 24 years. Schuerholz was smart (and secure) enough to hire Frank Wren as assistant G.M. just a week after Wren had been dumped by the Orioles (for, among other things, "incompetence") six years ago. The pairing has made for a sharp duo at the top. Also on board is 38-year-old Dayton Moore, an assistant G.M. who many believe will be an excellent general manager and Schuerholz's likely successor. Schuerholz also has unwavering trust in a scouting staff that includes Dick Balderson, Jim Fregosi and Chuck McMichael.

Article available at: http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=49822.