So anyway, I am taking this online course on how to be a GM in baseball. Rob Neyer is one of the instructors and thought some of you would be interested.... Ill try to keep some of you up to date if you want..... sorry for the longass post

 

link

 

COURSE RESOURCES

The required texts for the course are:

 

* Money Ball -Michael Lewis

 

* Dollar Sign on the Muscle -Kevin Kerrane

 

* Big Book of Baseball Lineups -Rob Neyer

 

* Baseball Uncensored A Scout?s View-Jonathan Story

 

 

 

FINAL Project and Paper

 

The paper should be submitted by email to Dr. Lashbrook before the end of the course. It should be a minimum of 8 single spaced pages in length. Please be aware that the quality of your writing will be evaluated, being able to communicate with the written word is a big part of the job.

 

 

 

Part I- The student will be required to interview someone in the front office of a baseball organization. (Preferably the GM or assistant GM, however, during the season, this may difficult to do, so interview someone in the front office). The student must research the daily tasks of the GM, their responsibilities, their goals for the future. Ask how they prepare for the draft and how much consulting they do with the scouts. Get inside their mind.

 

It?s a good idea to research the team first, so you can go in there with confidence and questions about the roster?s strengths and weaknesses, and what was appealing about the individual players, how they fit into the general composition of the roster their weakness, what was appealing about them and how they fit with the structure of the team.

 

 

 

Part II-The student is then required to interview a scout with any baseball organization. Begin by gaining general knowledge of the scout?s duties. Ask about their background and how they gained credibility in their organization. Continue researching the scout?s everyday responsibilities, in order to understand the complexities of the job, and focus specifically on how the scout?s information eventually reaches the General Manager.

 

 

 

Part III- The student is then required to incorporate the knowledge gained in the interviews into a personal assessment of a Major League team. With a critical eye?don?t believe everything you?ve been told!?the student should analyze the structure and behavior of this team. Playing the role of the General Manager, the student should make decisions regarding potential trades, contract offers (both to free agents and members of the current roster who might be locked up with long-term contracts), the focus of next June?s draft, and anything else you can think of. This will require some research on the team?s self-imposed salary restrictions?the Yankees have more money to spend than the Royals?along with comprehensive knowledge of the players currently on the roster. Utilize sabermetrics to decide statistically if a player is worth keeping or a potential player is worth having. The student should use evaluative information to create their final paper. There are different ways to win, of course; Billy Beane?s and Theo Epstein?s teams win, but so do Terry Ryan?s and John Schuerholz?s, and the point here isn?t to mimic the style of a particular General Manager, but rather to develop your own style, based on what you?ve learned through you research. It?s the choice of the student. Have fun!

 

 

 

Part IV- (A) Considering as many factors as possible, write a 500-word essay in which you determine: who was the best player in the American League in 2004? ( B ) In addition, use the terms and ideas from the Major League Baseball scouting information throughout the course and write a Scouting report on the player.

 

 

 

 

WEEK ONE ? Introduction week

 

OBJECTIVES

 

1.1 Introduction to the world of scouting

 

1.2 Provide vocabulary that scouts use

 

READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

* Dollar sign on muscle-Chapter 1-2

 

* Money ball-Chapter 1

 

* Baseball Uncensored-Chapter 4-7

 

WEEK TWO ? Scouting 101; Sabermetics is born

 

OBJECTIVES

 

2.1 Learn different methods to scouting

 

2.2 The birth of sabermetics

 

READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

* Dollar sign on muscle-Chapter 3 & 5 (Page 138, see diagram)

 

* Baseball Uncensored-Chapter 8-11

 

 

WEEK THREE ? Sabermetrics (*SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT WEEK)

 

OBJECTIVES

 

3.1 Learn the foundation of sabermetrics and what it is

 

3.2 How does sabermetrics identify talent?

 

READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

* Money ball-Chapters 2-4

 

* Review http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/btf/pa...ys.htm#sabrmtrc and do week 4 discussion posting over this site.

 

* Email Attachments (also posted on discussion board) ? Sabermetics introduction

 

 

WEEK FOUR ? Scouting Talent

 

OBJECTIVES

 

4.1 Evaluating Talent

 

4.2 The draft

 

4.3 Understanding a cross-checker?s job

 

4.4 Writing a scouting report

 

READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

? Baseball Uncensored-Chapter 2, 13-15

 

? Email Attachments (also posted) ? MLB Scouting materials

 

 

WEEK FIVE ? Scouting vs. Sabermetics

 

OBJECTIVES

 

5.1 Understand the responsibility of the draft room for a GM

 

5.2 Distinguish between the human element and ?it?s just a game? mentality

 

READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

* Dollar Signs on muscles-Chapter 9-12

 

* Money ball-Chapter 5-7

 

WEEK SIX ? General Managing

 

OBJECTIVES

 

6.1 Learn the importance of good managing in order to keep players

 

6.2 Differentiate between what players are worth the money and when to look elsewhere

 

READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

* Dollar signs on Muscles-Chapter 13-14

 

* Money ball-Chapter 8-10

 

* Baseball Uncensored-Chapter 3

 

* Email Attachments (also posted) ? Interview with Paul DePodesta

 

 

WEEK SEVEN ? Blending scouting & Sabermetics

 

OBJECTIVES

 

7.1 The divide between the world of scouting and sabermetics

 

7.2 Understand how you can use the most information available to run a team

 

READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

* Money ball-Chapter 11-12

 

* Email Attachment ? Lindy's article

 

WEEK EIGHT ? Bringing it together

 

OBJECTIVES

 

8.1 Pick two or three teams from Big Book of Baseball Lineups, compare the teams from a managerial perspective both currently and historically

 

READING ASSIGNMENTS:

 

? Big book of Baseball lineups

 

? Email Attachments ? MLB player ratings

Definitely keep us up to date. It sounds pretty interesting.

for anyone interested in the way Scouts do things, I strongly suggest the book Baseball Uncensored: A Scout's View:- by scout Jonathan Story

 

very interesting how they really judge players

Good stuff, sounds like it should be a good time

 

Any idea on what Front Office GM/Assitant GM you are going to try to interview for Part 1?

I actually was on that website a few months ago checking it out, on becoming a sports agent... my friend's dad is a major league baseball accountant, deals with over 60 MLB players, big names too.... seems like an awesome job

Geat stuff. Very good reading and excellent worthwhile effort.

But, my personal fear is mortgaging the franchise to the extent of minimizing the futrure leverage.

But, my personal fear is mortgaging the franchise to the extent of minimizing the futrure leverage.

659006[/snapback]

 

:blink: WHAT!!!

Are you even from this planet?

What are you talking about?

... Delgado?... wrong thread, dude. :lol

How much does this course cost?

 

 

.....sounds interesting.

Sounds intersesting. But im too young. Maybe in a few years. :thumbup

I'm definitely going to check out those books Ramp. I've already got Moneyball pretty much memorized.

How much does this course cost?

 

 

.....sounds interesting.

659097[/snapback]

 

$ 799

Good stuff, sounds like it should be a good time

 

Any idea on what Front Office GM/Assitant GM you are going to try to interview for Part 1?

658976[/snapback]

yea, Marlins Assistant GM Mike Hill

How much does this course cost?

 

 

.....sounds interesting.

659097[/snapback]

 

$ 799

659269[/snapback]

.....seriously?

Nice. Looks like a great opportunity to have some fun and learn. Keep us posted.

How much does this course cost?

 

 

.....sounds interesting.

659097[/snapback]

 

$ 799

659269[/snapback]

.....seriously?

659344[/snapback]

closer to 9 with books

How much does this course cost?

 

 

.....sounds interesting.

659097[/snapback]

 

$ 799

659269[/snapback]

.....seriously?

659344[/snapback]

closer to 9 with books

659349[/snapback]

 

 

Do you get an actual grade for this? Knowing me, if I didn't get a grade for it or if it was pass/fail I wouldn't do ANY of the work. :lol

How much does this course cost?

 

 

.....sounds interesting.

659097[/snapback]

 

$ 799

659269[/snapback]

.....seriously?

659344[/snapback]

closer to 9 with books

659349[/snapback]

 

 

Do you get an actual grade for this? Knowing me, if I didn't get a grade for it or if it was pass/fail I wouldn't do ANY of the work. :lol

659357[/snapback]

I think its pass fail

I re-read the syllabus carefully this morning.

Wow. What an 8 week program!

Please keep us posted. I'll be interested to hear what "surprises" you experience.

Very exciting. Good for you.

Very interesting course but this thread is in the wrong forum

Very interesting course but this thread is in the wrong forum

659717[/snapback]

Marlins Mermaid's uniforms are more approprate?

Get real. We want to learn what it's about, not what the superficial appearances are.

We are lucky some one among us is trying to find out what is, in fact, going on.