Yeah, we don’t disagree at all. They’re more deluded than they are Machievalian (emphasizing profits over winning and all)–it’s just that all the big time CEOs I’ve known and studied, absolutely none of them could tolerate being profitable, but not winning. Too much testesterone for that to happen.

And I think there’s enough male hormones running in the front office for them to be stubborn about it, and not admit that there are better ways than theirs to win–sure, they got over .500 this year, but so did Cleveland…and they did it more cheaply AND more profitably.

I still think it holds true that the M’s organizational philosophy shows a failure to adopt a belief in how winning baseball ops game will strengthen the business more than anything else they could do. It’s a truth they can’t seem to grasp, or at least I believe that’s the case, because if it wasn’t, I reason that they’d actively be trying to do what the Indians have done, rather than pissing into a hurricane with their season ticket holders standing downwind.

I agree with your point, I just think they really are deluded into thinking they have a winning philosophy and are building a future champion. The reality is that they are not, and therefore are what I would consider “drunk” on their financial success. They honestly don’t think they need to radically change their philosophy in order to compete commensurate with their financial resources, and it’s a sad state of affairs for M’s fans in the know.

My theory is that they are totally drunk on their marketing success in Japan and have erected their own glass ceiling as a result. We should be going for the jugular right now!

Meh.

Corporate CEOs who’re content to make money and not win????? Um, I don’t think so….You don’t GET to become CEOs with that kind of attitude.

If you bite the bullet, take some minor financial losses in favor of putting the best talent you can on the field day in and day out, then the culture of competitive performance evaluation and empirically driven personnel decisions will translate to wins, and the winning team makes marketing easier anyway. Next thing you know, for example, the 22 y/o outfielder you had to bench your gritty but struggling veteran for has the hottest selling jersey in your team shop.

But this all seems to be lost on M’s leadership…and that’s why we know the theme of the ‘07 season is likely to be “more of the same.” My theory is that they are totally drunk on their marketing success in Japan and have erected their own glass ceiling as a result. We should be going for the jugular right now!

If you’re either of those guys, you don’t take a GM job unless you get to shape that organizational philosophy in the first place. If Lincoln were to hire one of the above, he’d have to let them run the show.

Your biggest concern is probably ownership. That’s why the Orioles job is unattractive, because the owner meddles in your business (although once again Baltimore is hearing that a new day has dawned and Andy McPhail runs the show. We shall see). That’s why I would think Seattle would be a great job to have, because they spend money and otherwise let you do your thing.

I know nothing about the people that Beane & Shapiro ultimately report to – I’d think whoever they are would retain say over the final payroll & some power to provide input in key personnel decisions that are likely to have an impact on PR – how do you handle the guy who just got arrested, are we going to trade the guy marketing just built in to a major campaign, etc. Is that not the case?