General managers way too full of themselves: Beane, Cashman, the guy in San Diego.

Billy Beane seems to be intent on proving that he is some kind of mad genius who rebuilds his Oakland team for no apparent reason.  Beane is now the boy genius who is no longer a boy and may never have been a genius.

Brian Cashman is the son of a Steinbrenner family friend who started as an intern and worked his way up to general manager 16 years ago.

Dumb and lazy Steinbrenner Kids never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity: Tampa GM goes to Dodgers.  Wednesday, October 15, 2014

A few days ago the Steinbrenner Kids, who own the New York Yankees, signed their 16 year incumbent general manager (GM) Brian Cashman to a new three year contract.  Did they know that the Tampa Rays GM was available, that Andrew Friedman was talking to the Los Angeles Dodgers?  ...

the talent pool between seasons continues to dwindle and teams, especially the Yankees, are forced to spend ever increasing sums for ever decreasing and older talent, players in their 30s, not in their mid 20s.

The Steinbrenner Kids exhibit an astonishing lack of imagination.  They're dumb and lazy, a deadly combination.  Instead of cleaning house and bringing in an established but young and talented executive like Andrew Friedman of Tampa, the Steinbrenner Kids stick with Brian Cashman under whom the Yankees have failed to qualify for the tournament in 2013 and 2014 even with the extra wild card spot making that relatively easy for a big spending team.
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Brian Cashman: Yankees at Baltimore Orioles
ALDS Game 1. October 7, 2012
by Keith Allison via Wikimedia Commons

This off season Cashman has been making the type of bizarre small market moves that Beane has been making for over a decade.  The problem for Cashman in his attempt to show that he is smarter than Beane is that Beane appears to have had a mental breakdown and is out of control.  No matter how absurd Cashman's moves seem, they trail the odd things being done by his Oakland idol.  Of course, Cashman would never admit that he is trying to show off how smart he is and he certainly will not admit that he would let little Oakland influence New York.  But it is the inevitable conclusion to be reached, especially if ...

If the Yankees don't sign Max Scherzer, the Steinbrenner Kids should sell the team.  Thursday, December 11, 2014

Which brings us to the San Diego Padres GM: A. J. Preller.  I had to look it up.  This guy has ... gumption.  He acquired one of the three injury prone 30 something former stars other teams like Oakland and the Yankees would not:
Matt Kemp: San Diego
Hanley Ramirez: Red Sox
Troy Tulowitzki: still with his original team, Colorado.

I think all three will do well and many teams will be kicking themselves over their reluctance to take a chance.  Number one on that list: the New York Yankees who could have used all three.

San Diego man also acquired Wil Myers and Justin Upton.  Cool.  These are players of substance, players fans can follow for years.  Not a revolving door of ever more unidentifiable players commanded by their egomaniacal general managers who have made themselves bigger than any of their players.  Who wants to root for that?