Attanasio's Top Goal

[torts]

no one can guarantee a championship.

 

 

false. Theo Epstein can.

 

Three in big markets is not as impressive as one in a small market.... Dayton Moore trumps it.

 

I think you're forgetting that he won in two major markets, and won quickly, after failure for those franchise for literally forever. It's not like he was there for 20 years and won in his final year...

[Invader3K]

Epstein had the advantages of being a big market GM, but there is no doubt he's cemented his place in the Hall of Fame with guiding his teams to championships.

[Sixto]

The MLB draft is far too much of a crapshoot to rely on it exclusively in order to keep a consistent talent level. Factor in that reliance while being a playoff team drafting at the back end, and IMO its asking far too much. The NFL draft is a piece of cake compared to the MLB as far as talent evaluation, and a team like the Packers who want to rely soley on the draft may piss away Rodgers career with only 1 Super Bowl. Players continue to move team to team with greater frequency. The idea that you can keep a window open long term without filling in the gaps via FA is fairy tale thinking. For every Royals story there are 10 stories of teams with big money throwing it around and buying a ring. I am actually shocked when I see someone trying to downplay the uneven playing field in the MLB. If the Brewers make a huge financial mistake it could set them back years. If the Yankees make a huge financial mistake it doesn't affect them at all. If the Brewers have 3 bad drafts in a row and gut their farm system, it paralyzes them for a decade. If the Yankees do the same, no affect at all. Major League baseball is the only sport with such archaic thinking with regard to financial equality. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they will ever realize that shared equity might actually bring more fans to the ballpark and create even more money to share. Alienating the small markets just doesn't make good business sense and IMO tarnishes any trophy. By my definition, baseball can't even be considered a sport until all teams are forced to play by the same rules. The only teams that build the way we do are the teams that are forced to. And for good reason.

[clancyphile]

If you have a good farm system, you get the flexibility with extensions. You also need to come up with good insurance policies to cover salary in cases like this. Thus, if I had a core like Fielder, Lucroy, and Braun... I try to keep them together.

 

But much of it comes down to the farm system. Having a very good farm system with a constant flow of talent means the team can absorb even a Prince Fielder suffering a career-ending injury.

 

Honestly, when I think about it, it's why I am frustrated the Brewers did sign Milone. Why spend on a free-agent (even a cheap one) when you could give Suter, Woodruff, or some other pitcher the chance? Or even have them just fill the spot for a couple of years (another advantage - even if Suter completely bombs as a starter those years, you get good draft picks).

Cheap veteran FA pitchers are a handy way to improve the talent in the system. They let you keep a guy in the minors and not worry about roster spot shuffles, and more importantly they are easy flips at the trade deadline.

 

Not opposed to finding nuggets, but the money spent on a Milone could pay for two more scouts. That's two more sets of eyes who could find some legit talent.

[FVBrewerFan]

Payroll is still very low. They have plenty to spend on scouts if they want them. Even if they signed 10 more Milones.

[monty57]

and a team like the Packers who want to rely soley on the draft may piss away Rodgers career with only 1 Super Bowl.

 

Which is exactly how many Super Bowls the rest of the teams in the division have combined over the past 50+ seasons. Championships are very hard to come by. Dynasties rarely happen.

 

I agree that there is an uneven monetary playing field in baseball, but even the big money teams have a hard time winning a championship. I'd like to see equally shared TV revenue, which would be the only thing needed to level the playing field, but until that day comes, the best thing small market teams can do is what Stearns seems to be doing. Get a lot of talent at all levels and continually do what it takes to add more talent at all levels.

 

No model (including spending more than anyone else) will guarantee you even one World Series ring, but the model Stearns/Attanasio are building in Milwaukee should make them a competitive team for an extended period, and hopefully that will end in multiple playoff appearances and maybe even bring a championship home to Milwaukee.

[rickh150]

I think you're forgetting that he won in two major markets, and won quickly, after failure for those franchise for literally forever. It's not like he was there for 20 years and won in his final year...

 

 

 

In Chicago, he spent over $500 million in free agency over the last two years to get in the playoffs and WS. That might be more than the total amount the Brewers have spent on FA in their existence! Begrudgingly, Cubs fans think of themselves as such the underdog darlings even though they dwarf other franchises in net worth and yearly payroll. It's them versus the world....... rubbish. $500 in free agency over the last 2 years?!!! They also blame their "Badness" on a curse instead of admitting they themselves are/were an incredibly bad large market franchise over the last 100 years..... "Woe is me because of some outside force!" instead of "Man, we were just plain bad." Arrogant, truth twisting, entitled wind bags....sigh.

 

Your positive comments on Epstein are fair, and he deserves to be applauded. Any GM/manager who wins it all with two different organizations is in the Hall of Fame. No argument there. Yet, the $ was such a HUGE advantage. Go win in Tampa, Oakland, or even Atlanta.... then I'd be impressed.