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November 3, 2005

Prospectus Today

Bi-Coastal Silliness

by Joe Sheehan

Usually, the immediate aftermath of a World Series--especially a short one that leaves an open weekend--is a good time to take a little break. As a fan, I was disappointed by the four-game World Series, but as a guy who had to fly to New York for the weekend, I was a tad relieved to be done with the postseason, able to concentrate on three days of fun in the Big Apple. (Recommended: "Wicked" and Havana Central on 46th.)

So it was a bit of a surprise to have the offseason get off to a rip-roaring start even as the White Sox were basking in the glow of their sweep. In a three-day span, two of the youngest general managers in the game, each with performance-analysis credentials and varying degrees of success during their tenures, were no longer employed. The Dodgers' Paul DePodesta was fired last week, and the Red Sox' Theo Epstein declined to re-sign with his team on Monday, despite nearly reaching agreement on a three-year contract extension.

Together, the two GMs helmed four playoff teams, 1½ division champions and one poorly-publicized World Series title in their five seasons in charge. Considering that the baseball industry tolerates extended runs of failure or mediocrity in many quarters, this kind of turnover in the face of success is stunning.

Epstein's decision to leave the Red Sox organization was the greater shock. While his negotiations with the Sox had been drawn-out and at times tense, they seemed to be coming to a successful solution. Hours before news of his decision broke, another story had indicated that a three-year deal had been reached.

As Epstein indicated in yesterday's news conference, there was no one reason for his decision to leave the Sox, but an accumulation of reasons that left him unable to do the job the way he wanted to do it. I think it's fair to lay a significant part of the blame at the feet of Larry Lucchino, who had a complicated relationship with his one-time protégé and whose tactics, which apparently included hashing out issues in the Boston media, had to be a big factor in Epstein's departure. To Epstein's credit, he didn't add fuel to that fire yesterday.

Epstein's success in Boston means that he can write his ticket within the game once he decides he wants to take that path. More importantly, he can also write his ticket outside the game. He's going to be a success no matter what section of the newspaper covers his career from this point forward. Realistically, I don't think he'll be out of a GM slot for very long, but he's 31 years old and has been working in baseball for his entire adult life. He can take some time off to pursue other interests and still be a highly-desirable property once he's ready to return.