Oakland Athletics: Doing it Right

The Oakland Athletics are the best baseball organization in the MLB. They do everything right, with a very low payroll. Everyone always wonders how each year (with the exception of this year) they are contending for the playoffs. Two word: Billy Beane. The best GM in baseball (ahead of Theo Epstein only because of the payroll difference). How does he manage to put together a solid, winning ball team each year, with such horrible funds?????? He gets bargin players. He treats MLB players like a day-trader treats stocks: Gets them at low price, and sells them for short profits. Here is how he does it: OBP, OPS, no SB's, no giving up outs (as some would call sacrifice bunts), and pitching his best pitchers out of the bullpen when the game is on the line, not when they are winning by 3 runs in the 9th inning. Billy Beane creates closers. He will make a closer out of somebody, while still paying that person the minimal salary. He will collect about 30 saves, and many GM's will say that 30 saves means he ... [link]