Mets executive Paul DePodesta is leaving the franchise, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). In fact, he’ll be leaving baseball entirely and will join the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). Cleveland has announced DePodesta’s hiring as its “Chief Strategy Officer.”
[RELATED: Visit ProFootballRumors.com to read more about the move from the Browns’ perspective.]
DePodesta had served in New York as the VP of player development and amateur scouting. He was considered one of the top advisors to Mets GM Sandy Alderson, and perhaps factored as a long-term GM candidate for the franchise. Both Sherman (via Twitter) and MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (Twitter links) suggest that he was viewed previously as a potential successor to Alderson. That, obviously, no longer appears to be a likely outcome. As Dicomo adds, New York will need to overhaul its draft approach, as that was one area in which DePodesta exercised broad authority.
The long-time baseball executive served as the Dodgers’ GM in 2004-05, taking on the position at just 31 years of age. Of course, he’s best known for his stint with the Athletics, as depicted in the Moneyball book and film. While those sources are said to present something of a caricature of the man, DePodesta is widely credited for his intelligence and data-saavy approach to the sport.
A graduate of Harvard University, where he played both football and baseball, DePodesta broke into the sports world with a Canadian Football League internship. It wasn’t long thereafter, however, that he earned a chance with the Indians, and he quickly gained a rising profile in the Cleveland front office.
Interestingly, DePodesta is reportedly not the only MLB exec who was pursued by the Browns. The organization also made an offer to former Indians and current Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro before he went to Toronto, per Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (via Twitter).
Why is this considered rational move, but in 2016, we still do not have ANY female executives in all four major sports?
How is that even remotely relevant to this?
No doubt, besides I’m pretty sure there are female owners which count as executives.
It is directly connected.
The “inner circle” of franchise leadership gets to “think outside the box” and pick a GUY from a different sport (remember Michigan coach Bo becoming the Tigers president in the 90s?).
Meanwhile, there is exactly ONE female executive (Kim Ng) out of over 120 sports franchises.
He’s also turned multiple franchises with small payrolls around and is a Harvard grad. That MIGHT have something to do with his particular career opportunities.
Uhhhh, which franchises are you counting?
This man has an ivy league degree and mostly handles statistical analysis which is completely transferable between sports. And there are plenty of female executives just none in the top positions.
Care to name a few who are at a director level or above?
I’m pretty familiar with the baseball ops structures around the league, and Jean Afterman in the Bronx is the only one I can think of. Coordinator level positions in scouting and player development offices (the sort of position Priscilla Oppenheimer was awesome at – and unable to get above – 30 years ago) or Justine Siegal’s occasional cameos are most definitely not executive.
I don’t know the other sports nearly as well. If they’re more progressive, I’d love to know it.
Gender equality does not mean there should be an equal amount of men and women (or even a particular sex represented at all). Gender equality means that the best people for the job (regardless of sex) have the top positions. If that means all men or all women, then that’s what is should be. Not saying this is the case, but just because there is little or none of a sex represented does not make it incorrect.
9 out of 10 cops are men and 9 out of 10 RN’s are women. Pretty sure that’s not because they do a genital check during the interview.
Kim Ng is a VP in MLB. Martha Ford owns the Lions.
I don’t disagree with your underlying pitch for gender equality. But saying there are NO executives is incorrect.
Stand corrected. Thanks.
I assume he means no team has a female employee as CEO/SVP Ops/GM, or even a director-level position on the sport operations side. Kim Ng’s stints as AGM are, sadly, pretty much the only such example, and it’s now been five years since she worked for the Dodgers. I’m glad that Amanda Hopkins will be working Four Corners for the Mariners (though I fear she’s no more the start of a pattern than Edith Houghton was 60 years ago), and the visible success of Becky Hammon and Nancy Lieberman in the NBA is encouraging.
But his assertion that there are no actual executive positions (nepotistic generational ties in the owner’s office notwithstanding) filled by a woman at any of the 120 professional sports franchises is absolutely accurate.
Wow!
I am floored by the phrase “nepotistic generational ties…” Brilliantly written!
Good, I still hate this man for trading my favorite player Paul LoDuca.
Haha, but how could you forget the chants involving the guy they got in return?;
HEE SEOP CHOI
HEE SEOP CHOI
HEE SEOP CHOI
HEE SEOP CHOI
Nice! I still have my Team DePo shirt. What a tool I was.
Best of luck to him. I really thought he was a solid contributor for the front office, too bad he had limited financial support and couldn’t pursue int’l signings as much as he probably wanted while with the Mets.
Leaving for the home of, “The Sad Factory” is the epitome of wanting to build a franchise from the ground up.
Agree!
I always felt he got such a raw deal with the Dodgers and LA–basically he was railroaded and run out of town by Plaschke. He handled it all with such class. I wish him the very best.
DP: After hundreds of hours of painstaking research, here is my list of the top 30 players that best suit our needs and give us the best possible chance to win a World Series next year.
Wilpon: They’re all too expensive. No thanks.
DP: I quit.
Probably not far from the truth
Really funny and probably quite true.
Peter Brand!
To the browns? That’s the way to screw a career up!