Imperfect Roads to Becoming a Baseball GM
Though it certainly doesn’t hurt, you don’t have to play pro ball or go to an Ivy League school to become a GM. Here are the ‘imperfect’ roads taken by the current class of *general managers, listed in reverse chronological order:
Dan Duquette, Baltimore Orioles
Amherst College, 1980
Played baseball as a catcher at Amherst College. Started his career with the Brewers as a scouting assistant. Served as General Manager of the Montreal Expos (1991-1994) and Boston Red Sox (1994-2002). Named General Manager of the Orioles in November 2011.
Read MoreThe Jerry Meals Game
July 26th, 2011.
So much traffic.
I couldn’t tell you what was moving slower that night: time or traffic. We were siting in the Walla’s van, which had become just another member of that evening’s “freeway parking night lot.” I was with the usual gang (Rybo, Greg, Wolkester, Rick Nau, Matt and Dave Walla) as we headed back from Casino Morongo. Morongo was our home away from home – we could legally gamble there at 18-years old and not have to worry about being screwed over at Uncle Pete’s. The biggest drawbacks to the Morongo trips were the rides back (and that’s not counting our losses on the casino floor or the enlarged parking tickets we’d receive).
Read MoreD-Lowe’s Taking His Groundball Show to Cleveland
by Jesse Behr | @jj_behr | jjbehr@fieldofignorance.com
The Atlanta Braves have sent veteran right-hander Derek Lowe to the Cleveland Indians for minor league left-hander Chris Jones. The Braves announced that they will eat $5 million of the remanining $15 million on Lowe’s contract. Lowe is one of five qualified pitchers from the 2011 season who’s GB rate was above 56 percent. The others? World Champion Jake Westbrook (59.3), Pirates Charlie Morton (58.5), former Braves teammate Tim Hudson (56.7) and Rockies Jhoulys Chacin (56.3). With Lowe, the Tribe has added a longtime “groundballer” to a pitching staff that already prides itself in inducing the worm burner. After all, three of the top 10 groundballers now reside in Cleveland.
