Building a Championship Organization

We all feel we can “build a better mouse trap”, and in this case, build a championship baseball team. Just spend a ton of money on the biggest name players and we will win, right? Well for me it’s more than that. 

We Italians have a saying that the fish stinks from the head. In other words, when the leader is bad, they will hire the wrong people and subsequently spoil the resources on down the line. And we all know the three most important things in real estate—location, location, location. I used to ask people what the three most important things in business, sports or even life is. The answer— Good people, good people. Good people. 

Over the years I have changed my thinking on this. Now I say the three most important things are “the right people, the right people and the right people.” Consider this—if you hire me to coach or train you in baseball, great choice. If you ask me to give a speech, do a radio show, a podcast? Again, I am the right person. 

But if you ask me to fix your carburetor? Very bad move. I am a good person, but the wrong person for that job. So, in this case, who is the “right person” for your team? Do they know how to interview someone and decipher the good from the fancy talk and sales verbiage? Is the manager you are hiring the right person to utilize the talents on the field to become a consistent winner? Will players play for them? Is the coaching staff able to improve their players? Take their players to the next level? What about the players themselves? Are they worth their asking price? Will they be a productive player for 90% of the length of the contract? How is the player’s attitude? So, let's break it down and know what I would look for:

The Owner

Are they good at interviewing the person who will oversee building the team? Are they looking past the fancy talk and do they have the right instincts to hire the right GM for the job? Do they have the money and means to pay the right amount for the right people? This does not mean just throw all kinds of money at the GM and or a player or two. But do they have the money to spend for the right person? Be the “original leader” as they say. Bring in the right people, give them the proper tools to do their job and let them run with it while keeping an eye on things. Be there when needed. On the field and off.

The GM

Do they have a game plan? Is their game plan flexible to whatever circumstance arises? Do they know the game? Do they know people? Can they see through the arrogance of some players and or their bad attitudes? 

Some people will give a great interview for a job but will be a bad on-the-field coach. Can the GM candidate recognize that? Do they possess the right gut instincts? Are they impressed with more style than substance? How will this person react when things are not going smooth? Can they spot talent, both for staff and player? When signing a free agent, is the money worth it? Will the player live up to the expense? When hiring a scouting director, will they find someone who knows the game and will hire scouts who know the game or will they hire someone who talks a good game, or one that just relies on analytics? Anyone can see someone is hitting .210. Do they know why? Can they fix it? Can they find the right people to fix it? Can they acquire the right players from their own farm system to make this team a winner? Or do they just spend on a name player, whether they are a good fit or not? Can the GM mix and match home grown talent and then bring in the right pieces to win a championship? 

For example, Harding Peterson, 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates—home grown talent—Stargell, Kison, Moreno, Parker, Candelaria. Missing pieces? Bill Matlock and Tim Foli. When hiring a manager, do they want a yes man or someone who is going to take what the GM gives them and mold them into a winning group both on the field and off? 

The Manager

Do they know the game? Can they get along with the variety of different people on the team? Do they know how to teach? And not only to teach but teach the proper things? Do they make things complicated or simple? Can they give a pat on the back as well as straighten things out when needed? One example of this is the relationship that Jim Leyland developed with Barry Bonds. Bonds wasn’t the easiest to deal with on and off the field, but Leyland had his ear and could get him to focus. 

Consider that certain managers like to manage certain systems. Perhaps they like to play small ball—steal bases, bunt and be aggressive on the base paths, but in some instances, they may not have that type of talent around them to be successful at that in the moment. Perhaps they have a bunch of sluggers. Can they adapt to that style? Will they put their players in the best position to succeed? In other words, do they know the tools of their players and will they put the team in a position to succeed. If the player is big and strong but not fast, will they know not to send them on a steal? If the player is 5'9, 170 lbs with a 6.6 60 time, don't ask him to hit 40 homeruns. 

We’ve all seen that in the past. The LA Lakers of the 80's were called “Showtime” under Pat Riley. They had a fast-paced team with Magic Johnson at the point. But when Riley was Head Coach of the NY Knicks, they were much more physical with players like Pat Ewing, Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason. Will the manager improve the players they have and make them better? Can they win with less? Will players want to run through a wall for them or throw the manager through a wall? 

I’ve used a lot of tried-and-true phrases in this piece, so I offer you one more. When looking for the right manager has the game “passed the coach by?” 

I do not agree with that. I think “people pass people by.” In other words, is the manager approachable? Will he be there for the players on the field and off. Does he care? Former Pirates manager Chuck Tanner and Super Bowl winning coach and Hall of Famer Dick Vermeil believed this way and coached this way. They believed their players—their people—"wouldn't care how much a player knew until they knew how much a player cared.” And remember, the team embodies the coach’s signature and personality.

The Player

I get asked all the time what type of player I would want on my team. I answer that simply by saying that I want a good person who can play. As a GM or manager, you never want to deal with a headache no matter how talented they are. Distractions lower your odds of winning a championship. As an NFL Hall of Famer once said while he was coaching the San Francisco 49ers that he “can’t play with them—cannot win with them, cannot coach with them, cannot win with them. Can't do it.” I wouldn’t want a player that falls under that banner. Does this player fit our culture? Are they coachable? What are the players work ethics? I do not want to look at my watch and say, “We have practice today at 6, and I really don't want to deal with John today.” Nor do I want him to say that about me. I want all of us to contribute to a winning culture on the field and off. 

This is the last quote I will leave you with. “If we all pull the same rope at the same time in the same direction for the same purpose we will get a special result.”