How about some criticism of Beane?

[RAmst23]

An article by a page 2 columnist for ESPN praises Beane... again.

I think Beane is a good GM, he's made smart moves with a limited budget. However, I'm tired of the press in general stating how he's just plain smarter than everyone else. As quoted in the article, "He's playing chess. You're playing checkers."
I don't believe Beane is twice as smart as any other GM.

In my mind I place Beane in the upper-echelon of good GM's, he makes good moves and spends the money wisely. I'm tired of hearing how he can make no wrong moves and that the moves from this winter are golden. If every young player on his squad performs as planned, yes they will do well. However, young phenoms don't equal major league success, and very few writers are questioning Beane's moves.

Sorry, just needed to rant after reading yet one more article claiming Billy Beane evented general managing in the game of baseball. Thanks

[CubsFan7724]

I hope those trades bite him in the butt so that he can lose that "God among Mortals" mantra he gets from people. God, he didn't even win a world series! Or a playoff series in his system?

[ocmusicjunkie]

I really don't understand you guys. Beane finds a way to win the same number of regular season games as the Yankees on yearly average, and all you can say is he hasn't won a playoff series. We all know the playoffs aren't usually won by the best team. I think everyone (sans insane sox fans) would agree the Yankees have had the best team every season since they won their last championship, and yet, they've come up short every year. As a GM, unless you have untold millions to waste, you play for the team that will win the most games. Here Beane succeeds.

[HOOTIE]

Beane is the Barry Bonds of gms (hated). Beane didn't write a book, or that latest article mentioned, yet he's attacked. I wish my gm had half the qualities of Beane. You have to admire the underdog.

[RugbyD]

WS Championships don't say squat about a GM. Playoffs are won on the front line, not in the front office. The fact is that so far he's done far more with far less than most. If Swisher or Blanton or someone fizzles there will be plenty of people saying 'I told you so', which is pure ignorance. Nobody bats 1.000, let alone .500. He steps into a poker game with $10 to everyone else's $20, $50, or $100 and walks out with a higher percentage gain than everyone else. That is what a GM should be judged by.

[FatGuyWithAMullet]

Well I don't really feel like ripping into Beane today given the holiday season and all, but I must ask - What about Terry Ryan? Here is a man who has gone tit-for-tat with Beane with the same payroll constraints and yet people don't worship the ground he walks on. Why? Because he didn't have a book written about him? Because he does things in a more traditional way and favors scouting and make-up just as much as statistics?

He is constantly underrated by the general baseball community while Billy Beane is given all these accolades and it pisses me off.

[LBJackal]

FatGuy I know you despise Beane since he gets attention for being innovative and good, but I think it's justified. Not because he's that much better than everybody else, but people understand how he has manipulated other GM's and been able to build a winning team with skill. They know it isn't luck. I'm sure many GM's use tactics that lead to having good teams and it isn't luck either, but people don't know that. In Beane's case, they know how he systematically took advantage of other owners' inadequacies by acquiring players who were undervalued by everybody else. Like it or not, he's done a great job. It really is pathetic to see you rip him just to try and counterbalance all the praise that he gets.

[FatGuyWithAMullet]

Thank you for personifying my previous post Jackal.

[Amazinz]

There's no doubt that Beane receives extra attention because of Moneyball but comparing Beane to Ryan is ridiculous. Ryan has been the GM of the Twins for 10 years and it took him about 6 years to get it right. Ryan has had success recently but also has a long history of not getting it right. Beane has been Oakland's GM for 6 years and has never posted a losing record and has posted less than 90 win only once (his first year - 87 wins).

I still think Beane dropped the ball on the Mulder trade. All of the Beane critics always use the Big 3 to suggest Beane is overrated. Looks like we'll get a chance to see if that's true.

[CubsFan7724]

Didn't Beane say he was lucky to get those three pitchers? Im wondering how they will be with those prospects. I think they aren't going to be over .500 this year.