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« Astros Still Like Freddy Garcia | Main | Schilling Could Return In '09 »
Billy Beane To Step Down In '09?
According to Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News, the A's assistant general manager David Forst has turned down all interview requests. The feeling is that Forst is expected to take over for Billy Beane as Oakland GM as early as next season.
It has been reported previously that Beane would like to test his Moneyball strategies in soccer. A's owner Lewis Wolff also owns the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS and Beane may decide to focus his attention on the soccer franchise in '09. It is unclear whether Beane will remain involved with the baseball operations.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex and can be reached here .
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Yeah! Soccer statistics! Whoo Hoo!
What the hell is he thinking?!
Posted by: thecubsdontcatchtheball | June 28, 2008 at 09:44 AM
big fan of soccer here, but yeah really, what the hell is he thinking?
Posted by: Luke | June 28, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Soccer? You've gotta be kidding me. Hes going from being a big-time smart GM in BASEBALL, to the San Jose Eathquakes? Cmon Billy.
Posted by: GmblngPtchr20 | June 28, 2008 at 10:24 AM
The San Jose Earthquakes? It seems like a poor strategy to name your franchise after the city's most real and pending natural threat. It would be like Superman playing for the Kryptonites.
Posted by: Brett | June 28, 2008 at 10:41 AM
I thought that was a joke! I even wrote it down in my diary! Tracy Ringolsby had a very funny joke today! I laughed at it later that night!
Posted by: Pawtucket Pat | June 28, 2008 at 10:41 AM
I doubt Beane would leave right after his rebuilding program started working. He probably would've traded for veterans in the offseason instead of traded them away.
Posted by: Joe | June 28, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Well you guys are all hella dumb. Who cares? It's one less problem for you guys to deal with if he moves to soccer. And for me as an A's fan, yeah it would be a bummer, but I think David Forst is more then competent.
Posted by: AriGoldisaG | June 28, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Its been rumored for quite some time, and feeling is that Forst does most of the job already.
Posted by: Zonis | June 28, 2008 at 01:24 PM
gotta respect billy beane - although i'd probably be upset if i were an a's fan (and, as a sox fan, i would be more than depressed if this were theo epstein bolting for the new england revolution), this move takes balls. it seems crazy to us outsiders to be giving up the dream job of baseball general manager, but those of you a's fans out there already know beane is a huge soccer fan, i'm sure. he's already accomplished a ton in baseball (maybe he washed out early as a player and never won a title as a gm, but does anyone doubt he's one of the best gm's in the game today, and perhaps in baseball history?) and wants to apply what he's learned to another thing that he has a passion for. Pretty cool in my opinion.
Posted by: cjhel | June 28, 2008 at 01:33 PM
Can someone explain how you walk and hit home runs in soccer?
Posted by: FineHamAbounds | June 28, 2008 at 02:27 PM
"Can someone explain how you walk and hit home runs in soccer?"
I'm pretty sure Cork didn't literally mean Beane would be teaching futballers to take pitches and bunt one down the third base line (two staples of small ball, at least more so than hitting home runs), rather that he would apply general principles and philosophies he's picked up - and some that he's devised / invented - in his time as A's GM to another sport. It's a bit unorthodox and there are very few parallels between the two sports in terms of fundamentals and general make-up (as you point out in your comment), but Beane's a genius and stranger things have happened.
Posted by: cjhel | June 28, 2008 at 02:50 PM
Wait, it isn't April 1st...
Posted by: thecoolest | June 28, 2008 at 04:55 PM
"Can someone explain how you walk and hit home runs in soccer?"
It's called Moneyball, not WalkandHitHomerunsball. It's about finding inefficiencies in the market and capitalizing. Like signing Frank Thomas for league minimum and getting rid or letting go of overpaid, overrated players.
Posted by: Victor | June 28, 2008 at 05:26 PM
Supposedly why he turned down the BoSox gig is because he felt he had nothing really to prove to himself. Maybe this is yet another way of saying it, and moving on to something different and maybe more of a challenge. There aren't as many soccer fans, so we can assume there's even less money to work with and create a winner?
Posted by: RoyBoyBlue | June 28, 2008 at 06:40 PM
The article saying nothing about leaving the organization, just taking a lesser role. People think "stepping down" means he's quitting. Forst already does much of the work anyway these days.
He wants to get the Quakes and MLS bigger in the US and you get the feeling he's going to try and get them to move to Oakland so the new Stadium can have dual usage.
Posted by: Athletic Domination | June 29, 2008 at 01:53 PM
Pawtucket Pat, You're my hero. I can't wait till the finish Anchorman 2.
Posted by: ASGAppearance | June 30, 2008 at 05:56 AM
lol nothng against soccer but beane can't be serious, i mean WTF
Posted by: MadMatt15 | June 30, 2008 at 11:29 AM