Paul DePodesta on Moneyball, Oakland A’s, Rebuilding Mets Organization Into A Winner

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• jessep January 25, 2012 at 8:28 pm

  From what he told his scouts

  you guys dont know if you havent been in small market teams how frustrating it can be when you build something special how difficult it is to hold it together and yet here we are in a place like new york where we’re gonna have the ability to do that we just need to build something special and we’re gonna have the ability to keep this together and hopefully keep it together for a long time

  So theres no doubt there’s going to be pressure to succeed at the major league level sooner rather than later and believe me that comes more from us internally than what we get externally but i think we’re all really excited about the potential once we have that all in place
  • jessep January 25, 2012 at 8:34 pm

    The start of that was that he told them they have the best of both worlds
  • Metsie January 26, 2012 at 2:08 pm

    Yeah I guess Fransico and Torres are going to make us Special!

    The start of becoming Special!

    Special Ed!
    • jessep January 26, 2012 at 2:12 pm

      oh… good one …………………
• Bob L January 25, 2012 at 9:05 pm

  yes, he said in effect: “Think about it. IF we build it here. IF we achieve our goals. IF we do what we are able to do–have done in the past—THIS time, in THIS town–we’ll be able–FINALLY–to keep the team together for the long term.
  Sounds beautiful…
• Greg Pomes January 25, 2012 at 9:39 pm

  Because this worked in Oakland and LA when he was the gm right? It didn’t work there, won’t work here.
  • jessep January 25, 2012 at 9:59 pm

    Pomes: If you’re using DePodesta’s time in Oakland as your benchmark for success (he was not GM) then you’re talking about the following wins per season

    87-91-102-103-96

    You’d have to go back to 84-90 to find a more successful Mets run.

    I’d sign up for that.
• K Maxx January 25, 2012 at 11:28 pm

  Same BS he said when he got here, moneyball with money. All propaganda and look at Oakland now.

  Look at Phillies 2006-2011. 85, 89, 92, 93, 97, 102. Five division titles, two NL championships, one world series. In the same market as Mets.

  We hired the three small market stooges instead of a large market GM like Cashman, Amaro.
  • piazza62 January 25, 2012 at 11:56 pm

    I wished we hired Ruben Amaro Jr. Nothing says success like paying 25mm AAV to a league average 1b.
    • Bayonne Mets Fan January 26, 2012 at 12:24 am

      Don’t worry about the league average because that means NOTHING and serves no importance whatsoever unless you’re interested in ratings and having fun with them.
      You sign the guy that you think fits your team the best and gives you the chance to win with the budget you have, that’s all he did.

      It seems the more information these stat geeks seek the more perversed their priorities become. This poster is worried about where Ryan Howard rates in league average. I think Ruben Amaro gave as much thought to that as he gives to how full the hamper is.
      • Chris January 26, 2012 at 4:58 am

        “I think Ruben Amaro gave as much thought to that as he gives to how full the hamper is.”

        And that is exactly why the Phillies will be where the Mets are now in prob 2-3 years. Howard is declining and is one of the worst contracts in baseball, Rollins is declining and won’t be worth anything near what he just got, Utley is declining and has bad knees and is gone in two years if they don’t resign him. Hamels is as good as gone after this season. He will 100% be hitting the open market. Will the Phillies even be able to afford him? Halladay and Lee aren’t getting any younger and can only carry the team so far. What about when they start declining? Who do they have, Vance Worley? their farm system is near the bottom, and they won’t be able to add any big free agent contracts. They’ll basically survive as long as Halladay and Lee do.

        Bad days ahead for Philadelphia. I can’t wait. They’ll be nosediving at around the same time the Mets will be blossoming. It will probably be Mets and Washington duking it out for a bunch of years. Braves will be good. Marlins will be a laughingstock.
        • Alex68 January 26, 2012 at 8:38 am

          And that is exactly why the Phillies will be where the Mets are now in prob 2-3 years”

          and that of course is a cause for celebration. but, little did you know, if that were the case and it happens, all the phillies will be doing is competing with us for 4th place.. it’s pathetic a lot of yous think this way, who cares what the phillies are doing in 3 years, they’ve won 5 straight division championships 1 WS champ, 2 pennants and you’re thinking everything will be good in met land because the phillies will be done?? what about the nats, marlins and braves? keep drinking this “this team will be good” kool aid from the sabergoons in the Front office…
          • srt January 26, 2012 at 8:42 am

            Kind of early to predict where the Mets will be in 3 years in relation to the rest of the NL east, IMO.
          • Chris January 26, 2012 at 1:27 pm

            I don’t think this team will be good because the front office says so dude. I think that because of the talent on the roster and the pitching depth in the farm, and because the team is being run by smart people now. People that, believe me, know a lot more about running a baseball organization than you and Bayonne do.
            • Alex68 January 26, 2012 at 1:34 pm

              Wel, while you’re 100% right, they’re PROVING YOU & ALL YOU SABERGOONS/SANDY LOVERS WRONG…..
        • any January 26, 2012 at 8:52 am

          a key difference though is the Phils now can do what the yankees do, and spend more money to cover mistakes, and go out and sign more big $ deals when the ones they have expire.

          You really don’t have to be that astute to just offer tons of money to the biggest name FAs.
    • jessep January 26, 2012 at 8:56 am

      Just out of curiousity, what has Ruben Amaro won as GM?

      Amaro has not won a World Series title as GM. Has he spent a boatload of $ and youth on his roster? Yes.

      Has it produced the results it SHOULD? No.

      If the Phillies don’t hurry up and win a title, Phillies fans are going to look at Amaro in the same exact way Mets fans look at Omar. So I’m not sure why we’re giving praise to a guy who INHERITED a championship caliber roster and has added pieces to it that have not yet produced a title?
      • jessep January 26, 2012 at 9:05 am

        And before anybody like Alex or Bayonne suggest he’s won division titles, I remind you that you have declared that was not good enough in Oakland with Beane.

        Ruben Amaro Jr took over GM with the following players on his roster: Carlos Ruiz (29), Ryan Howard (28), Chase Utley (29), Jimmy Rollins (29), Shane Victorino (27), Jayson Werth (29), Cole Hamels (24), Kyle Kendrick (23), Brett Myers (27), Joe Blanton (27), Brad Lidge (31), Ryan Madson (27)

        He inherited a CHAMPIONSHIP core that won the World Series just 1 week prior.

        Did he have a role in building the team? I’m sure. But nobody gives the Asst. GM credit for building a championship so why should the rules change for Amaro Jr.?

        That core was Gillick’s product and thus far Amaro Jr has not been a success in terms of the standards set.
        • Alex68 January 26, 2012 at 9:14 am

          1 Pennant… he inherited a team and have make them better, check the record… sandy inherited a team with 79 wins, made them into a 77 win team, and it looks as if that’s even gonna be lower this year…
          • jessep January 26, 2012 at 9:22 am

            So he inherited a team that won the World Series, and since then they have not won the World Series but he’s made them better.

            That makes sense.

            It’s not even like he inherited the team a few years after they won, he literally was hired 7 days after they won the World Series. He lost 1 good player from the championship roster, Pat Burrell. That’s it. Everybody else he had coming back or had an open checkbook to upgrade their spots.

            Sorry that doesn’t impress me. I’ll gladly take GMs who have a tough roster/financial situation and turn it around over a guy who gets handed the a championship roster
• nathan January 26, 2012 at 12:34 am

  Well that was interesting. Here’s what I got out of it. Yes the team has financial troubles yes our major league team stinks yes we knew this was going to be the case and yes we don’t care. What they are attempting to do is not MoneyBall they are attempting to rebuild the team from the ground up in the hopes that in a couple years they will be up and running. Hopefully the Wilpons will be under better footing and we won’t have to dismantle the team we can replae talent as need be because the organization is whole. Now if all that stuff is true then I am partially ok with it. I still wish they were more apt to keep the Major League team more competative but I can see the dynamic working if they stick to their plan.
  • any January 26, 2012 at 8:55 am

    sounds about right.

    and you touch on a good point. Where do you draw the line on “competitive”?

    say you feel that right now the Mets are a 70 win team. But, if the Fo had “tried harder” they may have gotten a few more guys (though don’t expect budget to be higher, that is a far different question!), they could squeeze that up to 75, with a “miracle” chance at 80.

    Is it really that big a difference? Sure, better to win a few more. all other facotrs equal. But, what if they aren’t equal (say you have to trade a couple of solid prospects for those 5 wins). In that case, are they still worth it?
• srt January 26, 2012 at 8:36 am

  Nothing really new here or surprising for those who have been paying attention.

  I’m getting in conclusion, they’re trying to build a sustainable contending organization vs. a type of ‘all in now’ type that got us nowhere.
  • Alex68 January 26, 2012 at 8:40 am

    SRT: yeah, and also getting franchise players…
    • srt January 26, 2012 at 8:43 am

      Don’t really care as long as their plan works.
    • Alex68 January 26, 2012 at 8:52 am

      uhhhh so far they’re 0 for 1.. and going on 0 for 2… of course you don’t care because we will keep getting draft picks in the top 15.. keep drinking the saber kool aid…
      amazing, 4 years ago this blog was all about winning and ideas to make the team better, now is let’s wait and see 4 year and see what wheeler brings to the table…
      • XtreemIcon January 26, 2012 at 9:00 am

        Four years ago the Mets had an open checkbook. It’s still all about winning, but now they have to do it differently. Unfortunately, Alderson wasn’t hired and immediately presented with an open checkbook and a 27-year-old Carlos Beltran. Would have been nice, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
      • Alex68 January 26, 2012 at 9:12 am

        0-2. sandy alderson is batting 000 as a GM of the mets.. and for those talking sh** about amaro, i rather have him 5x than sandy.. he’s won division titles, a pennant and is 4-4 as a GM at making the playoffs…
        • jessep January 26, 2012 at 9:17 am

          Because inheriting a team that won the World Series a week before you were promoted proves you can handle a roster in need of a makeover right?

          How come the bar keeps getting lowered?

          Alex, you’ve said Beane gets no credit for his years from 99-06 because they didn’t win a World Series. Yet Ruben Amaro inherits a team that wins the World Series, and he has yet do duplicate that performance but he’s now your favorite GM?

          Until I see Ruben Amaro Jr. actually deal with adversity as a GM, I’m not impressed with him at all. He had everything built for him and just had to add to a championship team. Not sure when that became impressive to anybody. I’d take Omar over Amaro right now.
          • any January 27, 2012 at 7:29 am

            he also got to spend like a drunken sailor in a way even Omar didn’t early on.

            also (and I know too much about the phillies, since they are my “local” team) Gillick was still making final decisions even after AMaro got promoted in title.
        • Alex68 January 26, 2012 at 1:09 pm

          never d he was itis almighty GM, just said imho, he’s 5x better than sandy and i’d take him over sandy or crapodesta any day of the year…
      • srt January 26, 2012 at 9:14 am

        Wheeler? As in the prospect that MLB rated 10 spots higher than Harvey? That Wheeler?
• Al January 27, 2012 at 1:41 am

  Does Bayonne Mets fan ever say anything that makes even a lick of sense?
  • Chris January 27, 2012 at 2:13 am

    You must be new here…
• jdon January 27, 2012 at 6:52 pm

  Amaro had a blank check. Sandy was given a rubber check.
• Al January 27, 2012 at 8:34 pm

  I am new here lol. Keep this in mind all who laud Amaro and Cashman. The Phillies won in 08 with a team built by Pat Gillick and the Yankees run from 96-2000 was a team mostly built by Gene Michael and Bob Watson, Cashman didn’t take over until 98 and inherited a juggernaut. I really only base Cashman on what he’s built which is everything from 2001/2002-today and he has won exactly 1 world series and had a lot of failures.
  • Des January 27, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    Al – I totally agree. Don’t tell BMF or he’ll be very upset. He was with me when I made the same point a while back. For my two cents, Amaro’s talents won’t be known for another three years or so. Right now he’s spending money big time and his fans are glossy eyed.
  • JoeD1966 January 27, 2012 at 9:41 pm

    Welcome Al! Don’t forget Brian Sabean had a lot to do with that Yankee team as well.
• theonlymaskman January 28, 2012 at 8:37 am

  The most revealing part of this interview is the words: “If you’re building a small market team…” Why are we building a small market team? This West coast geek doesn’t understand this is New York. Other than that, this interview was all blah, blah, blah. Just another guy in love with himself.