Don't confuse smarts and leadership

A former general manager once told a newly installed G.M., "Forget about bats and balls--this job is about putting out fires."

But as one team after another hires young, brilliant executives with limited experience, you wonder when owners will understand that message.

The Dodgers' Frank McCourt learned the hard way, falling in love with Paul DePodesta's Moneyball image but failing to recognize that a successful G.M. needs to be a leader, not just a numbers whiz.

Yet, the fascination with 30-something-year-olds continues. The Diamondbacks, Devil Rays and Rangers owners are all entrusting their franchises to young guys--though Diamondbacks G.M. Josh Byrnes, 35, has a deeper background than Rangers G.M. Jon Daniels, 28, and Rays Director of Baseball Development Andrew Friedman, 28.

Does it even matter?

Some contend Daniels merely will be a pawn for Rangers manager Buck Showalter and Byrnes the same for D-backs general partner Jeff Moorad.

Funny, the status quo seems to keep working for perennial powers such as the Braves, Cardinals, Twins and Angels; all are run by established G.M.s--and with minimal interference from ownership.

McCourt had a manager, Jim Tracy, and a G.M., DePodesta, who were philosophical opposites. When McCourt parted with Tracy, he seemed to side with DePodesta.

Instead, within a month, DePodesta was gone, too.

DePodesta, who was the third youngest G.M. when he was hired in 2004, was the equivalent of a one-tool player. He was a statistical expert who lacked valuable management skills--most notably, leadership. As an inexperienced G.M. working for an inexperienced owner, he was set up to fail.

DePodesta never ran a department as Billy Beane's assistant with the A's. Never had to persuade others to adopt his vision. Never had to rein in out-of-line employees. Never had to gain the trust of an organizational pillar such as Tommy Lasorda.

Reserved by nature, DePodesta didn't want to be like Beane, who is one of the game's most commanding figures. But the real problem is that DePodesta couldn't be like Beane, a former player who combines his Moneyball theories with baseball instincts and sustains the A's through the sheer force of his personality.

Of course, it isn't only former players who can succeed as G.M.s. The Indians' Mark Shapiro, 38, overcame his non-playing background by developing outstanding leadership qualities, first as director of minor league operations, then as assistant G.M.

Vast front-office experience isn't always a prerequisite, either. The Red Sox's Theo Epstein, 31, didn't have it, but he benefited from the knowledge that his superiors--team president Larry Lucchino, chairman Tom Werner and principal owner John Henry--gained with their previous clubs.

The trend toward younger G.M.s has merit in at least one sense: The job has evolved into a 24-hour-a-day, 12-month-a-year beast, requiring immense energy. But there is simply no substitute for certain types of experience.

How did Pirates G.M. Dave Littlefield end up with Tracy as his manager? The two became familiar with each other while working together in the Expos' farm system. Younger G.M.s have few, if any, such relationships to draw from.

It's not just about moving chess pieces, as some statistical analysts would have you believe. It's about leadership and communication, about putting out fires and building bridges. It's about things that--even for the best and brightest--take years to learn.

speed read

To win the World Series, National League teams need to put together deeper, A.L.-style lineups. The Astros' Lance Berkman and Cardinals' Albert Pujols were their team's only feared hitters; the teams' cleanup hitters, Morgan Ensberg and Larry Walker, didn't cut it.

INSIDE DISH

Don't be surprised if Astros RHP Roy Oswalt starts showing signs of wear and tear. He has thrown a major-league high 525 1/3 innings in the past two seasons, including the postseason. Oswalt (6-0, 185) has a resilient arm and solid delivery, but he worked 256 1/3 innings in 2004 and 269 in '05. * Look for the Nationals to pour whatever money they have into pitching, targeting LHP Jarrod Washburn and RHPs A.J. Burnett, Matt Morris and Kevin Millwood. The team, seeking a replacement for free-agent CF Preston Wilson, also could pursue a trade for Marlins CF Juan Pierre. * Bobby Valentine can be manipulative, but he's a terrific manager. After Valentine's Chiba Lotto Marines swept the Japan Series in four games, one major league executive said, "Before he got there, they were the equivalent of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays" A better comparison might be the Orioles. * Yankees G.M. Brian Cashman's new contract is for $5.4 million over three years. He also received stock in the team worth $1 million, according to a major league source with knowledge of the terms. * Eliminate the Blue Jays' Vernon Wells from the list of center fielders who might be available in a trade. "We're not trading Vernon Wells," Jays G.M. J.P. Ricciardi says. "If we take him out of the equation, that's a major hole we've got to fill. We're not going backward. We want to go forward." * White Sox 1B Paul Konerko's son, Nicholas, was born October 18, eight days before the White Sox won the World Series. "The kid's been through hell;' Konerko says. "He had to go a whole week without a World Series. Everyone else had to go 88 years."