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Funkmonger

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Who do you think is Baseball's Best GM?

January 22, 2005 at 02:03AM View formatted

Based on career to date, current GMs...

andrew

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January 22, 2005 at 02:08AM View BBCode

Oh boy. Here we go :)

I am going to go with the SABR head's god, Billy Beane. It is tough enough to compete in the AL West, and to do so with such a small budget is impressive.

But I have to give a nod to John Schuerholz, too.

[Edited on 1-22-2005 by andrew]

hobos

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January 22, 2005 at 02:13AM View BBCode

John Hart is still the Texas GM

ME

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January 22, 2005 at 02:13AM View BBCode

Beane/Epstein/Schulterholtz/Ryan

Funkmonger

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January 22, 2005 at 02:16AM View BBCode

Sorry if I made any other mistakes. You're right, Daniels is the Assistant GM...

lvnwrth

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January 22, 2005 at 02:23AM View BBCode

It's tough to argue against John Schuerholz, I think.

Atlanta no longer spends the mega-bucks it once did and Schuerholz has managed to turn that team over several times and win while doing it, finishing second only once since 1991. In that time, they've had:

5 starting catchers - Olson, Lopez, Estrada, Berryhill, Perez

8 starting 1b - Bream, McGriff, Galarraga, Hunter, Helms, Franco, Fick, Laroche

5 starting 2b - Lemke, Giles, Lockhart, Boone, Veras

3 starting 3b - Pendleton, Jones, Castilla

4 starting SS - Belliard, Blauser, Weiss, Furcal

8 starting LF - Smith, Klesko, Gant, Williams, Sanders, Jones, Surhoff, Thomas

6 starting CF - Gant, Nixon, Kelly, Grissom, Lofton, A. Jones

6 starting RF - Justice, Dye, Tucker, Jordan, Sheffield, Drew

Working in his favor, for most of that run his top 4 starters were pretty stable:

Glavine - 12 seasons
Maddux - 11 seasons
Smoltz - 9 seasons
Avery - 6 seasons
Millwood - 5 seasons
Leibrandt - 3 seasons
Burkett - 2 seasons
Hampton - 2 seasons
Oritz - 2 seasons
Moss
Thomson
Wade
Wright
Reynolds

BUT...he and Cox have played musical closers: Berenguer, Pena, Stanton, McMichael, Wohlers, Ligtenberg, Rocker, Smoltz...8 closers in 14 seasons

Anybody that can work within a budget that has largely been consumed by 3 starting pitchers and 3 or 4 key position players and keep producing winners is doing a great job.


Billy Beane is second, but he's got a ways to go before he can match Schuerholz resume.

FuriousGiorge

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January 22, 2005 at 02:44AM View BBCode

Schuerholz was also with KC starting in 1981, so he was the GM there when they won the title in 1985. For long-term success, he has to get the nod.

Smocko

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January 22, 2005 at 02:50AM View BBCode

Jocketty, Ryan, and Cashman have also consistently fielded contenders.

FuriousGiorge

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January 22, 2005 at 03:07AM View BBCode

Jocketty's pretty good, Ryan is solid now but no one would have said he was great 4 years ago, and Cashman is Steinbrenner the Organ Grinder's Monkey.

Smocko

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January 22, 2005 at 03:31AM View BBCode

Brian Cashman


+
Theo Epstein


=

Brian Epstein

FuriousGiorge

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January 22, 2005 at 04:07AM View BBCode

Haha.

No one else will get that.

Railroad

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January 22, 2005 at 07:17AM View BBCode

I always thought that Schur baby was the best until these last two signings. . . Mondesi and Brian Jordan. After pulling the Hudson deal I thought he was back. Kolb was another solid sign so Smoltz moves back into starting roll. Mondesi is not expensive so if he produces it is great, if not no great amount was spent on him. Rotating 1B while waiting on the young players to mature has been a great move. But I wonder how long Franco can claim he is 43? Beane does a solid job, Hart does with hitters but with pitchers not so good, and Shapiro has started showing some knowledge in the past few months. Has tough job in that division as well.

anjo25

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January 22, 2005 at 02:08PM View BBCode

Jim Bowden, hands down!:lol::D:lol:

Fullacrap

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January 22, 2005 at 02:26PM View BBCode

Billy Beane
Its easy to be a GM when your team has a horn of plenty. Guys like Beane have to be creative and a good judge of talent. Oakland is a contender year after year and always has one of the top rated farm systems.
Nobody can pull off a multi-team deal like Beane.

barterer2002

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January 22, 2005 at 02:43PM View BBCode

I voted for Shuerholtz but I'm surprised at the lack of support for Brian Sabaen. He's constantly making the right trades from his club's point of view to keep them in the playoff hunt year after year dispite not having the payroll or talent of some of the other clubs. Yes, Barry Bonds is on the best six year run in baseball history but Sabean has made many deals to improve the club at midseason. Remember the '97 White Flag trade with the White Sox or bringing in Jason Schmidt from the Pirates for the 2001 stretch drive.

skierdude44

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January 22, 2005 at 08:32PM View BBCode

Schuerholz. The Braves have won the divison 14 years in a row and are probably the favorites to win it again this season. The Hudson deal was huge. Kolb is a risk but it could pay off big time for him. And as Furious pointed out he did a pretty good job in KC as well. Atlanta isn't a team that is rolling in money either which is why they went out and signed Mondesi and Jordan. They are cheap and experienced outfielders and ATL needs another outfielder. Jordan played for Cox in Atlanta before too so he knows how things are done there. If the Jones boys rebound this year and have the years that we are used to see them have then Atlanta could be a serious WS contender again this year.

And unfortunately I have to agree that Cashman is not much of a GM. Well, actually he could be but we will never know as long as he works for the Yankees. George calls the shots there especially during the offseason where Cashman has next to no say. And he also has the 200 mill payroll to work with.

lvnwrth

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January 22, 2005 at 11:44PM View BBCode

I think its tough to rank Cashman and Epstein with some of the others mentioned. If Schuerholz could spend the money those guys are allowed to spend by their owners, Atlanta would win every year. Hey, wait! They DO WIN every year.

Smocko

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January 22, 2005 at 11:59PM View BBCode

I like what Stoneman's done this offseason, especially replacing Troy Glaus and Troy Percival, who signed huge free agent contracts, with two players who make under $1,000,000, Dallas McPherson and Francisco Rodriguez.

1tim412

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January 23, 2005 at 03:28AM View BBCode

The Great and Powerful BEANE!!!!

jetpac

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January 23, 2005 at 09:32PM View BBCode

Minaya.

He got Vlad and Colon with Montreal, had to trade them because of payroll, but is showing what he can do now that he has money. As far as trades go, I don't know, but he seems to be able to talk anybody into playing for the Mets.

INDIANSFORLIFE

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January 24, 2005 at 02:50AM View BBCode

Do you know what he traded for Colon? He got ripped off, plus they didnt make the playoffs, and only had him for a short period of time.

Indians got Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips for him. Mark Shapiro should get votes in front of him.

1tim412

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January 24, 2005 at 02:54AM View BBCode

Originally posted by jetpac
Minaya.

but is showing what he can do now that he has money. As far as trades go, I don't know, but he seems to be able to talk anybody into playing for the Mets.

Oh yeah. Look at the Mets tear it up in the NL East.

Jedi_Pimp

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January 24, 2005 at 06:49AM View BBCode

I have to go with beane. He pulls the multi team trade with the best of them. most people are asking what freak but it seems to work out well for the A's. He was one of the first GMs to really looks at statistics and make moves by them. Now a lot of teams are doing it. Plus the owner is a cheap bastard.

youngallstar

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January 24, 2005 at 07:12AM View BBCode

Hart is obviously the best.

Chan Ho Park was one of the best signing in Ranger history. Nuff said.

abarkov

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January 24, 2005 at 04:18PM View BBCode

:lol: Hart will never live down the Chan Ho Park signing.