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One on one with … A's G.M. Billy Beane

Sporting News, The, Sept 27, 2004

A's general manager Billy Beane, a master at building winning teams on shoestring budgets, spoke with Insider Ken Rosenthal in an interview that will air for the first time Sunday on FOX Sports Net Across America.

TSN: Compare this year's A's team to the past four that made it to the postseason.

BB: This is probably the most resilient team we've had since I've been here. It's probably been the most consistent one. We've had more injuries this year than we've had in previous years. But yet these guys have been very consistent. They haven't had the great runs, nor have they had the times where they've struggled for two or three weeks.

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TSN: Strong second halves have been the hallmark of your A's teams. How have they come about?

BB: It always starts with having good starting pitching, and we've had good, young starting pitching. We've always made adjustments in the middle of the season, and I think youth helps a lot. I remember in 2000 we made the playoffs, and people were saying the team wouldn't make the playoffs because the starting pitching was too young. We took the reverse approach, thinking, wouldn't you rather have young starting pitching so you'd maintain their health and they'd get better as the season went along?

We made the playoffs in 2000 on the last pitch of the last game of the season. When you're out by eight games in August and you overtake a team, you understand what a 162-game season means. There's really no panic in these guys. It's a pretty battle-tough group.

TSN: Some thought the fallout from last year's book Moneyball would make it difficult for you to make trades. Has that been true?

BB: No. We've probably made as many trades as anybody. This is a business where people are trying to improve themselves. There's only 29 people we can deal with, and that's the same as every other G.M. If you start eliminating possibilities for improving your team, you're probably doing your franchise and the city you represent a disservice.

TSN: For many, the way you run the A's boils down to statistical analysis vs. traditional scouting. Is it that cut-and-dried?

BB: I don't spend a lot of time trying to decide. J.P. Ricciardi (now the Blue Jays' G.M.) was my righthand guy; he was my scout. One of the best scouts in the industry. The idea that we don't rely on that in Oakland is foolish. To not take advantage of every piece of information is foolish, and for us, it's all about risk management and probabilistic decision-making.

TSN: For all the talk of stressing on-base percentage, the A's wouldn't be the Ns if you hadn't drafted Hudson, Mulder and Zito. How much luck is involved when three such draft picks become your foundation?

BB: Any time you're dealing with the amateur draft, you're going to need some luck. Understand, too, they're college pitchers from high-profile programs, which is what we do draft. Is there luck? No question, but understand that's our approach.

TSN: Ever dream about a $183 million payroll?

BB: That might be too much. I might tell them to keep a little bit. The perfect amount of money to work with, it's not the top, and it's not the bottom. If you took the major league average, that would be the ideal payroll to deal with. It keeps you disciplined, and you do get to make great decisions. Look at a club like St. Louis. To me, that's the perfect situation to deal with.

One on one with … A's G.M. Billy Beane

Sporting News, The, Sept 27, 2004

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