Word: depodesta
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
With that unified effort comes a unified approach to building a team. Oakland's hitters share more than just a tendency to be burly, fun-loving, truck driver types. Even those players who hit for a low average tend to draw a large number of walks. DePodesta maintains that the A's abundance of players who know how to get to first is no coincidence...
...have a huge payroll," DePodesta says. "So we have to be more intellectual and creative about our decisions than other teams. When I was in Cleveland, most of the decisions people made were just about money -how much do we pay this guy, things like that. Here, we talk more baseball than anything else...
Eventually, the financial issues could catch up with the A's. Free agency will give some of Oakland's young stars to either press the A's for cash or look for more lucrative deals elsewhere. DePodesta recognizes that hanging on to the youngsters will be a challenge...
...thing that won't change is the amount of strain that accompanies a job in baseball. "It's not for everybody," DePodesta admits. "As it turns out, it's what I want to do, but you have to understand the reality of the position. You have to realize the unbelievable amount of work involved and the level of commitment you have to have, or you'll be miserable...
...DePodesta's advice similarly reflects his own experience...