July 26, 200521 yr Here's Admin Beinfest, from Steve Phillips' perspective: Admin Beinfest, Florida Marlins Beinfest is more of an intellectual GM. He looks at things logically and rationally. He lays out all of the pieces of the puzzle, organizes them and then puts it all together. He deals less with his gut and more with his mind. He is confident in his approach and his decisions because he trusts the people around him. He has shown the ability to make the tough decisions. http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/sto...d=2116534&num=0 And the rest of the East: Jim Bowden, Washington Nationals Bowden is one of the most aggressive and flamboyant GMs around. He wants to make a deal. When I was the general manager of the Mets, he would call in the middle of the night and leave messages like, "I have the deal that will make you Executive of the Year. You will win it all. Call me back." Of course, when I called him back expecting a blockbuster deal, it was usually a lopsided deal in his favor. But he would try to sell it like it was something he really believed would help me. Beware of the GM who sells his proposal too hard; the harder the sell, the more he thinks it isn't fair. Bowden is very creative. He is constantly trying to improve his team and proposing trades. He is willing to give players second chances. If you have a player with an attitude issue that has talent, Bowden is your guy to try and make a trade with. He is always looking for talent that he can get at bargain basement prices, which he can rebuild or resurrect. He can be brash, but he is amazingly entertaining also. He wants to win and will try to do it any way he can. John Schuerholz, Atlanta Braves Schuerholz is the dean of all GMs. He listens more than he talks. He only answers the questions asked, never expounding and telling you more than he should. He would make a lawyer proud if it were a deposition. It doesn't matter how you ask a question, he doesn't tell you much about what he is doing. He is also creative, and is capable of making the big deal just as he is capable of letting young prospects play. He always seems to know what the right thing to do is. It is a very rare occasion that a player leaves Atlanta and improves. He lets players go at just the right time. He believes in his philosophies and his decisions. Simply put, he is in charge and there is no doubt about it. Ed Wade, Philadelphia Phillies Wade is an organizer, and is always well-prepared for every conversation. He knows his team and its needs as well as your team and its needs. He utilizes his people and coordinates their movements very well. Ed is also very business-like and professional. He is a good family man, and is mature and serious about his job. He represents the Phillies' organization well, and sees things more often as black and white rather than gray. That usually leads to a more conservative approach. Omar Minaya, New York Mets Minaya is cool in his approach. He is also creative, and very aggressive. He lives to make the big splash of a deal, but gets just as much satisfaction with a small baseball trade for a utility man. He wants to win and has a "go for it" philosophy. He is also a hard worker and a friendly guy. People like Minaya and include him in conversations. He is also willing to think outside of the box, and is willing to take a chance. He has good street smarts and relies on them, as he wants very much to make deals, and he likes players, which is important. Minaya has been well-trained ? well, he was my assistant GM! That said, he also played in the minors, coached in the minors and scouted on the amateur, professional and international levels. Most GMs say no to every trade proposal initially to buy time to consider all of the possibilities. At some point, the GM has to stop analyzing and pull the trigger. Sometimes the GM needs someone on his staff to push him to decide. Minaya was that guy for me. Minaya is a pioneer and I am proud of him. I got a kick out of the part with Jim Bowden calling people in the middle of the night with supposedly unbelieveable deals that are, in actuality, incredibly one sided in his favor. Reminds me of just about every annoying fantasy sports owner who does the same type of thing.
July 26, 200521 yr seems to me like he was complimenting all the gm's...i dont know...i say the biggest compliments go to those with big rings...maybe thats just me
July 26, 200521 yr I got a kick out of the part with Jim Bowden calling people in the middle of the night with supposedly unbelieveable deals that are, in actuality, incredibly one sided in his favor. Reminds me of just about every annoying fantasy sports owner who does the same type of thing. 875172[/snapback] Reminds me of me :whistle
July 26, 200521 yr I almost thought that they'd rank the GM's for some reason... I can just imagine a team like the Rockies way down on the GM list...
July 26, 200521 yr The Braves GM: It is a very rare occasion that a player leaves Atlanta and improves. He lets players go at just the right time. Ain't that the sad truth.
July 26, 200521 yr Interesting stuff. Surprised he didn't mention how creative Beinfest can get (the Lowell/Stadium contract, the Hampton/Wilson/Pierre deal).
July 26, 200521 yr Suprised that he was so complimentary of everyone...tells you that Phillips wants out of the analyst's chair and back into a F.O. somewhere...
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